Harless Model
What is the Front-End Analysis?
The performance gap is the difference between where the organization is and where they should be or want to be. Front-end analysis determines what influences that gap using performance analysis and cause analysis.
Why use Front-End Analysis.
Front-End Analysis is usually used to define the current and desired performance state of the organization and identify the performance gap. Then the gap is closed by designing the needed intervention.
Using Front-End Analysis.
First step, ask a series of questions. Joe Harless, who is considered the father of Front-End Analysis, calls these questions “Smart Questions”. The first five questions are categorized as Performance Analysis:
The remaining questions are categorized as Cause Analysis
The goal of asking the questions is to eliminate the waste of money and time on unnecessary activities. These questions are considered all of the information an organization will need before making decisions about specific solutions for performance problems.
Asking the smart questions help organizations (1) spend money on performance problems that are worth solving, (2) thoroughly investigate the causes for the problems, and (3) determine the most cost-effective solutions.
- Do we have a problem? (Based on what evidence can you say you have a problem?)
- Do we have a performance problem?
- How will we know when the problem is solved? (When indicators from the first question are the exception.)
- What is the performance problem?
- Should we allocate resources to solve it? (Do the benefits of solving the problem outweigh the costs?)
The remaining questions are categorized as Cause Analysis
- What are the possible causes of the problem? (Lack of data, tools, incentives, knowledge, capacity, motives?)
- What evidence bears on each possibility?
- What is the probable cause? (Based on Questions 6 and 7, what is the probable cause of the problem?)
- The final four questions fall under Intervention Selection, Design, and Development
- What general solution type is indicated?
- What are the alternate subclasses of solution? (What else could you do to solve the problem?)
- What are the costs, effects, and development times of each solution? (Research the costs of each solution).
The goal of asking the questions is to eliminate the waste of money and time on unnecessary activities. These questions are considered all of the information an organization will need before making decisions about specific solutions for performance problems.
Asking the smart questions help organizations (1) spend money on performance problems that are worth solving, (2) thoroughly investigate the causes for the problems, and (3) determine the most cost-effective solutions.
Gathering Data.
Gathering information is needed to develop a task list for job performance. The methods used to gather information to produce a Front-End Analysis includes:
- Self-completed (surveys) questionnaires- used to gather information from large groups
- Direct Interviews – used to gather information related to specific job-related needs
- Focus Groups – used to develop job descriptions and skill prerequisites that reflect on the position and the person doing the job.
- Direct Observations- used mostly when none of the other three data-collection methods are available!
Conducting a Front-End Analysis.
To conduct a Front-End Analysis the steps listed below are the recommended process.
-What are the desired end results after the change or intervention has been made?
-What is the best solution to reach the desired results?
- Determines the nature of the opportunity or request. Gather preliminary information such as the name of the client or requesting organization. This is important to determine what intervention might be needed. Also it is needed to determine the performance gap.
- Identifies the types of information (data) required. The data should provide resource information to answer the following questions:
-What are the desired end results after the change or intervention has been made?
-What is the best solution to reach the desired results?
- Identify your source of information for your Front-End Analysis. Where are you going to get your source of information i.e. materials needed, books, websites.
- Create the data collection tools. Using the information listed above labeled “Gathering data”, create the tools needed to gather your data to be used in your Front-End Analysis.
- Identify your audience(s). Identify the audiences or populations that will influence your Front-End Analysis.
- Collect the data. Make sure you are collecting the right data from the right people. My research indicated a good rule to follow.
Randomly select employees based on the total number of names on the population list.
Divide by twice the number of employees desired for the sample.
A solution for a 10% sample of an employee population would be calculated this way:
5000 employees X .1 = 500 employees
500 X 2 = 1000 employees as a random sample size
- Analyze the data.
- Identify the required level of proficiency for the skill set
- Identify the critical tasks, knowledge, skills, tools and resources (based upon importance, consequence of error, and frequency data)
- Group tasks using the job task analysis data
- Prioritize main tasks, subtasks and procedures
- Identify the performance gaps
- Identify the desired outcomes (cognitive, psychomotor, verbal and social) for each core task, core subtask or procedure
- Identify a learning objective statement verb
- Identify criterion for acceptable performance, such as quality, quantity and speed
- Generate the learning objective statement (the OUTPUT from the task analysis)
Completing a Front-End Analysis Report (FEAR).
Now that we have collected and analyzed data, the next step is to integrate the information with the design and development steps of the ADDIE Model* process. Use a formal report format for details reports. The length of your report will depend on your clients and the audiences receiving the report and their needs.
The goal of the Front-End Analysis Report is to:
-Identify major needs, concerns or problem(s)
-Identify the relevant existing information and how it is presented
-Determine the data to collect and sources, methods and potential uses of the data.
Suggested Front-End Analysis Report (FEAR)
Section |
Content |
1 |
Preliminary Information: requestor, requesting authority, date of request, start and end dates of the analysis, reasons for conducting the analysis, brief description of the analysis |
2 |
Current job performance or instructional situation |
3 |
Desired job performance or instructional situation |
4 |
Comparison: current situation vs. desired situation |
5 |
Current materials needed for this project |
6 |
Additional resources for the project |
7 |
Explanation and recommendation of instructional presentation methods (e.g., classroom instruction, on-the-job training (OJT), media-based instruction) |
8 |
Output statements (with explanation for this front-end analysis) |
Addie Model*
This is a generic model used by instructional designers. This model includes five phases:
- Analysis Phase to clarify instructional problems
- Design Phase deals with learning objectives, assessment instruments, exercises, content, subject matter analysis, and lesson planning and media selection.
- Development Phase – develops and create content by the developer
- Implementation Phase – Procedures are developed
- Evaluation Phase – Used to identify potential concerns by gathering feedback!