Individual Project – Human Performance Technology

By

Name: Tina Brown

ID#: 311101996

A Paper Presented in Partial Fulfilment

of

Analyzing Human Performance (EDID6502)

Trimester III 2016 - 2017

Email: tina.brown@my.open.uwi.edu

University: University of the West Indies Open Campus, Mona

eTutor: Dr LeRoy Hill

Course Coordinator Dr LeRoy Hill

 Table of Contents

Executive Summary ................................................................................................................... 3

Background, Purpose and Gaps ................................................................................................. 4

Background/Case Context ...................................................................................................... 4

Human Performance ............................................................................................................... 4

Global Issue ............................................................................................................................ 5

Project Purpose....................................................................................................................... 6

Researcher’s Motive(s) .......................................................................................................... 7

Performance Analysis ................................................................................................................ 9

Organizational Analysis ..................................................................................................... 9

Environment Analysis .............................................................................................................. 10

Work Environment ........................................................................................................... 10

Work Flow ........................................................................................................................ 11

Workers ............................................................................................................................ 11

Gap Analysis ............................................................................................................................ 12

Cause Analysis ......................................................................................................................... 13

Intervention Selection .............................................................................................................. 14

Reflection ................................................................................................................................. 16

References ................................................................................................................................ 17

Appendix I – Performance Analysis Matrix ............................................................................ 18

Appendix II - Cause Analysis Summary Worksheet ............................................................... 19

Appendix III -Intervention Priority Table................................................................................ 21

 Executive Summary

This performance report provides details of the human, organizational and

environmental performance analysis done on Kingston Primary School, a government

managed institution in Jamaica. The main goal of the institution is to provide primary

education to students ages six to twelve years. The student population consist of approximate

nine hundred and fifty students supervised by a staff compliment of thirty teachers

(classroom and non-classroom teacher). At the end of each academic year, transcripts are

requested for various reasons, however, there has been a backlog of requests and as result, the

school is having a challenge in meeting its demands.

The results of collected data has shown that the problems ranged from a lack of lack

of effective us of resources and staffing to the lack of a clearly defined template and policy

for the requests and processing of requests. This has led to a deficiency in processing

transcript and recommendation requests within a timely manner. As a result, this report

shows the performance analysis that was carried out in terms of the gaps and their causes as

well as the interventions that were selected to address the gaps between the desired and the

actual performance. Some of the selected interventions included:

Given the time constraints and the design of the project not all factors could be

considered or addressed at this time but enough was done to give a clear indication of the

way ahead and what can be accomplished.

 Background, Purpose and Gaps

Background/Case Context

Kingston Primary School is highlighted as one of the model government operated

institutions. It prides itself on its ability to successfully achieve its objective of maintaining

high quality performance of it student body at all levels. Each year, Kingston Primary School

graduates approximately one hundred fifty (150) students who are placed in various

traditional and non-traditional secondary institutions based on the Grade Six Achievement

Test (GSAT). As a student or past student, each child is entitled to a transcript which is

requested by the secondary institutions for which the students will attend. These transcripts

are used to assist with classroom placement and also for transfers from the school placed to

another institution either locally or internationally.

Transcripts are mainly requested at the end of each academic year as students prepare

for their new school. As a result, the demand for transcripts is at its highest in the month of

July which consequently creates a backlog of transcripts to prepare. Consequently, the

waiting time ranges between one to two weeks as they are prepared by the grade six teachers

(four) who manually retrieves the student’s records from filing cabinets. Subsequently,

parents are often impatient about the waiting period and request a solution be developed in

order to reduce the wait time.

Human Performance

As a part of school management, the administration and teachers at Kingston Primary

School have strived to ensure proper record keeping of all files relating to school activities

and records for students past and present. Files are stored in filing cabinets located in the

main office area. The initial filing of documents is conducted by the office clerk, however,

the preparation of transcripts and recommendations for students are completed solely by the
class teacher for whom the child was entrusted. However, the manual system of record

keeping has proven outdated in the wake of the various challenges and demands of managing

a school system effectively.

