ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on a critical aspect of the training process: training needs assessment (TNA). Although many terms are used to describe this process—such as training needs analysis, gap analysis, or front-end analysis—Rossett (1987) designated TNA as an umbrella term. Rossett’s approach has been adopted in this chapter; however, analysis is used when assessment threatens to be overused. TNA is a systematic process that applies work analysis techniques and procedures to identify and specify training requirements that have been linked to deficiencies in individual, team, or organization performance to develop learning objectives to address the identified deficiencies. These evidence-based objectives in turn guide design, delivery, and evaluation of training to close the gaps in underlying knowledge, skills, abilities, or other characteristics (KSAOs) or competencies that are related to the identified performance deficiencies. Although there is no strong consensus on specific TNA procedures (Rossett, 1987) and there are many TNA resources offering slightly different approaches, most processes include the same basic steps, starting with an initiating or triggering event that requires a TNA to be considered and using work analysis techniques to determine training requirements.
