Training and Development Needs Assessment: Acquiring Information for Decision-Making

Purpose: To acquire information to validate or to inform decisions around Training and Development initiatives

Example: Top management has indicated that they believe customer service is falling short and that employees in the call centre need customer service training.

What do we need to know to validate this as true and what things do we need to know to develop an effective intervention?

1. Briefly describe the organization in terms of mission, values, and goals and objectives. Describe the current/present state of affairs and what “should be” or what is desired. Marks (5)

Keep in mind that this is a plan to implement a needs assessment in terms of your thinking and rationale. You are not actually doing the Needs Assessment at this point.

2. Using the handout provided to you, identify the sources of information that you would address at the learning/ individual level, the organizational level, and the task level. Your completed strategy should identify:

· Specific information required (Questions that you are asking yourself to support the analysis)

· Sources of information

· Data gathering methods used

Use your text Chapter Three as a resource to help you with the methods. The internet will also serve as a good reference at this point. Marks (15)

Example of Format: This is a sample only. Please do not rely on this as a copy for what you might identify. Apply your personal thinking to the assignment.

3. Explain your rationale to support your choices of methods for attaining information (why are you doing what you are doing and why does it make sense for the organization and specific position that you have identified in section one) Provide examples of the questions that you might ask to identify needs at each level (this may have been identified in the preceding section. Identify and describe any other implications that you may consider when conducting your Needs Assessment. Marks (5)