In addition to the fact that a manual system of record keeping is outdated, there is the

issue of availability of space as because of the space constraint, files of past students are kept

in another location which is also becoming overcrowded. In addition to that, files have been

stored since the school’s inception in 1979. As a result, the level of efficiency in order to

prepare and distribute record requests, mainly transcripts have proven quite difficult

especially in light of the fact that applications for transcripts are made almost daily. In order

to retrieve record, the teacher would have to manually determine the specific location of the

file based on the year.

Global Issue

Human performance concerns are not limited to profitable organization, they affect all

organizations which focus on meeting the needs of individuals. In fact, the overarching

purpose of the HPT/HPI process is to investigate the gap in performance by way of

understanding the optimal and actual performance in order to recommend a solution to bridge

that gap (Van Tiem et al., 2012). Of particular concern in the education system, is its ability

to meet the needs of its stakeholders in an efficient way. Although used for many years, there

is a growing concern for a solution which will ensure improved and efficient record

management. Record keeping is vital to an education system’s information cycle as a whole,

because of its fundamental role in the process of efficient information production and

collection (Amanchukwu & Ololube, 2015). In fact, according to World Bank (2000) posit

that efficiency in record management remains a challenge for government operated entities.

In fact, this issue is not limited to Kingston Primary School, as in recognition of the issue of

record management, the education ministry of Jamaica has proposed a move to ensure greater
efficiency and effectiveness in school management and to better track the performance of

students through electronic school management software (Jamaica Information Service,

2013).

As a result, schools all over are essentially looking to the positive impact of

globalization to provide an effective solution to their record keeping concerns. As a matter of

fact, World Bank (2000) stressed the fact that advances in information and communication

technologies have afforded new opportunities for governments across the world to streamline

their storage and retrieval of government records. Consequently, the ministry of education in

identifying the varying needs which are affecting all educational institutions particularly the

need for an efficient system for handling students’ records have sought the assistance of

several software development companies in order to alleviate this issue. Through the

collaboration, the intention is to provide a system which removes the need for manual

retrieval of records but rather an automated process which is initiated once a search is

conducted for a particular file.

Project Purpose

The goal of any organization is to ensure that optimal performance is demonstrated

throughout, thus maintaining client/customer satisfaction. Therefore, theoretical basis

provided by these roots has provided HPT practitioners with a framework for which to learn

more about how people learn and communicate with each other and how that impacts

workplace performance (Gayeski, 1999). As a result, the overarching the purpose of the

project is to focus on analyzing the performance of academic in preparing transcript in a

timely manner and suggest intervention strategies to improve productivity, professionalism,

time management and performance standards. Currently, the manual system of record

management has proven quite outdated and ineffective in processing transcripts in a timely
manner. Additionally, it seeks to find the most appropriate solution for the following

problems identified;

 Filing cabinets becoming over crowed

 Manual system of storage and retrieval is ineffective

 Parents complain about the lengthy processing time for transcripts

 Lack of available time for academic staff to complete transcripts and complete their

other required tasks.

Researcher’s Motive(s)

Other than the obvious reason which is the fulfilment of requirements for the course

Analyzing Human Performance, the selection of Kingston Primary School’s academic staff is

based on an interest in identifying the need for a solution in the educational system. The area

of file management is often ignored in the public system. Although files are kept in filing

cabinets and are more often than not sorted appropriately, the retrieval process can be quite

tedious. It is my hope that this assignment will renew call for a reform of the file management

system in public schools to an automated system, thus reducing the time spent by teachers to

retrieve and process files which would potentially affect their ability to focus on the teaching

learning process. Furthermore, as an educator, I too have been faced with having to leave my

classroom to retrieve a student’s file whereas if there was an automated system I would be

able to access this information from my classroom.

