Needs Assessment Methods

The following table is provided as decision support when identifying the most appropriate needs assessment method(s) for a training project.
Method Definition When to use When not to use Advantages Disadvantages Example(s)

Survey/ A list of relevant •Large groups •When interaction •Low cost per each response •Difficult to construct; requires •Employee
Questionnaire questions •Anonymity is is important •Easy to tabulate (if only closed-ended thorough knowledge of a situation Opinion Survey
presented to a important •No skill or time questions are used) before questions can be developed •Questionnaire
large number of •Geographically to develop/design •People are familiar with questionnaires •Low response rate can be a problem using a scale to
appropriate people. dispersed groups a good and tend to respond candidly •No way to probe for more information respond (e.g.
Surveys and •Minimal budget survey/questionn •Each question is consistently •Time must be allocated for piloting of frequency and/or
questionnaires can limited resources aire presented to the respondents the questionnaire quality scale)
be conducted •High response
•Quantitative data
through mail, email, rate is important
important
telephone or •Limited
interviews. •Desire to measure
improvement over time preparation time
available

Interview A data collection •Depth of information •Not much time •Provides respondent with the •Labor intensive; therefore, higher Schedule a series
approach in which is needed •Type of person opportunity to give information openly; cost per response of interviews with
questions are •Need to validate who needs to be to expand on ideas •Tabulation of data is time-consuming Business
asked of current data interviewed is not •If the question/response is not clear, and requires “content analysis” skill Managers by
individuals to •Time is not an issue available Interviewer has an opportunity to re- •Requires skilled Interviewer for phone to identify
gather relevant •No skilled state/clarify complete, unbiased data current coaching
•Easy access to
information. interviewer is •More control over response rate challenges
interviewees (phone or •If more than one person interviewing,
in person) available •Can be conducted face to face or by need to ensure consistency of method
•Need opinion & ideas •No established telephone used to ask questions
of various trust with •Provides an opportunity to observe •Concern of confidentiality or trust
stakeholders audience non-verbal, if face to face may limit candid responses

Focus Group A small group of •Need immediate •Focus in on an •Provides easy, fairly reliable access to •Considering the cost of getting •Trained
people working feedback generated individual or the ideas and attitudes of a group interviewees together, focus groups Facilitator leads
together with a from discussions group •Group make-up can be carefully are fairly expensive with questions
facilitator. Data is •Topic is not sensitive •Difficult to report controlled •Gathering representatives from some from broad to
qualitative or •Tight time restrictions issues •Especially useful for gathering input populations can be a problem narrow.
descriptive, not •Sensitive topic that can be turned into questionnaires •Tabulation of data is time-consuming •Small groups
quantitative. •Multi-departmental
group for a quantitative study and requires specific skill can be formed
•Rich source of descriptive and or and then report
•Available resources out on questions
•Need opinion & ideas antidotal information
provided by
of various Facilitator
stakeholders

Observation A data collection •To assess actual •No established •Provides opportunity to observe job •Labor intensive; therefore, high cost. Ride along with a
technique in which individual/group trust performance in the work setting. •Provides data only on what can be Representative to
master performers performance •Not much time •Can observe how the work seen observe HCP
or typical •Need to know environment has an impact upon job •The observer may affect job interactions.
performers are behaviors trainees will performance. performance
observed as they need to learn to • Can see what is actually happening; •Observation must be well planned in
perform a task. demonstrate no interruption by a second party advance.
acceptable
•Observer must be well trained to
performance
reduce subjectivity in reporting