Discussion Post-Needs Assessment-Why are needs assessments necessary before training programs are created?

This chapter provides a thorough treatment of the needs assessment process, which is a critical first step in designing and revising training courses and other learning activities. Without a proper needs assessment, training may not target the appropriate content, and the right individuals may not be identified for training. To help ensure that training is appropriately focused, it is important that a thorough needs assessment be conducted. Toward this end, this chapter addresses the needs assessment process from multiple perspectives and describes a variety of methods that can be utilized to conduct a needs assessment. This chapter highlights that assessing training needs is more complex than might be typically assumed and addresses the most important factors to consider in this fundamental step of the training design process.