Information Gathering
In order to ascertain information and insight into the issues highlight, several methods

were employed. Interview were conducted to identify key areas of concern from the teachers’

perspective, parents/customers’ and school administration’s perspective (see Appendix I).

Information gathered will be used to determine the desired outcomes, actual outcomes in

order to analyze the gaps in performance. However, due to the time constraint of this project,

the participant samples were limited to a small group which included the principal, vice

principal, four (4) teachers and six parents. Additionally in making selection, the following

criteria were applied;

 Teachers must have at least one year’s experience in grade six

 Parents must be currently applying for a transcript for their child

 Respondents must be willing to participate in the study anonymously

 Performance Analysis

The overarching purpose of the HPT/HPI process is to investigate the gap in

performance by way of understanding the optimal and actual performance in order to

recommend a solution to bridge that gap. Therefore the first phase of the HPT/HPI process

involves performance analysis. According to Van Tiem et.al.(2012), the performance

analysis phase is used to identify and clarify performance gap by focusing on three areas:

desired performance state, actual performance state, and the gap between desired and

actual performance”. Therefore, as Piskurich(2002) highlights, an understanding of the

different state of performance and the gaps which exist provides a clear outline of all the

performance issues and guides the next step in the process which is identifying the cause

and selection of the most appropriate intervention.

Organizational Analysis

As a government operated educational institution, Kingston Primary School provides

elementary level education to children between the ages of 6-12 years old with a population

of nine hundred eighty students. Additionally, the institution also consists of an academic

staff compliment of thirty teachers which consists of twenty-two classroom teachers and eight

specialized subject based teachers (music, information technology, physical education and a

special education unit). The institution also consists of twenty-two classrooms which

comprise of a population of approximately forty-four students to one teacher per class. The

school is nestled in the heart of the city and serves its immediate and neighbouring

communities. Its aim is to provide a constructive learning environment, which respects the

uniqueness of each child. It is also equipped with technological and specialized resources in

order to accommodate students’ individual learning needs by helping them to succeed

through motivation and self-confidence development.

Vision: To provide a sound educational foundation that will:

 Foster growth In Numeracy and Science

 Promote positive values and attitudes that will develop students to become innovative,

creative, responsible and critical thinkers.

Mission: to create an atmosphere that will encourage the continuous growth of each member

of our school community.

Additionally, the institution prides itself on ensure good customer service, a

supportive staff and efficiency not only in the classroom but also in all areas of interaction.

As a result, staff development workshops are held to facilitate not only teaching and learning

improvements but also strategies to improve the school’s efficiency and customer service.

Environment Analysis

Work Environment

The current record management system which exist at Kingston Primary School is

conducted manual. Student records and school activities are organized according to year in

brown folders then stored in filing cabinets. Records for current students are kept in the

office while files and records for past students are kept in library. However, the concern of

overcrowding is becoming a challenge as files have been stored since the school’s inception

in 1979. The school’s population as previous mentioned consists of approximately nine

hundred 50 (950) students who are placed in six grades each divided into four classes.

Additionally, the grade six block is located at the far of the school grounds while the

administrative block where the files are located can be found at the opposite end the school’s

building. As a result, it is time consuming for the grade six teachers to make the journey from

their classroom upon every request for transcripts.

Work Flow

Upon the announcement of the Grade Six Achievement Test (GSAT) result,

unsatisfied parents make their request for recommendation and transcript in an attempt to

relocate their child. There are requests for transcripts made by other parents for the purpose

of migration and possible scholarships for the upcoming academic year. As a result, there is a

high demand for transcripts at the end of the academic year. The procedure for application is

that the parents would go directly to the class teachers and ask directly for a transcript or

recommendation. The teacher would then have to schedule their time in order to retrieve all

the students’ records relevant to the request, a task which depends on the teacher’s work load

and also class supervision. Finally, the teacher then types the document and email to this

document to the principal for vetting and the addition of the school’s letter head. The

document is then printed and signed.

