Selecting Tasks for Training

DOE-HDBK-1074-95

Guidelines for Job and Task Analysis for DOE Nuclear Facilities.

2.4

After the task list is developed, it is necessary to determine which tasks are

important to the facility mission and which are not as important and,

therefore, do not warrant formal training. This decision has a significant

impact on training resources. If the criteria for determining which tasks are

important to the facility mission are too broad, a great deal of resources may

be needed to design, develop, implement, and maintain training. Conversely,

if the selection criteria are too restrictive, training deficiencies may exist and

result in costly personnel errors. The key to an effective balance is to ensure

that the correct people are involved in the decisions, and that criteria

appropriate to the facility's mission are used. The correct people are the

people who know the job, the task, and the associated hazards and

complexity of performance.

There are several techniques for selecting tasks for training. The traditional

technique involves determining the difficulty, importance, and frequency of

each task and applying the results to a decision tree that contains numerical

values for each trait. Other techniques, such as SME discussion and

consensus, can produce acceptable results. However, it must be understood

that the results of any technique used are not absolute and should be

challenged, evaluated, and refined as necessary. In all cases, the results

should accurately reflect job requirements and should have the concurrence

of job incumbents and management.

Regardless of the selection technique used, tasks are identified and grouped

as "train," "no-train," and "overtrain/retrain." Train is defined as requiring

initial training, no-train is defined as requiring no formal training, and

overtrain/retrain is defined as requiring both initial and continuing training.

Even though "no-train" tasks do not require formal training, possession of the

knowledge and skills associated with the task is still necessary. These

knowledge and skills are normally addressed with entry-level requirements or

are readily learned as part of working in the position to which they are

associated. Some facilities include no-train tasks in their qualification

card/checklist.

An additional classification of tasks is referred to as "pre-train" or "just-in-