A task assessment examines the activities associated with a job and identifies the knowledge, skills, abilities, and other requirements necessary to perform those activities successfully. Interviewing managers and employees is a common method for obtaining this information because they can describe actual responsibilities, performance requirements, procedures, and competencies.
Task assessment supports the development of job descriptions, learning objectives, competency requirements, assessments, and performance-support resources. It helps the TD professional understand what employees must actually do before determining how they should be developed.
Performance gap analysis compares desired performance with actual performance. It therefore begins after expected performance has been defined. An internal environmental assessment examines broader organizational factors such as culture, resources, systems, or strategy. Content analysis focuses on information or instructional material rather than the requirements of a specific role.
The key clue is that the practitioner is identifying the knowledge and skills required for a particular job by consulting those closest to the work. That is characteristic of task-level analysis and provides the evidence needed to design job-relevant development interventions.
Study Guide Topics: Performance Improvement; job analysis; task assessment; knowledge and skill requirements; needs assessment.
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