Workers

However, in actuality although there is an administrative staff which initially files

away all document, it has fallen on the academic staff as their responsibility to prepare

student transcripts. Consequently, as the demand for transcripts increases, a challenge

develops which affects the ability of the teaching staff to satisfy the requests within a

minimal time frame. This is due to the fact that teachers are still faced with the responsibility

of monitoring and catering to the students in their class without given assistance so that they

may focus on the paper work needed to fulfil their deadlines and efficiently complete

transcripts to avoid backlogs.

Furthermore, although the academic year usually ends between the last week of June

to the first week of July, the grade six teachers at Kingston Primary are faced with the
challenges of preparing for the annual school leaving ceremony, mark final exam papers in

order to complete and submit report cards ahead of the deadline set out by the school’s

administration. Therefore, teachers tend to focus on completing the required documents

scheduled by the school’s administration, therefore causing the preparing of transcripts to be

a delay as the information required for these transcripts does not only include classroom

assessments but also information regarding GSAT results which is an external examination.

Gap Analysis

Although there are no established policies and guidance for the preparation of

transcripts, the following gaps were identified and determine the most applicable intervention

implementation. As Van Tiem et.al (2012) highlights, the gap analysis is used to pave the

way for the cause analysis by identifying the type of performance opportunities which exists

within the organization and subsequently the intervention and design of HPT. With this in

mind, the following gaps (see Appendix II) were identified;

 Students’ files are currently stored manually in filing cabinets resulting in a gap

 Processing of transcripts may take up 10 working days to prepare. As a result

parents are complaining about the length of time it takes to process their request

for students’ transcripts.

 Clients/parent are currently required to come in office to apply for transcripts and

recommendations. The goal is to reduce this by 60% by providing alternatives for

requests.
 Cause Analysis

The performance problems at Kingston Primary School are embedded in its

management’s ability to plan and allocate to specific tasks. According to Van Tiem et al,

(2012, p.148), the analysis has revealed “factors or practices in the workplace that have

influenced how effectively and efficiently people perform their work.” As a results the

following gaps and causes were highlighted (see Appendix II);

 Gap 1:

Students’ files are currently stored manually in filing cabinets resulting in a gap

 Causes:

The first gap n performance identified was the fact that there was a de-centralized manual

system for handling files. Files were kept in cabinets in multiple locations. Additionally,

although there are computers available for creating a database system, there is a need for an

appropriate software and training of staff in order to use the system efficiently. Based on all

these contributing factors,

 Gap 2:

Processing of transcripts may take up 10 working days to prepare. As a result parents are

complaining about the length of time it takes to process their request for students’ transcripts.

 Causes:

Teachers are required to prepare all transcripts and recommendation amidst their

responsibilities to supervise their class and complete term reports ahead of the designed

deadline. In addition to that there is a lack of dedicated resource personnel in order to handle

students’ records. There is also a lack of a central system of storage and retrieval.
Gap 3:

Clients/parent are currently required to come in office to apply for transcripts and

recommendations. The goal is to reduce this by 60% by providing alternatives for requests.

Causes:

Although a website exists, its sole service at the moment is to provide information to parents.

As a result, parents are limited to applying for transcripts by speaking directly with their

child’s classroom teacher who will in turn prepare the requested documents.

Intervention Selection

Interventions are designed to solve workplace problems or address promising

opportunities and challenges…one single performance problem or gap may require more than

one intervention. (Van Tiem et al, 2012 pg. 197). Stolovitch and Keeps states, “intervention

refers to a solution component specially designed to bridge the gap between actual and

desired state…and is strategically applied to produce intended results.” Details of proposed

interventions selected for the Kingston Primary School are listed in Appendix III. The

proposed interventions are be phased in over a period of 12 months at 2 month intervals.

After reflection, five interventions have been prioritized as the most feasible solution for the

performance gap based on the causes identified.

