What happens in Needs Analysis? - How to get off on the right foot with User Adoption part 16

Develop a Job/Task Matrix

Once you determine project scope by business functional area, and gain understanding about the users involved with the implementation, you need to develop a spreadsheet that lists business tasks and user job titles for each functional area. The Job/Task Matrix will be used during the Business Community interviews to map job titles to tasks, and then create a Job/Task Profile. The Job/Task profile is a key input for creating job-specific training curricula.

The Job/Task Matrix needs to be specific to the organizational structure and vision of the project. That is, if the client organization consists of multiple companies or product lines that cannot be merged under common business practices, develop a Job/Task Matrix for each unique organization. A sample Job/Task Matrix is included in the Tools Library.

Interview Business Community Representatives

During these interviews, you will use the Job/Task Matrix to discuss how job titles map to the business processes identified by the Project Team. These interviews also serve to validate the accuracy of both the job titles and the business tasks identified b the project team. You can also determine information about frequency of task performance so that you can define training requirements (e.g., if a user only performs a task on a monthly basis or as a backup, alternatives to formal classroom training will be suggested in the User Support Strategy document). Since the Job/Task Matrix drives the content and context of these interviews, a formal “questionnaire” is not distributed to business users. We suggest that the Documentation and Training Coordinator explain the purpose of these interviews.

Compile and Distribute the Job/Task Profile

After you have completed the Job/Task Matrix using information you obtained during the interviews with the project team and the business community, compile it into the Job/Task Profile. This draft Job/Task Profile serves as the foundation for defining training curricula. Once drafted, submit it to the Project Team for validation.

Draft Preliminary Training Course Curricula

Now it’s time for you to draft a preliminary training course curriculum based on the Job/Task Profile and your system or process experience. Once you have a proposed list of Training Courses and the associated business processes, meet with the project team to validate the content and organization of the courses. You will refine the training course curriculum during the Design phase. A sample curriculum is included in the Eagle Toolkit.