Human Performance Technology

Human performance technology is the process by which we can improve the performance of people by asking the right set of questions to ascertain what the true issues are and where. This is done with a set of prespecified phases, strategies, and methods. The main phases are analysis, design, development, implementation, and evaluation which have multiple sections within each. View the ISPI HPT Model for further detail.

The following steps are outlined with examples in this portfolio piece.

Client

Georgia State University

Project Date

2021

Category

Training

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Performance Gap Analysis

To perform a performance gap analysis is to look at the performance gap from all angles to get the big picture of a performance issue within an organization. The performance of individuals, as well as teams, will need to be analyzed from a task-by-task basis to workflows and projects to ensure that the performance is efficient at all points to assess all strengths and weaknesses. It is important when analyzing to be open to all possible issues and not jump to solutions.

Data Gathered

  • Organization goals
  • Desired performance vs actual performance
  • Daily tasks of individuals and groups
  • Daily, weekly, and monthly tasks and workflows of individuals and groups
  • Environmental factors – data, resources, incentives
  • Individual factors – knowledge, capacity, motives
  • World and surrounding factors

Models Utilized

Example Analysis

Root Cause Analysis

A root cause analysis is a method to ascertain the root cause of a performance gap at hand. It is best to use multiple methods to ensure you have analyzed the problem from multiple viewpoints. Include multiple stakeholders in the root cause analysis as well to get different vantage points. A root cause analysis forces you to ask questions at levels that you wouldn’t normally get to, at levels much deeper than the visible issue level.

Job Task Analysis

A job task analysis is an analysis of all of the tasks done by a specific position. All of the job responsibilities should be listed out for the position and then categorized by main tasks and subtasks along with the role, staffing, and the Difficulty-Importance-Frequency (DIF) analysis for the task and subtasks. The expectations, knowledge, skills, and attitudes of the position may also be listed. From there, the potential for improvement is evaluated.

Client Reporting

A client report is a summary of the analysis that has been done up until the point of the report being compiled, the findings from the analysis, the conclusions that can be drawn from the analysis, the recommendations to act upon the findings, the cost/benefit for the solutions, and the next steps for the client to review. The client report should be clear, concise, and provide a road map of what the client should expect moving forward to solve the performance gap that has been determined in the analysis phase. Reporting could also move into further steps to report on the evaluation of training after deployment.