As a result, the intervention selection took into account the gap or deficiency which

exists. Firstly there is the need for a system of file management which offers a centralized

approach and thus reduced physical space and location of files. With this in mind, the

recommended intervention focused on performance support with a specific attention to an

electronic performance support system. This recommendation was also echoed in the

interviews with the academic staff participants. In addition to that, it was recommended that
the role of the office clerk be redefine to not only include filing but also preparation of

transcripts and recommendations. This intervention selector is based on the need for a review

of the institution’s job analysis and work design, with a focus on job specification and

enlargement. However, as it exist, filing is done be the office clerk, conversely, through the

recommendation, all request and preparation will be challenged through the administrative

office.

Additionally, through performance support, particularly documentation (job

specification and standards) another recommendation is for the creation of a standardized

template for transcripts and recommendation. This will assist with speedy up the process of

creating the required documents as only unique information will be changed. Also, in order to

improve client support and satisfaction there is the recommendation to include an interactive

form on the school’s website which will provide an alternative for application which will

improve organizational communication – information system. This will provide an alternate

avenue for parents to make their requests. Finally, in order to improve organizational design

and development through strategic planning an intervention recommended is to create a

policy which ensures a standard processing time for each requests. This will essential create a

standardized goal for the reducing the processing time for requests.
 Reflection

This semester has proven to be one of my most difficult to date as midway I was

diagnosed which affected my ability focus my energy into preparing an effective report.

Despite this set back, I decided that nothing beats a try but a failure. As a result, I had to

reduce my area of focus from the performance of students in numeracy at the grade four level

to a simpler overarching issue which that of efficiency in the retrieval of files for the

preparation of transcripts and recommendations. This area is quite timely as during the

collection of data for this report, the issue was occurring. The process of collecting

information though limited by time and my medical condition, I was able to observe and

conduct interviews with various stakeholders to ascertain the relevant information.

Additionally, the school’s administration was particularly forthcoming with the necessary

organizational analysis documents. She explained that she is aware of issue and is quite

concerned as such any support is welcomed.

Throughout the process of completing this report, I was reminded of the overarching

purpose of the HPT/HPI process is to investigate the gap in performance by way of

understanding the optimal and actual performance in order to recommend a solution to bridge

that gap. Of importance, the lesson learnt is the importance of human performance to an

organization. In any organization, it is important to not only to focus on improving the

product or service that is offered but of most importance are factors that can affect the quality

of the product or service. The main factor that can make or break any organization is its

human resource. As a result, it is important to focus on human performance. According to

Van Tiem et.al. (2012), HPT speaks to the “science and art of improving people, process,

performance, organizations and ultimately society” (p. 9). With this in mind, three key ideas

for defining human performance technology (HPT) are human-oriented organizational issues,

performance improvement and problem-solving strategies.

 References

Amanchukwu, N., & Ololube, N. P. (2015). Excellent School Records Behaviour for

Effective Management of Educational Systems. Human Resource Management

Research, 5(1), 12-17. Retrieved from

http://article.sapub.org/10.5923.j.hrmr.20150501.02.html

Gayeski, D. (1999). Frontiers for human performance technology in contemporary

organizations. In H. Stolovich & E. Keeps (Eds.), The handbook of human

performance technology (2nd ed.) (pp. 936-955). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Pfeiffer.

Gov't Moves to Improve School Management and Track Student Performance. (2013, August

16). Retrieved from http://jis.gov.jm/govt-moves-to-improve-school-management-

and-track-student-performance/

International Solutions Group (2000) . Managing records as the basis for effective service

delivery and public accountability in development. The World

Bank.http://siteresources.worldbank.org/EXTARCHIVES/Resources/Core%20Princip

les.pdf

Stolovitch, H. D., & Keeps, E. J. (2006). Beyond Training Ain't Performance Fieldbook:

Strategies, Tools, and Guidance for Effective Workplace Performance. Alexandria,

VA: American Society for Training and Development (ASTD).

