Methodology

PI

PI addresses human performance within organizations at the individual, process, and organizational levels. It uses a systematic method that has five stages: (a) getting agreement on the project goal from the clients, stakeholders, and PI practitioner; (b) conducting a performance needs assessment (identifying performance gaps and their root causes); (c) designing the interventions to close the gap; (d) implementing the interventions, and (e) evaluating the change in the performance gap.

The PICG has identified the following conditions⁵ needed for people to perform well:

• Clear job and performance expectations
• Clear and immediate feedback on performance
• A supportive environment, including adequate and proper tools, supplies, and work space
• Motivation to perform to expectations (intrinsic motivation to do the job)
• Organized support in terms of strategic direction, leadership and management communication, organizational structure, and well-conceived job roles and responsibilities

• Knowledge and skills to do the job (technical competencies that match the requirements of the job)

The types of interventions most often recommended by PI address the performance factor deficiencies, including: information systems, job aids, job and work design, leadership, organizational design, performance support, staffing selection, supervision, appraisal systems, career development, coaching/mentoring, culture change, compensation, documentation, environmental engineering, health/wellness, team building, training, and education.

As illustrated in Figure 1, PI is a systematic process that considers the institutional context, identifies gaps between actual and desired performance, determines root causes, chooses one or more solutions aimed at closing the gap, and measures the change in performance. The performance needs assessment identifies current performance or competence, comparing the desired state to the actual state, and seeks the root cause of poor performance.

PI practitioners also identify the need for future training when new tasks, equipment, or techniques are introduced, anticipating future performance deficiencies as the worker's job changes. Root-cause analysis ensures that the interventions recommended are based on data and are what is really needed. Often a combination of multiple interventions is implemented as part of a comprehensive solution. While PI's focus may range from the micro level (individual performers) to the macro level (the organization), its roots and close alignment to human resources, training, and organizational development may influence its practitioners to favor certain types of interventions.

 

⁵ U.S. industrial models of performance factors differ from these and include categories such as Capacity, which refers to individual capability and aptitude for the job, as well as selection of the right person for the job, and Incentives, which encompasses adequate pay and non-pay incentives made contingent upon performance, clear consequences for performance, and absence of disincentives, such as rewarding poor performance or negatively rewarding good performance.