Define training needs assessment and examine its significance in

developing training programme for adults giving examples from your own
field of practise.

The ultimate goal of any business is to be more profitable and competitive on the
market, and companies that invest in training get their rewards in profits. Even in
the midst of continued financial crisis and difficult economic environment,
organisations do not deny the importance of well trained and qualified employees to
meet their objectives and raise profits. Training is most effective only when it
addresses the specific training needs, well designed and targeted towards the right
employees.For any organisation to perform it must perform as a whole not only as
parts of a whole and it is therefore imperative that training be conducted for the
whole organisation bearing in mind that it is not only the operatives who need
training but everyone from the chief executives to the lowest person in the
organisation. It could be the leadership style that is leading the company astray or it
can be mal-performance by the employees, the answer is training and training can
only be done after a training needs assessment is conducted. Training needs
assessment is the process of identifying the “gap” between current and required
performance and when this happens it explores the causes and reasons for the gap
and methods for eliminating the gaps and the consequences too for ignoring it.The
purpose of a training need assessment is to identify performance requirements and
the knowledge, skills, and abilities needed by an organisation to achieve the
requirement that lead to competitive advantage and organizational mandate. The
assessment should address resources needed to fulfil organizational mission,
improve productivity, and provide quality products and services.This write-up will
define ‘training needs assessment’ then later examine its significance in developing
training programme for adults giving examples from field of practice.

Allison (2002) defines Training Need Analysis as the systematic study of a problem
or innovation, incorporating data and opinions from varied sources, in order to make
effective decisions or recommendations about what should happen next, while
Watkins et al (2012) views ‘training needs assessment’ as a process that is done to
determine all the training needs to be completed in a certain period to allow

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individuals to complete their tasks as effectively as possible. The writer sees ‘training
needs assessment’ as not an event but a process that involves identification of
performance gaps that exist among employees that need to be addressed in order
for the organisation to achieve its goals.

Generally, there are three levels of ‘training needs assessment’ and these are;
organisational, occupational and individual (Rae, 1997). Meso (Organisational level
needs) entails evaluation of organisational performance looking at the vision and
strategic plans. This assessment determines the skills, knowledge, and abilities an
organisation needs. Organisational assessment also determines what is required in
order to address the problems and weaknesses of the organisation as well as to
enhance its strengths and competencies. It takes into consideration various
additional factors that include changing demographics, political trends, technology
and the economy. Training needs assessment can also help identify gaps at
organisational level and they are based on roles and standards. An organisation can
fail to perform due to a plethora of problems and through training needs analysis
causes can be unearthed. If for example ZRP as an organisation is not performing to
the expected desired standards training needs analysis will identify the gap and
come up with a most suitable solution like retraining of all junior police officers and
senior police officers in junior and command courses respectively.

Macro (Sectorial level assessment) examines the skills, knowledge, and abilities
required by occupational teams as it identifies how and which occupational gaps
exist. This assessment also explores new ways to perform the tasks that can
eliminate the gaps. A good example is that of Support Unit as a specialised unit or
sector, if there is an influx of amakhorokoza in an area, these are indicators that
require a training need analysis to be conducted. If an in depth training needs
analysis is conducted it will definitely highlight where a deficiency lies which could be
a result of lack of proper training due to a shortage of resources such as
ammunition. There is no longer any weapon and firearms trainings being conducted
by support unit and as a result there is a knowledge gap which can be filled by
training.

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Micro (Individual level assessment) examines how well an individual is performing a
job and determines the individual’s capacity to do new or different task. Individual
assessment provides information on which individuals need training and the type of
training. Therefore, there is need to first determine what trainees want and need in
terms of training, in order to offer a relevant training. TNA help an organisation
distinguish between individual needs and wants.

The importance of a TNA is to avoid misdiagnosing a non-training problem as a

training problem. The role of TNA in the design of training programmes has long
been recognised in the organizational literature (Goldstein 1991). TNA helps
organizations eliminate redundant training efforts, substantially reduce the
unnecessary expenditure of training dollars, and assist managers in identifying
performance requirements that can be best be satisfied by training and other
developmental strategies.

Conducting an effective TNA will help put training resources to good use. The
assessment should therefore address the resources needed to fulfil organisational
mission, improve productivity, and provide quality products and services. The
purpose of TNA which is simply its significance is to answer familiar questions like,
why, who, how, what and when, that arise as a result of a gap. It helps to identify
which resources to use during training. In the Zimbabwe National Army (ZNA) the
trainees went for an internal tour around the country because adults will always
remember and learn more by what they see not what they hear in training. A
successful training needs assessment therefore will identify those who need training
and what kind of training is needed.