Van Tiem, D., Moseley, J. L., & Dessinger, J. C. (2012). Fundamentals of performance

improvement: optimizing results through people, process, and organizations:

interventions, performance support tools, case studies. San Francisco, CA: Pfeiffer, a

Wiley imprint.
 Appendix I – Performance Analysis Matrix

Information Resource Who? Where? Method When

Critical organizational School’s Action Plan School Kingston Primary Interview TBD
goals Administration School
Principal or
Vice Principal
Desired performance Vision and Mission Principal or School’s website Document review TBD
levels Statement Vice Principal
Current /actual Feedback Teachers Kingston Primary Observation TBD
performance Parents School Interviews
levels Questionnaires
Customer Feedback Customer satisfaction Parents Onsite Questionnaires TBD
feedback Past Students

Work environment : Computer system School Onsite Interviews TBD

resources; information; Internet access administration Document reviews
procedures Teachers
Network system
 Appendix II - Cause Analysis Summary Worksheet

Business Need Reduce the number of students’ files and records stored manually by 50%.
1.0 This will ensure a more centralized and less time consuming process of
locating retrieving students’ records.

Performance Students’ files are currently stored manually in filing cabinets. The goal is to
gap 1.0 reduce the need for manual retrieval of files by 50% by the end of the
academic year.

Cause(s) of gap 1. The majority of students’ data is stored manually in folders which
1.0 takes time to retrieve.
2. Although computers are available, there is a need for the appropriate
software to create a system for data storage
3. Lack of onsite technical support.

Intervention Describe the interventions you are recommending.

1.0 1. Implement an electronic/automated system of file management in
order to improve efficiency through a centralized system

Business Need Reduce the processing time to reflect a 48 hour window which will see a
2.0 increase in efficiency by approximate 80%.

Performance Processing of transcripts may take up 10 working days to prepare. As a result

gap 2.0 parents are complaining about the length of time it takes to process their
request for students’ transcripts.

Cause(s) of gap 1. Teachers are required to prepare all transcripts and recommendation
2.0 amidst their responsibilities to supervise their class and complete term
reports ahead of the designed deadline.
2. Lack of dedicated resource personnel in order to handle students’
records.
3. Lack of a central system of storage and retrieval.
Intervention Describe the interventions you are recommending.
2.0
1. Redefine the role of the office clerk to not only include filing but also
preparation of transcripts and recommendations
2. Create a standardized template for transcripts and recommendation

_____________________________________________________________

Business Need Reduce clients/parents need to apply for transcripts by visiting the office by
3.0 60%.

Performance Clients/parent are currently required to come in office to apply for transcripts
gap 3.0 and recommendations. The goal is to reduce this by 60% by providing
alternatives for requests.

Cause(s) of gap 1. Although a website exists, its sole service at the moment is to provide
3.0 information to parents.
2. Parents are limited to applying for transcripts by speaking directly
with their child’s classroom teacher who will in turn prepare the
requested documents

Intervention Describe the interventions you are recommending.

3.0
1. Include an interactive form on the school’s website which will provide
an alternative for application.
2. Create a policy which ensures a standard processing time for each
requests.
 Appendix III -Intervention Priority Table

Priority Intervention Selection Category

(highest 6 –

lowest 1)

6 Implement an electronic/automated system of file Performance Support –

management in order to improve efficiency through a  Electronic

centralized system Performance Support

System

5 Redefine the role of the office clerk to not only Job Analysis/Work

include filing but also preparation of transcripts and Design

recommendations  Job Specification

 Job enlargement

Organizational Design

and Development

 Strategic Planning

6 Create a standardized template for transcripts and Performance Support

recommendation  Documentation (Job

Specification and

Standards)

3 Include an interactive form on the school’s website Organizational

which will provide an alternative for application. Communication

 Information

System
Priority Intervention Selection Category

(highest 6 –

lowest 1)

5 Create a policy which ensures a standard processing Performance Support

time for each requests.  Documentation

(Job Specification

and Standards)