Needs Analysis Procedure

To gather the appropriate data, a thorough needs analysis must be conducted. A needs
analysis is conducted by using various data gathering tools to help answer fundamental
questions.

Determining the Desired Change

The first step in a needs analysis is to determine what change is being requested. You will
want to find out information that can help you answer the following questions:
 What problem exists or what change is being requested?
 Who is being asked to change?
 What is currently taking place in this environment with this individual or individuals?
It is important to note that not all instructional design projects are this straightforward. On
occasion, you may be asked to come in to an organization to observe what is taking place and
determine the type of change that needs to take place. This type of activity is often associated
with the field of human performance technology (HPT).

The Request for the Desired Change

After developing a clear understanding of the existing problem or the change being
requested, it is important to understand who is asking for the change. This is an extremely
important element to understand because it will help you determine the type of interven- tion
that may need to take place. To come to an understanding of these elements, you will need to
answer the follow- ing question: Who identified the problem or is requesting this change?
This information is generally easy to obtain. It is often the desire of the client who hired
you to have the change occur. It is important to keep in mind that there may be additional
stakeholders who might be interested in having the change. However, talking to additional
stakeholders to clarify how they feel about the problem or the change being requested may be
difficult.

Implementation Location of the Desired Change

Finding out where the desired change will take place is another important element to con-
sider. This will help you to better understand the context of where an intervention will be
needed. Again, the client is the best source of information to answer this question.
The Intervention
Once you have the appropriate data that allows you to understand the entire context the
desired change, who is requesting the change, who is being asked to change, and where the
change needs to take place it is time to determine if instruction is the most appropriate
intervention. You will need to answer the following question: Is instruction the most
appropriate means for solving the problem or bringing about the desired change?
The client will be relying on your expertise to determine this. There are no steadfast rules
on whether instruction is the most appropriate intervention because each instruc- tional
design context is different.
A properly conducted needs analysis contributes significantly to how successful the entire
instructional design process will be. A thorough identification of the problem that needs to be
addressed will lead to an effective and efficient solution being developed.