TNA is a responsibility of the wing managers, supervisors, training departments,

clients and other stake holders. Training needs assessment is the first and significant
phase in the training process. It is very important to conduct a ‘training needs
assessment’ when developing a training programme especially for adults. Knowles
(1980) postulates that adult learners want to know why they need to learn
something. Adults need a training that is relevant, that meets their needs, and that
helps them to achieve their goals.As put by Sava (2012) training needs assessment

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is an essential task that leads to the development of relevant, responsive, and
carefully focussed training programme for the target group.

One of the reasons why TNA is significant is that it ensures that the right people are
trained using the right approach.When creating a corporate training program,
identification of who will require the training is paramount in order to customise the
course content to the specific department or role. One of the importance of a
‘training needs assessment’ is it assists in coming up with a list of who needs what
kind of training (Watkins et al, 2012).The more relevant the information is to the
group, the better the learning and retention, and more successful the training. Also
depending on the target audience, the trainer may explore different delivery
methods to enhance the learning process.It is sheer waste of resources to make
everyone within an organisation attend every training programme that is run and it
is fruitless to conduct training just for the sake of it without identification of a
training need at the organizational level, developmental and individual level. A
‘training needs assessment’ enables an organisation to target the correct people for
a particular training. For example, within the Zimbabwe Republic Police when the
organisation acquired modern light vehicles, the organisation through its training
department conducted a training needs assessment and enlisted only light vehicle
station drivers for familiarisation course of the latest computerised Toyota Revo
vehicles rather than training all the police drivers. A training need analysis would
therefore ensure that training programmes are focused and appropriate.

To add on to that, TNA enables adult educations, as an academic discipline, to

address the issue of programme planning. This is so as scholars argue that the
education of adults is very much about organising educational provision in a
managerial way so as to enhance a tailored, smoothly running programme, which is
able to reach the envisaged learning outcomes (Sava, 2012). Therefore, for the
training to be effective, training programmes should be tailor-made to each group of
employees. The more relevant the content is to the employee, the more likely they
are to engage in learning, and the more successful the training will be since one
characteristic of an adult is learning that which is beneficial or is a solution to own or
community problems.In the case of Adult Education at the Zimbabwe Staff College

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basically all are trainers in their own fields of work. So, all in all TNA as we have
noted, has to be able to address issues to do programme planning and the running
of such programmes in the context of adult education since adults are more often
than not involved in planning and conducting training programmes in their own
fields of work.

TNA helps to avoid wasting time on irrelevant training and focus on the right areas
at the right time. This gives an organisation a clear understanding of the big picture
and it is with this understanding that one will be able to pin point training that is not
needed, saving time and money. Rae (1997) avows that, a ‘training needs
assessment’ identifies the specific knowledge, skills and abilities that employees
need in order to become more productive, efficient and innovative in their jobs. It is
a norm that most trainings institutes like the Zimbabwe Staff College, have lesson
plans approved by supervisors who then look at what a presenter is going to teach
visa vis what learners already know, assumed knowledge. The supervisors then
approves on what material to teach avoiding irrelevant material which is not
beneficial to an adult. This makes training needs assessment a powerful tool in the
face of limited resources as the TNA focuses on the rightful areas that need to be
addressed. Since it is important for any organisation to have substance for
conducting training, completing a training needs assessment will allow the
concerned organisation to see exactly what needs to be focused on in order not to
put resources to waste as there might be no apparent gaps in knowledge some
other area.

TNA helps in identifying knowledge and skills gaps before they become a problem to
an organisation.The process allows an organisation to take a proactive approach
rather than a reactive approach that is waiting for something to go wrong before it is
realised to be a problem. Barbazette (2006) concurs that another importance of
conducting training needs assessment is that it helps in identifying knowledge and
skills gaps before they become a problem to an organisation.This is so true
especially when one considers that prevention is better than cure. A reactive
approach is usually more expensive compared to a proactive approach. Training

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needs assessment can highlight a potential problem within an organisation which
can then be tackled head-on, rather than becoming aware of the knowledge and
skills gap when a problem arises. For Example, the Zimbabwe Republic Police in an
endeavour to keep its members abreast with information technology industry
standards, saw the need to establish Open Learning Centres countrywide where its
members undergo training that increases their knowledge about the latest
technological innovations. This was indeed a proactive approach on the part of the
ZRP as it aimed to keep its members in line with the best technological advances in
information technology. From the above it is apparent that TNA is very significant in
as much as it enables organisations to address perceived skills gaps before they
manifest themselves.

