Timing: Allow 90 minutes for this activity
Part 1
Read ‘Training needs assessment: a must for developing an effective training program’ (Brown, 2002), which is also available in your printed Reader.
Part 2
Think about your current role, or one you may have in the future, or one with which you are familiar from your previous experience. Using the content of this unit so far, including the Brown (2002) paper, note down your answers to the following questions:
- a.How would you go about gathering information to guide a TNA for this role?
- b.What training methods would you consider if you were designing a programme to address these needs? And why?
- c.How would you evaluate the effectiveness of the training you design? Would you use the Kirkpatrick criteria, or are there other important considerations when considering the value of training? Would an informal approach work better? If so, why?
- d.How would you take into account the political context of your TNA? Are there any ways in which self-interest or organisational conflict might influence your conclusions?
- e.What are the strengths and limitations of this formal training-based approach to understanding learning and talent development requirements?
Keep hold of your notes, because you will need to refer to them in the next activity. If you wish, you can use the box below to make notes, and they will show up for your reference in Activity 4.3.
