Needs Assessment Certificate

• Introduction to the Needs Assessment

• Description of the Needs Assessment Process

• Making the Case for a Needs Assessment

• Alternatives to Formal Needs Assessment

• Characteristics of an Organizational Goal

• Task Needs – Task/Competency Overview

• Documenting Key Tasks and Competencies

• Identify Causes for Performance Gaps – Open Systems Thinking

• Individual Needs Overview

Needs assessment is the process of gathering data to determine what individual performers need for the organization to accomplish its stated goals. The process can identify skills gaps, for example, that can be addressed through effective training solutions. The needs assessment process may include qualitative data inputs, such as interviews, focus groups, and observation, as well as quantitative data inputs, like performance metrics and financial data. Needs assessment differs from but is related to needs analysis. A needs analysis is the process of synthesizing and reviewing the data gathered from the training needs assessment.

Both needs assessment and needs analysis are important steps to take before delivering training. In addition to establishing whether training is the appropriate solution, the needs assessment and analysis process enables talent development professionals to design learning that targets the defined needs and to use evaluation tools to confirm whether those needs and goals are successfully met.

It is essential that you clearly identify the problem you are trying to solve before you spend time, money, and effort developing a solution for that problem. You may have developed a great training class, but what if the problem doesn’t require a training solution?

When training is the solution, a thorough needs assessment will equip you to design an effective program with well-defined training objectives targeting the skills required to do the work. The process can also help you to identify the right training methods to target the root cause of the problem. By identifying the root cause before developing learning solutions, you are better positioned to serve as a strategic partner to the business and contribute to achieving organizational goals.

• Apply a systematic process to conduct a needs assessment.

• Address resistance to a needs assessment.

• Identify performance gaps and why they exist.

• Identify organizational, task, and individual learning needs.

• Determine learning solutions and other recommendations.

• Discuss evaluation strategies as a part of needs assessments.

• Effectively implement data collection methods.

• Present findings to gain acceptance, build credibility, and collaborate with stakeholders.

• Align talent development solutions with business outcomes to maximize impact, increase your professional competence, enhance training effectiveness when it is required, and ensure you are a valued partner to your organization.

• Discover ways to confirm whether business issues or performance gaps are due to a lack of knowledge, a skill gap, or other factors.

• Gather and analyze data to determine whether comprehensive training is the right solution to the problem.

• Confront stakeholder resistance with confidence by adding clarity to your approaches for reporting findings and recommendations.

• Gain access to data collection tools and methods you can use immediately on the job to assess business and performance needs.

This program is geared to new instructional designers or those unfamiliar with training needs assessment. Topics include a step-by-step needs assessment process, common data collection methods, and tips on how to deal with key stakeholders who are reluctant to agree to the needs assessment process.