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Final Project Instructions

Overview

In this course, you will complete a final project that identifies and resolves supervisee/trainee performance issues in the workplace. The objective of this assignment will be to create a brief presentation that demonstrates your ability to pinpoint performance issues, identify potential solutions, and measure the success of an intervention.

For this project, you will either:

· Report a real-life performance issue experienced by yourself or colleagues, or

· Create a hypothetical scenario of a performance issue in the workplace

Using the Performance Diagnostic Checklist – Human Services (provided to you during Module 7), you will analyze a pinpointed supervisee/trainee behavior from your situation/scenario and determine a potential intervention to implement and strategy for measuring success.

You will present your assessment and intervention process via a 5-10 minute PowerPoint (or similar) presentation. You may choose to present via recording or live during your Module 9 virtual live class. Both recorded and live presenters must submit their presentation in Canvas and presentations must be submitted at least 24 hours before the Module 9 live class.

Each student will be provided one peer’s presentation to review the following week and must submit the feedback as soon as possible.

Example project provided here - you cannot use this concern/pinpoint for your project.( the video attached)

Components

Title Slide

Should include your name and general title of your presentation (e.g., Repeated Delay in Data Collection)

Scenario Slide

Describe a staff performance issue you’ve observed or experienced or write a hypothetical scenario of a staff performance issue in the workplace. Include contextual information, including the setting, relevant relationships between individuals in the scenario/situation, and environmental variables that will help inform your PDC-HS process later.

Pinpoint Slide

Pinpoint the staff behavior of interest for increase or decrease. Ensure that your definition follows all the requirements of a high-quality pinpoint (measurable, observable, passes the “dead person’s” test, not a non-behavior, etc.) Please review content in Module 3 for a refresher on appropriate pinpoints.

PDC-HS Slides (x4):

Conduct a mock PDC-HS related to your scenario and briefly describe your findings for each section on separate slides. You should have a slide each for:

· Training

· Task Clarification and Prompting

· Resources, Materials, & Processes

· Performance Consequences, Effort, and Competition

Intervention Slide

Select the intervention that you believe will have the greatest impact on the behavior of the supervisee/trainee member. Provide a list of resources needed to implement the intervention (including people, time, funding, etc.), and a task analysis of the steps you would take to put the intervention in place.

Measuring Success Slide

Describe what data you would collect to determine if the intervention was successful and how you would collect those data. For a refresher on measurement strategies, please review the content from Module 3.

It is expected that the presenter will speak clearly, so that all words are audible. It is also expected that the presenter will be prepared and articulate the information on the slides in a smooth and controlled manner (i.e., deliver pertinent information without long pauses or repetition of filler words).

Peer Review Component

Students are expected to provide their peers with meaningful and substantial feedback. The following questions must be answered in narrative format:

Scenario Clarity & Context

Identify one specific detail from the  Scenario Slide that meaningfully helps explain the performance issue, and one missing detail that would improve the functional understanding of the situation. Explain why that missing piece matters.

Pinpoint Quality Check

Evaluate the  Pinpoint Slide using behavioral criteria (observable, measurable, passes the dead person’s test, etc.). Which criterion is best met, and which (if any) is weakest? Provide a revised version of the pinpoint if improvement is needed.

PDC-HS Alignment

Select one PDC-HS domain (Training, Task Clarification, Resources, or Performance Consequences) and explain whether the presenter’s conclusions are logically supported by the scenario. Cite a specific example from their slides to justify your evaluation.

Intervention

Does the chosen intervention clearly align with the performance problem identified in the PDC-HS? Point to one element of the intervention that directly addresses the problem and one aspect that may be mismatched, missing, or unnecessary.

Measurement & Data Validity

Evaluate the  Measuring Success Slide: What type of data is being collected, and is it appropriate for the pinpointed behavior? Suggest one specific improvement to increase the reliability or validity of the measurement system.

