Question 1

The job and task analysis model is valuable in fundamental needs assessment, especially in the definition of workplace expertise. It is used to evaluate tasks that constitute a job by focusing on existing work practices, job structures, and employees to determine the requirements of the relevant tasks. It is conducted by enlisting tasks that are conducted in the pertinent jobs, verification of whether the tasks validly represent the job, and analyzing the knowledge that a person needs to meet the performance standards. ideally, the organizations should conduct job analyses regularly to ensure that portray changes. Consequently, it is prudent to evolve the use of conventional thinking and analysis techniques by using them in aggressive way.

Question 2

Competency-based needs assessment is the easiest to conduct. It focuses on the evaluation of the characteristics of employees that enable them to perform their jobs and tasks. Since it focuses on underlying characteristics and it is not concerned with the tasks that people perform, it takes a flexible approach that can be used to identify employees for development. Fundamentally, it is similar to the job analysis model, but it does not focus on evaluating knowledge and expertise, but on the competencies. It is an improved model because competencies are more stable than job tasks. However, the analysis is more appropriate for general competencies rather than specific expertise.

Question 3

The development of a performance improvement proposal emanates from the results of the performance diagnosis exercise. The construction of the proposal consists of three steps. It begins with the drafting of the proposal guided by the performance diagnosis. The next step is to forecast performance benefits. These two steps assist an analyst to organize the information required to develop a brief and effective proposal that will serve an organization’s planning. The final step is to submit it for approval. A needs analysis report is necessary after an assessment has been concluded to enable the sharing of information that will support decision-making. The preparation of needs assessment report will constitute the summary of recommendations, communicating findings to relevant stakeholders, proposing the integration of monitoring and evaluation activities into recommendations, and the evaluation of the process to establish whether changes are required on the needs analysis process for the future.

Question 4

Organizations should adopt a systematic process in carrying out needs assessment as part of efforts to improve organizational performance. Ideally, it should focus on determining the levels of performance of individual employees, teams, and the whole organization. Besides, it should seek to determine the existence of any performance variances associated with its mission, objectives, and employee variables. The performance improvement at Acme International, Inc. supported a practical analysis by focusing on performance problems affecting the various departments, which include a rising returns good rate, increasing error rate, and rising shipper overtime. It is possible to modify the assessment by focusing on specific job and tasks and not just the procedures that the different departmental employees undertake.

Question 5

Performance improvement analysis should incorporate data collection and analysis in organizational diagnosis. A large retailer can utilize company records and interviews with employees to determine performance levels and underlying causes, respectively. Besides, it can rely on job and task analysis to define the required workplace expertise focused on the tasks that should be performed in distinct jobs and establishing the knowledge that job holders should have. The analysis should prioritize the achievement of the organization’s mission, presence of a structure, processes, culture, and expertise that support the desired performance.