Environmental+Analysis+Technical+Report

EME 6691 PERFORMANCE SYSTEMS ANALYSIS FALL 2010

ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS TECHNICAL REPORT

CLAY COUNTY SCHOOLS INTERVENTION COACHING PROGRAM

Team 3 Lai, McCann, Rosario, Walsh, Wolford

Florida State University – Instructional Systems Program

1. PURPOSE

Environmental analysis is a process used in identifying and prioritizing the realities supporting actual performance. It is conducted as part of performance analysis. The purpose of this analysis is to assess what is actually happening both inside and outside the organization that might help explain people’s actions. Specifically, environmental analysis is conducted to analyze the organizational environment, the work environment, the work, and the worker.

2. ANALYSIS QUESTIONS

In conducting the environmental analysis, the team was trying to answer questions relating to:

a. how the organization’s external stakeholders influence performance (organizational environment analysis)

b. what is happening inside the organization to support performance (work environment analysis)

c. what is happening at the job design level (work analysis)

d. what is happening with the workers (worker analysis)

More specifically, the following questions were asked of intervention coaches: {Ivee - should we put an actual copy of the survey in here?}

• Do you know about the Clay County School District's Strategic Plan/Outlook (Mission, Vision, and Organizational Goals)?

• Do you have access to the Clay County School District’s Strategic Plan/Outlook (Mission, Vision, and Organizational Goals)?

• If you have had access to Clay County School District's Strategic Plan/Outlook, has anyone explained it to you?

• Do you feel supported by Clay County School District? Please explain in comments section.

• Has your supervisor or someone within your organization explained your role in meeting organizational objectives?

• Do you receive feedback from your teachers and/or administrators? If so, in what form (verbal, written, emails, etc.)? Specify forms of feedback you've received.

• Do you feel rewarded by providing service to your teachers and/or administrators? Please explain in comment box.

• Do you have access to the policies and procedures that describe your job and responsibilities?

• Are your job expectations clearly defined?

• Do you have access to the policies and procedures that describe your job and responsibilities?

• Do your job expectations match those put forth by the organization?

• Do you feel you have a clear understanding of your job responsibilities?

• Do you feel supported for the work you do?

• Do you feel appreciated for the work you do?

• Do you have the resources for accomplishing your job as an intervention coach (e.g., training, job aids, time, staff, tools, space)? Please explain in comment box.

• Do you feel there are any challenges in accomplishing your tasks? Please explain in comment box.

• Please describe a perfect day in your work environment.

3. APPROACH

The team adopted a systems approach for this analysis, and sought to understand the environment from the organizational level down to the worker level. A combination of qualitative and quantitative approaches was used to gather data for this analysis. Specifically, a one-on-one interview and a survey questionnaire were used to collect the data.

4. DATA COLLECTION/SOURCE

Data was collected to address the questions specified in the Analysis Questions section above. For this analysis, a one-on-one interview conducted with one of the intervention coaches was the qualitative data source. A survey questionnaire was designed to collect qualitative and quantitative data, as it consisted of both structured (fixed response) and non-structured (open-ended) questions. The intended survey respondents were primarily the intervention coaches.

5. ANALYSIS RESULTS

From the interview and survey questionnaire, the team gathered the following information.

a. Organizational environment analysis

i. Intervention coaches interact with external stakeholders through Dr. Suzanne Herndon, who is the program manager.

ii. Intervention coaches do not have competition per se. They interact with other team members—school psychologists (shared among schools and coaches), intervention facilitators (one per school), and Exceptional Student Education (ESE) staffing specialists (shared among schools, coaches, and school psychologists).

b. Work environment analysis

i. Each intervention coach was given a new Dell Latitude E6410 and basic office supplies from the district. Each school is to give intervention coaches a workspace [NOTE: one of Sherry’s is whatever conference room is not being used at the time] and access to copiers and printers. Some coaches have private offices. Others share space and look forward to brief minutes of time alone.

ii. Information mainly comes from the program manager, Dr. Herndon, who arranges training and distributes new forms, etc. as changes are made. Intervention coaches have a huge binder that increases with each training session. Feedback also comes from the program manager, who is overwhelmed and trying to keep it all together for the intervention coaches. Just like the intervention coaches, she is also just learning the system.

c. Work analysis

i. Intervention coaches interact with teachers and administrators seeking the best interventions for students and schools. Intervention coaches should meet with administrative staff at least once per week.

ii. Once a teacher requests assistance, the intervention coach meets with the teacher to observe and discuss the student(s) and determine the best interventions for the students.

iii. Intervention coaches meet with parents at scheduled intervention meetings.

iv. The job is not designed for optimal performance. One day per week for each school except for the intervention coaches’ home school is not enough. Intervention coaches cannot get to know the teachers, politics, atmosphere, students, etc. in just one day per week.

v. Job responsibilities are still being established.

vi. At this point, there is not an established definition of quality service.

d. Worker analysis

i. The program manager interviewed based on the job description already posted. It is believed that she picked the best according to the stated qualifications. At this stage, time will tell if the best are in the positions.

With regards to the specific survey questions, the responses were in the negative.

6. LIMITATIONS AND CONSTRAINTS

The team’s analysis was based largely on the information provided by one of the intervention coaches, who is also a member of the project team. The team had originally intended to have the intervention coaches complete the survey (which may be done anonymously, if they prefer). However, the program manager had requested to hold off on this activity until she has addressed these issues with the intervention coaches personally. In the meantime, after looking the survey over, the program manager candidly (albeit informally) gave a “NO” response to all questions on the survey.