Social Security Administration Call Order 0002: Business Strategy for Training, Certifying and Recruiting Job Analysts Briefing of Final Project Results

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Social Security Administration Call Order
0002 Business Strategy for Training, Certifying
and Recruiting Job AnalystsBriefing of Final
Project Results

• September 21, 2011
• Jennifer Harvey, Ph.D.
• Lance Anderson, Ph.D.

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Agenda

• Introductions/Overview of Team
• SSA
• ICF
• Subcontractors
• Introduction to Project and Purpose
• Methodology
• Conclusions and Recommendations
• Training
• Certification
• Recruitment
• Summary
• Strategic Decisions and Potential Resource Needs
• Questions?

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Introductions
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Overview of Team

• SSA
• Debra Tidwell-Peters
• David Blitz
• Michael Dunn
• Elizabeth Kennedy
• Mark Trapani

• ICF International
• Jennifer Harvey, Ph.D.
• Candace Cronin, Ph.D.
• Lance Anderson, Ph.D.
• Allison Cook, M.S.
• Jessica Jenkins, MPhil
• Chris Riches, M.A.
• Beth Heinen, Ph.D.
• Katina Gracien
• Daniel Fien-Helfman

• Subcontractor
• Joan Knapp, Ph.D.

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Introduction to Project and Purpose
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Introduction to Call Order 0002

• SSA developing new occupational information
  system (OIS) tailored specifically to SSAs
  disability programs and adjudication process.
• OIS will replace the Dictionary of Occupational
  Titles (DOT) and companion volumes, including the
  SCO and RHAJ.
• To develop OIS, SSA needs to recruit, train and
  certify job analysts to perform job analysis
  throughout U.S. labor market.
• Purpose of Call 0002 was to review training,
  credentialing and recruitment practices needed to
  prepare those job analysts who will be tasked
  with the rigorous data collection.

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How Call Order 0002 Fits Within OIS Project
Decisions
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Relationships Between Call Order 0002 Components
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Methodology
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Project Methodology
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Recommendations Training Job Analyst Candidates
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Recommendations Training Strategy

• Knowledge, Skills Abilities (KSAs) and Minimum
  Qualifications (MQs)
• Refine SSA Job Analyst KSAs based on final job
  analysis methodology and work analysis
  instrument.
• Use MQs that include specific and relevant course
  work or experience.
• Existing Job Analysis Training
• Re-examine existing trainings after job analysis
  methodology is determined.

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Recommendations Training Strategy (cont.)

• Critical Design Considerations
• Link training activities to specific, measurable
  and observable learning objectives.
• Consider background and experience levels of
  participants.
• Address concepts first. Then, allow participants
  to practice.
• Keep training sessions short and include review
  questions or an interactive component.
• Do not allow budgetary concerns to dictate
  training material.
• Use ISD ADDIE model and evaluate during each
  phase of training development.

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Recommendations Training Strategy (cont.)

• Training Features
• Include the following
• Lecture
• Discussion
• Variety of Activities
• Practice
• Feedback
• Resource Materials
• To increase participant engagement
• Communicate the importance of the training
• Highlight how training can benefit beyond SSA
• To increase training transfer
• Emphasize expectation to adhere strictly to
  process
• Incorporate significant time for practice
• Provide feedback
• Use knowledgeable instructors
• Encourage peer support

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Recommendations Training Strategy (cont.)

• Training Content
• Re-evaluate KSAs that need to be addressed in
  training after job analysis methodology
  finalized.
• Dedicate significant portion to specific data
  collection processes.
• Emphasize importance of data quality.
• Include how to respond to challenges or
  accommodate situational differences.
• Include a discussion on data security, ethics and
  issues with data confidentiality and sensitive
  information.
• Emphasize consequences of failing to adhere to
  data security requirements.
• Include practice scenarios or case studies that
  highlight data security concerns.
• Provide opportunity to use all types of
  materials.

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Recommendations Training Strategy (cont.)

