This document summarizes a professional development course on ensuring training effectiveness through needs assessment. The course will be held on April 9th, 2012 at Bahauddin Zakariya University in Multan, Pakistan. It will be led by Huma Zafar and will help participants understand the meaning and importance of training needs assessment (TNA). The course will cover organizational needs analysis, training needs analysis, and data gathering methods. Participants will learn to distinguish between organizational and training needs and use appropriate data collection techniques for TNA. The goal is to help participants conduct effective needs assessments to improve training and performance.

1. Professional Development Course on
Ensuring Training Effectiveness
Cascading Workshop
9th April, 2012.
Bahauddin Zakariya University, Multan.
Module: Needs Assessment (TNA)
Resource person:
Huma Zafar

2. Learning Objectives
At the end of the session you will be able to:
Familiar with the meaning and importance of TNA
Know what to look for when conducting TNA
Distinguish between Organizational and Training
Need
Use data collection techniques appropriate to a TNA

3. Session Out line
1. Organizational Needs Analysis
2. Training Needs Analysis
3. Data Gathering Methods

4. Organizational Need Analysis
 Organizational Need Analysis is a holistic
approach which involves looking at the entire
organization. It locates and defines problem
areas. It explores what is as compared to what
should be and the gaps between the two.
 Analysis: The study we do in order to figure out
what to do. - Allison Rossett & Kendra Sheldon
(2001)

5. WHAT IS TNA?
 Assessment of an organizations Training Needs
 Identify a gap between required performance
and present performance
 It arises from a Business Need
 Designed to match the expectations & objectives
of the Organization
 Creation of Solutions
 Delivered by Different Training Methods
 Measured by Evaluation

6. Importance of Training Needs Analysis
 Bridging gap b/w required and present
performance = Improved Performance
 Anticipate introduction of new systems, tasks
or technology
 Desire to Effect a Change
 Translate Business Need in to a Training
Need

7. Important Distinction
An Organizational Needs Analysis is different from a
Training Needs Analysis:
 While ONA offers a broader perspective more
conducive to a diagnosis
 TNA offers a specific perspective on organizational
solutions involving Training

8. What to look for in TNA
 Who should be Trained?
(Target Audience/who should be trainees)
 Train on What subject?
(Training contents)
 Why should the particular person be trained?
(Ability ,skill ,knowledge ,grooming etc)
 When should the person be trained? ( appropriate time)
How to Train (training methods)
TNA = 5W + H

 Where

9. Activity Time
 Proposed Training
 Formulate a TNA

10. How do you Identify Training needs

11. Goldstein (1986, 1991, 1993)
Model of Training Needs Analysis
Stage One
Establish organisation’s commitment and support
Stage Two
Organisational Analysis
Stage Three
Requirement Analysis
Stage Four
‘Needs Assessment’ - Task & KSA analysis of training needs
Stage Five
‘Person Analysis’
Stage Six
Collate data to input to, and design of, training environment
and training evaluation
www.uk.sagepub.com/millward/files/.../Chapter2_slide_2... - United Kingdom

12. What are data collection methods ?
1-Questionnaire
2-Documentation
3-Interview
4-Observation
5-Review performance
appraisals
6-Focus Group
Discussions

13. Activity
 Objective: Learn & differentiate methods of Data
gathering.
 Method: Group Discussion
 Five small groups
 Mechanism: A member from each group will
present the Merits of each Data Gathering Methods.
 Time: 10 Minutes

14. Method Pros Cons
Questionnaire -per audience -% return is often less
-Ask different -Takes time and skill to develop well
style questions -Directed-/limited answers
-Efficient & -Should be limited to 10 minute completion time
easiest way of -probing difficult
collecting lots -What people tell you and what they really do may
of data differ
Documentation Provides -May be difficult or impossible to obtain desired
review (i.e., job management/ documents
descriptions, HR perspective -May require interpretation/ explanation
performance
appraisals
Interview -Direct Contact - intensive time and resources
managers/ -Good for
supervisors complex
problems
-Can modify

15. Method Pros Cons
Observation -Direct method of Resource and time consuming
data collection
Review -Time efficient Depend upon documentation quality
performance honesty in documents
appraisals of
lesser performers
Focus Group -For complex / - Scheduling Issue
discussion undefined issues -Good number of participants
-Ideas can built on - what people tell you and what they
each other really do may differ
-Relatively - Sometimes important to verify the
effective & results with observations and
efficient document analysis

16. Thank you