Updates previous work on the Organizational Elements Model that relates needs assessment and needs analysis. Highlights include purpose-based objectives and results-based objectives for organizations; differentiating between ends and means; costs-consequences analysis; and training needs assessment. (LRW)

Identifies six critical success factors to rethink performance improvement following the terrorist attacks of September 11. Topics include moving out of traditional paradigms to use wider boundaries for planning and continuous improvement; focusing on end results; levels of planning; ideal visions; preparing clear, measurable objectives; and…

A stress audit assessing potential stressors; stress perceptions, responses, and outcomes; and personal, group, and situational characteristics was conducted in stress management workshops for 20 employees. New skills and attitudes for dealing with stress were taught: time management, communication, alternatives to negative attitudes, and…

Examines the differences between needs assessment and needs analysis as part of the larger process of identifying and resolving problems and opportunities. Proactive and reactive planners are discussed, a system approach is compared with a systems approach, and steps in a systems approach are identified. (10 references) (LRW)

In 1980, The Pittsburgh (Pennsylvania) Public School District polled its teachers, administrators, politicians, and parents for their views on the schools' most pressing needs. In the resulting renewal plan, phase I focused on renewing teachers' professional skills. Phase II challenged schools to institutionalize shared decision making and…

Discusses three assumptions underlying needs assessments: (1) the individual is of primary importance; (2) individuals' assessments of problems, needs, and solutions are paramount; and (3) fulfilling expressed needs equals success. Describes the positive and negative aspects of these assumptions and provides some strategies for improving needs…

Describes an effort to attack a regional workplace illiteracy problem with a community-based needs assessment. Indicates that the needs assessment will be effective if it (1) emphasizes the social and economic effects of illiteracy, (2) explicitly links illiteracy to its regional effects, and (3) is accomplished within the time and funding…

Educational needs assessment is not a solution to all the issues in workers' education, but it is a solid building block for effective workers' education. (Author)

Optimal sequential decision rules are proposed for adapting the appropriate amount of instruction to learning needs. The framework for the approach is derived from Bayesian decision theory and the assumption that three actions (master, partial master, and nonmaster) are open to the decision maker. (SLD)

Focus groups and a training needs survey of Virginia correctional educators identified educational philosophy, communication skills, human behavior, and teaching techniques as topics of interest. Classroom observations identified additional areas: teacher isolation, multiple challenges, absence of grade structure, and safety constraints. (Contains…

4-H youth development agents (n=81) identified the importance and frequency of use of the phases in the GEMS (Generate, Educate, Motivate, Sustain) model of volunteer administration. The greatest discrepancy between importance and frequency was in sustaining volunteer involvement. Areas for agents' professional development were identified.…

Early identification of patients who need a social work evaluation is integral to effective discharge planning. This article describes the development and application of the Social Work Admission Assessment Tool (SWAAT), a six-item scale that identifies patients with complicated discharge needs who require a social work evaluation. It addresses…

An increasing number of Americans today are finding themselves in the position of being both a full-time employee and a part- or full-time caregiver for an adult relative. Often, their job responsibilities and their caregiving duties collide, creating undue stress and costing both the employer and the employee hundreds of thousands of dollars in…

The purpose of this study is to determine factors which predict professional burnout among university full-time faculty who are employed in traditional, virtual, public and private institutions in the United States. Differences in professional burnout scores by age, gender, marital status, ethnicity, tenured status, type of university, academic…