The LNA questionnaire: distribution - completion - return.
Featured in the Learning Needs Analysis training manual
By Beverley Williams
Category: People Management and Motivation
Credit price: 4 download credits (Single user)
The physical distribution, completion and return of the LNA questionnaires seems to be a straightforward operation. You send them out, people fill them in and they send them back. Unfortunately, the operation is rarely so straightforward. The majority of LNA questionnaires will indeed leave you and return in just such a fashion but there are many potential snags. However, most of them are foreseeable and careful planning on your part can minimise disruption. Your pilot scheme will have dealt with the majority of potential problems, but enough will remain to make life interesting. Even though you have checked and double checked the questionnaire for clarity of understanding and seem to have been telling people about the LNA project for most of your adult life, there is no doubt that the minute your chosen distribution methods delivers the questionnaires, your telephone will ring non-stop. Questionnaires will be lost, misunderstood or will surprise people by their very existence. Your forward planning can enable you to deal with all of this and make sure that the vast majority of questionnaires are returned by the agreed date. A 100% success rate is possible with small projects or within organisations that have very tight procedures. However, you will always have to contend with illness and other unforeseeable circumstances. This activity examines the issues surrounding the distribution, completion and return of the LNA questionnaires and provides practical ideas for dealing with the problems that inevitably arise. It deals with the completion of the LNA questionnaires from an overall perspective.
You begin by explaining that you are going to spend some time examining the physical distribution, completion and return of the LNA questionnaires. You then ask participants to suggest as many ways of distribution the questionnaires as possible. You take their responses and then ask them to work in pairs to look at the advantages and disadvantages of particular methods in relation to their own organisation. Participants then work individually to decide which method, or combination of methods, they would use if conducting a learning needs analysis using questionnaires for their entire organisation. You also ask the participants to work in groups to consider the distribution-related questions, ‘Who should we tell?’ and ‘When should we tell them?’ You then move on to discuss the problems that may arise during the completion phase. You emphasise that certain situations are so sure to arise, they shouldn’t really be considered as problems, just stages of the project. Then participants work in pairs to identify ways of dealing with these issues. Next, participants again work in groups to discuss practical aspects of monitoring the return of the questionnaires. A representative from each group presents their findings in a plenary session. Finally, you ask each participant to contribute one or two of their key learning point from the activity.
Who is it for: This training activity is intended for use by trainers to ensure participants are able to manage the distribution, completion and return of LNA questionnaires.
| Resource Type: | Activity |
| Min Group Size: | 4 |
| Max Group Size: | 10 |
| Typical Duration: | 02:30:00 |
| No of Pages: | 27 |
Resources: View standard resources for Fenman training activities
Purpose: This training activity is intended for use by trainers with participants who are responsible for identifying the learning needs of others and intend to do this by analysing LNA questionnaires. They may be trainers or line managers with responsibility for training. Participants should have an understanding of LNA within the learning and development cycle. Ideally, the participants will examine this activity in conjunction with activities 9, 10 and 12 of the Learning Needs Analysis activity pack.
Download the training activity, The LNA questionnaire: distribution - completion - return. as featured in the Fenman training manual; Learning Needs Analysis