To add on to the above, TNA helps to prioritize training needs by pin pointing the
training which needs to be completed as a matter of urgency and which training can
be shelved for a later stage.When it comes to developing training programmes for
adults, it can be difficult to decide which training sessions are the most important.
Watkins et al (2012) claim that ‘training needs assessment’ aids in selecting the
training needs that should be addressed first and which training needs can be
addressed later. Some skills are meant to be applied sooner rather than later. For
example, in the wake of Covid-19 pandemic and following the promulgation of Public
Health Regulations in 2020, Zimbabwe Republic Police observed knowledge gaps
among its members and recognised the urgent need to train its members on
enforcement of Covid-19 National Lockdown Measures and also how to protect
themselves from it. All other trainings like recruit training, driving lessons and even
the ZRP Staff college were suspended. The training was rolled out ahead of other
trainings basing given priority after having conducted a training needs assessment.
Therefore, training needs are given priority basing on how key they are. The above
example supports Sava (2012:29) who says, “Needs assessment refers to evaluating
the identified needs and to deciding, with respect to planning activities, which are
the most important.” A training needs analysis allows organizations to explore the
performance, skill and knowledge gap that diminish employee productivity.

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TNA assists in aligning training to adults’ learning goals. According to Knowles
(1980), asserts that adult learning is relevancy-oriented. Since one of the best ways
for adults to learn is by relating the assigned tasks to their own learning goals, it is
prudent that when developing a training programme for adults, the training activities
need to directly contribute to the achievement of learning objectives. This inspires
and motivates them to engage in the training activities and this can only be achieved
after conducting training needs assessment.

TNA enhances achievement of a greater Return on Investment. From the project
leader who identifies a training need, to the trainer or facilitator who builds the
curriculum and delivers the session, to the employees who participate, there is often
significant time spent by everyone involved. Conducting training needs assessment
will deliver a higher return on that investment. The other importance of training
needs assessment is it enhances achievement of a greater return on investment.
For the reason that the training needs assessment process ensures that training
decisions are based on actual and assessable skill gaps, there are high chances that
the training will bring about learning and performance improvement among
employees that is the return on training investment that every organisation looks
for.In order to realise the returns of investing in training, training needs assessment
should be conducted to determine the trainees, trainers, when to conduct the
training as well as how it should be conducted taking into cognisance the type of
needs, which could be implied, stated and felt needs according to Naddler & Naddler
(1994).

Training needs assessment help managers or trainers to review current and past
training programmes which assists in measuring how effective past training was. It
is of vital importance to check what current training activitiesare being implemented
in order to have coordination and to avoid duplication of efforts.Through training
need assessment process, the effectiveness of past training can be measured. The
process enables the organisation to measure if the skill gaps have been closed since
the last assessment or whether the learning obstacles have been removed or if
employees are still unable to meet their performance goals despite previous training.
For example, if an employee who underwent a driving course but continue to exhibit

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shortcomings in good driving may reflect the ineffectiveness of the previous course
thereby such gaps can be used in developing a current driving course.

TNA facilitates engagement of adult learners. Sava (2012) avers that adults need to
feel as though they have a sense of responsibility, control and decision-making over
their learning.  Adults need to be involved in the planning of their training and a
‘training needs assessment’ is the perfect way to make them feel involved. The
involvement makes adults feel that they have input on their training and they feel
encouraged to participant in the training programme. For instance, in the Zimbabwe
Republic Police training needs assessment questions in the form of surveys are done
and training decisions are made basing on the highlighted areas which has acted as
a motivation to members as they feel they are engaged in planning trainings.

While some project leaders may think a needs assessment is an unnecessary waste
of valuable resources, it can actually save time and money by ensuring the right
training programme is developed, implemented and delivered, the employees gain
the appropriate knowledge and skills to perform their jobs.TNA affects nearly all
phases of the training process including determining specific training needs of
individuals in the organization, and then selecting the most appropriate training
content and delivery methods, evaluating the effectiveness of the training
procedures before it is delivered and result in a waste of time and money.

In order to avoid the risk of training the wrong people in the wrong content at the
wrong time which result in wastage of time, energy and money, organisations have
to carry out a training needs assessment which is the only way to verify and validate
the need, focus, scope and target group for a training programme.

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References

Barbazette. (2006). raining Needs Assessment: Methods, Tools, and Techniques.

John Willey & Sons.

Boudreau, C. &. (2011). Investing in People: Financial Impact ofHuman Resource

Initiatives. FT Press.

Knowles. (1980). The Modern Practice of Adult Education: From Pedagogy to

Andragogy. Association Press.

Rae. (1997). Planning and Designing Training Programmes. London: Gower

Publishing Co.

Sava. (2012). Needs Analysis and Programme Planning in Adult Education. Verlag
Barbra Budrich Publshers.

Watkins.al, W. e. (2012). A Guide to Assessing Essence of Tools for Collecting

Information, Making Decisions and Achieiving Development Results. World Bank
Publications.

Organizations are now investing in human capital for competitive advantage but
interestingly some do not follow the procedure of carrying out a Training Needs
Assessment. Training is investing in people and is only conducted after a thorough
investigation of needs analysis. Investing in people is investing in the organisation
(Cascio& Boudreau, 2011). Successful corporate training programs will provide
employees with the skills they need to improve job performance and lead to greater
productivity, positively impacting the company’s bottom line.