• Training Assessment
• Tie the assessments to specific training
  objectives.
• Include a knowledge assessment as well as a
  behavioral component.
• Training Delivery Method
• Use a blended training delivery method
• Train the Trainer
• Develop train-the-trainer sessions.
• Training Evaluation
• Evaluate training at 3 of the 4 levels of
  Kirkpatricks training evaluation criteria
• Reactions
• Learning
• Behavior

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Recommendations Certifying Job Analyst
Candidates
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Recommendations Certifying Strategy

• Type of Credentialing
• Develop an assessment-based certificate program.
• Industry Standards and Accreditation
• Follow one of two approved industry standards
  ANSI or ICE.
• Follow-up with ANSI, FBI, and the FDA.
• Build program to comply with standards from the
  outset regardless of accreditation goals.
• Existing Job Analysis Credentialing
• Develop own certificate program based on the
  method, instrument, and content model selected.

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Recommendations Certifying Strategy (cont.)

• Creating a Certificate Program
• Develop clear policies and procedures for program
  operation and administration.
• Ensure certificate program training
• Is based on learning objectives
• Follows generally accepted training guidelines
  and models
• Uses appropriate delivery methods
• Involve an assessment specialist when learning
  objectives are developed.
• Conduct a quality control check or evaluation of
  the program annually.
• Include both formative and summative assessments.
  
• Maintain both participant records and records on
  how the program was developed and administered.
• Establish a designated authority to oversee,
  manage and be responsible for the program.

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Recommendations Certifying Strategy (cont.)

• Data Entry Credentialing
• Develop a software program for data entry that
  includes data checks.
• Provide a detailed data entry instruction
  handbook or guidebook.
• Audit Process
• Develop an audit process.
• Develop clear policies and procedures for how the
  auditing process will occur, how often it will
  occur, who will be audited, how work will be
  evaluated, and what measure will be used.

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Conclusions and Recommendations Recruiting Job
Analyst Candidates
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Recommendations Recruiting Strategy

• Sources of Job Analyst Candidates
• Focus recruiting candidates with training or
  experience in job analysis.
• Conduct research to determine numbers and
  interests within potential candidate sources.
• Recruiting Framework
• Conduct a cost-benefit analysis of various
  recruiting frameworks.
• Recruitment Logistics
• Consider establishing a few temporary regional
  recruitment offices for the initial wave of
  recruitment.
• Develop a recruitment and hiring process that
  moves candidates through the process as quickly
  as possible.

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Recommendations Recruiting Strategy (cont.)

• Compensation
• Conduct a compensation study.
• Provide a competitive compensation as an hourly
  rate.
• Candidate Tracking
• Log candidate information, along with screening
  and selection data, and integrate with
  performance auditing.
• Maintain data on number of analyses performed and
  quality of the analyses.
• Candidate Training Considerations
• Develop and use a modular training structure if
  experience and educational backgrounds vary.

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Summary Strategic Decisions and Potential
Resource Needs
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Strategic Decisions

• Training
• Select the instruments and methods for job
  analysis.
• Establish learning objectives.
• Determine the size of the candidate pool.
• Identify the amount of time available to train
  analysts and collect all job analysis
  information.
• Certificate Program
• Identify the length of time over which SSA will
  recruit and train job analysts.
• Estimate the expected tenure and experience
  levels of analysts.
• Recruitment
• Determine deployment strategy.
• Articulate selection strategy.
• Identify employment status for analysts.
• Specify selection test battery.
• Select a compensation approach.

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Potential Resource Needs

• Contractor with occupational and job analysis
  expertise
• Assessment specialist or consultant with
  experience developing and implementing
  assessment-based certificate programs
• Contractor with training design expertise
• Headhunter agencies, professional organizations
  or societies, credentialing organizations
• Existing networks of providers or organizations
  like BTE
• Unemployment agencies or temporary staffing
  agencies
• Technology vendor that can provide information
  technology services
• Contractor with knowledge of existing audit
  software packages
• Software compatible with the OIS database that
  can be used for quality control
• Auditors who can evaluate OIS database entries
• Contractor with expertise and experience in
  testing

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• Questions?
• For more information, please contact

• Dr. Jennifer Harvey
• Technical Specialist
• ICF International
• [phone]
• JHarvey_at_icfi.com

• Dr. Lance Anderson
• Vice President
• ICF International
• [phone]
• LAnderson_at_icfi.com