Training Needs Assessment Questions

At OPDV, we get requests for domestic violence training every day. Training is a large part of what we do. In many instances, however, agencies request training when training alone will likely not resolve the problems that prompted them to seek assistance in the first place. While educating individuals within systems is always valuable, it is not always enough to address certain issues, which could be why we find ourselves needing domestic violence training again and again.

To help communities assess their training needs, we have put together a few questions you can ask yourselves to determine if training is really what is needed. Please note that if you find that you need something other than or in addition to training, OPDV is available to provide communities with various forms of technical assistance, including policy development, inter-agency agreements and task force development.

What has prompted the request for training (i.e., a specific incident, a change in the law, etc.)?

Looking at what precipitated the request for training can be helpful in determining if training is really what is needed. It may be that there is a new law or policy that is being misunderstood resulting in an inappropriate response. In this instance, training might be an appropriate option and may be enough to resolve the problem at hand.

What specific change(s) in practice do we wish to see as a result of this training?

Identifying the desired change in response allows you to determine if training might get you what you want. In doing this, be realistic about what training can accomplish and what it cannot.

Is there a policy or guidelines for employees on how to respond to domestic violence cases? If not, would having one accomplish what we are hoping the training will accomplish?

We know that organizations drive the way their employees do their work. Therefore, having a policy that directs how practitioners respond to domestic violence cases is important to make and enforce change. Training will likely have little lasting impact on how people do their jobs if people go back to doing "business as usual". If we want practitioners to do things differently, it is more effective to provide guidelines instead of hoping they will change how they do things on their own.

4. How many times has this group received domestic violence training? If more than once, why was subsequent training necessary?

4A. Was there any change after the last training? If so, what?

4B. If there was not any change in practice after the last training, why do we think that is? What can we do, if anything, to increase the likelihood of change after this training?

There are many reasons a group or agency might need to repeat training, such as high turnover within the organization. Sometimes, however, if a group has received domestic violence training before and you determine that they need the same training again, it may be that policy is a more appropriate solution to the problem.

 

5. Is the scope, nature or impact of the issues that need to be addressed limited to our agency alone (internal), is it our relationship with another agency/system (shared) or do they rest entirely within another agency/system (external)?

It is important to identify who is involved in the issues that you are seeking training for. If the police are not referring victims to the domestic violence program, for example, the solution may be an inter- agency agreement, not training. Your local domestic violence task force or coalition is a good place to examine these issues to determine what is needed and what agencies and systems need to be involved.

 

6. How long do we want this training to be?

The length of time you are able to dedicate to training will be a determinate in whether training is a viable option. If, for example, you only have one or two hours to conduct training, it may not be enough time. If you are working with limited time, you might explore other options such as creating a job aid, such as a desk reference or a checklist.

 

6A. What kind of follow-up activities to the training are we planning on doing?

Often, training alone is not enough to solve the problem. It may be that training in conjunction with policy or an inter-agency agreement would be more useful in getting the desired results.

 

7. Is the administration of the agency supportive of the training?

7A. Is the administration of the agency committed to training all levels of the organization?

7B. Is the administration of the agency committed to following up the training with necessary supplements to training (i.e., policy)?

Administrative support for training and policy development is integral to the success of either. This support includes a commitment to monitor staff, enforce policy and hold practitioners accountable for failure to adhere to agency rules. If the administration of an agency is using training to fulfill a requirement or mandate, for example, but has no expectation of change, training will likely have little lasting impact on how people do their jobs.

 

8. Will training alone will solve the problem(s)?

8A. If training were not available, are there other ways to accomplish what we are hoping the training will accomplish?

Training is an important part of enhancing the response to domestic violence. Too often, however, we rely on training alone to solve problems that might be better addressed with other methods. We need to be creative in our thinking and diligent in our examination of what the real issues are. By doing this up front, we may be able to save ourselves from repeating our actions over and over and to begin working with systems on making lasting change.

As we know, the issues we deal with are often complex and can be challenging. Often, it is not one method or another that will best address the problems that prompt us to seek assistance. It may be that using different methods together will be more effective than any one method would be alone. Please feel free to contact OPDV via the contact information for the specific training program you are interested in if you would like to discuss your local needs and what might be effective in addressing them.