Human Performance Improvement

HPI address performance gaps 

"Human performance improvement (HPI) is a systematic process of discovering and analyzing important human performance gaps, planning for future improvements in human performance, designing and developing cost-effective and ethically justifiable interventions to close performance gaps, implementing the interventions, and evaluating the financial and non financial results." Rothwell, W. J., Hohne, C., & King, S. (2000). Human performance improvement: Building practitioner competence. Houston, TX: Gulf. 

A performance gap is the difference between the current performance level and the desired performance level. To eliminate the human performance gap, a straightforward approach is to do training, to make people equipped with needed knowledge, skills and values. So, HPI is relevant to instructional (training) design. However, training cannot address all performance issues. Other factors that can affect human performance are such as lacking performance support as the staff cannot get the right information (document & standards) at the right moment to do his/her job to the highest possible level; or the job/work is poorly designed, causing the lack of interest or enthusiasm; or communication issues, causing confusions and delays.  

(an overview of HPI framework and tools)

International Society for Performance Improvement (ISPI) has a working model for the HPI process. Human performance technology (HPT) and human performance improvement (HPI) have been used interchangeably. Association of Talent Development offer a similar HPI process model. The HPI process model reflects Thomas Gilbert human performance engineering ideas.
(a HPI process model)

The Capability Approach

The concept of capability was evolved from the work of economist-philosopher, Amartya Sen, refers to the doings and beings that people can achieve if they choose, i.e. their opportunities to do or be such things as being well. Functionings, according to Amartya Sen, are capabilities that have been realized. The capability approach was developed by Sen as a theoretical framework to entails two normative claims: (1) the freedom to achieve well-being is of primary moral importance; (2) the well-being should be understood in terms of people's capabilities and functionings. The capability approach is relevant to human performance, providing a landscape of why people are to do or to be and how to promote functionings as human development. The freedom to achieve has two aspects: (1) the ability to act on behalf of what matters (agency); (2) real opportunities to achieve valued functionings selected among various possibilities (capability). The human agency is also studied in the social cognitive models as a foundation of self-directed/regulated abilities, such as efficacy, determination and affirmation. To simply put it, to be functioning (to do or to be), one has to be willing and have the opportunity. This is similar to Thomas Gilbert's Behavioral Engineering Model (BEM), which stratifies the environmental and personal factors in the achievement of worthy performance. For human performance improvement, it is to create conditions (environmental or personal) to foster the functionings, which lead to well being.    
 
(A capability approach scheme for learning effectiveness - learners' performance. The bulk red highlights strategies to improve learners' performance)              
 

more to come...

Capability analysis for performance standards

 
 
Conduct analysis to determine the performance gaps

Select interventions

Plan and implement interventions

Evaluate results

 

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