The PDC-HS

Performance Diagnostic Checklist – Human Services (PDC-HS)

Overview

The  Performance Diagnostic Checklist – Human Services (PDC-HS) is a structured assessment tool used to identify the environmental variables contributing to staff performance problems. The checklist evaluates four primary domains that influence performance:

1. Training

2. Task Clarification and Prompting

3. Resources, Materials, and Processes

4. Performance Consequences, Effort, and Competition

The goal of this assessment is to identify  environmental barriers to performance so that interventions can be designed that improve staff behavior and organizational outcomes.

Instructions

1. Identify a  specific staff performance problem.

2. Define the problem as a  behavioral excess or behavioral deficit.

3. Complete the checklist questions  based on that specific behavior, not the employee in general.

4. Items marked with an asterisk (*) should be confirmed  through direct observation whenever possible.

Case Information

Employee Name: ___________________________

Interviewer: ___________________________

Date: ___________________________

Describe the performance concern:

Section 1: Training

1. Has the employee received  formal training on this task?

☐ Yes ☐ No

If yes, check all training methods used:

☐ Instructions ☐ Demonstration ☐ Rehearsal

2. Can the employee  accurately describe the target task and when it should be performed?

☐ Yes ☐ No

3. Is there evidence that the employee has  accurately completed the task in the past?

☐ Yes ☐ No

4. If the task must be completed quickly, can the employee  perform the task at the appropriate speed?

☐ Yes ☐ No ☐ N/A

Section 2: Task Clarification & Prompting

1. Has the employee been  informed that they are expected to perform the task?

☐ Yes ☐ No

2. Can the employee  state the purpose of the task?

☐ Yes ☐ No

3. Is a  job aid (e.g., checklist, data sheet, guide) available in the work area?

☐ Yes ☐ No

4. Is the employee  reminded to complete the task?

☐ Yes ☐ No

Examples of reminders:

· Verbal reminders

· Written reminders

· Text or electronic reminders

5. Is the task performed in an  environment well suited for completion?

Examples:

· minimal noise

· minimal crowding

· appropriate workspace

☐ Yes ☐ No

Section 3: Resources, Materials, & Processes

1. Are there  sufficient trained staff available in the program?

☐ Yes ☐ No

2. Are the  materials required to complete the task readily available?

☐ Yes ☐ No ☐ N/A

If materials are required, list them:

Item 1: ___________________________

Item 2: ___________________________

Item 3: ___________________________

Item 4: ___________________________

3. Are the materials  well designed for their intended purpose?

☐ Yes ☐ No ☐ N/A

4. Are the materials  well organized and easy to access?

☐ Yes ☐ No ☐ N/A

5. Can the task be completed  without completing other tasks first?

☐ Yes ☐ No

If not, list required tasks:

Task 1: ___________________________

Task 2: ___________________________

Task 3: ___________________________

Task 4: ___________________________

6. If other tasks must occur first, are  other employees responsible for completing them?

☐ Yes ☐ No ☐ N/A

If yes, identify responsible employees:

Task 1: ___________________________

Task 2: ___________________________

Task 3: ___________________________

Task 4: ___________________________

Section 4: Performance Consequences, Effort, & Competition

1. Is the employee  directly monitored by a supervisor?

☐ Yes ☐ No

Monitoring frequency:

☐ Hourly ☐ Daily ☐ Weekly ☐ Monthly ☐ Other: __________

2. Does the employee  receive feedback about their performance?

☐ Yes ☐ No

If yes:

Feedback provider: ____________________

Frequency: ____________________

Delay from task completion: ____________________

Feedback focus:

☐ Positive ☐ Corrective

Feedback format:

☐ Verbal ☐ Written ☐ Graphed ☐ Other

3. Does the employee  see the effects of completing the task correctly?

☐ Yes ☐ No

If yes, describe:

4. Is the task  relatively simple or low effort?

☐ Yes ☐ No

5. Does the task  take precedence over competing tasks?

☐ Yes ☐ No

If not, list competing tasks:

Task 1: ___________________________

Task 2: ___________________________

Task 3: ___________________________

Task 4: ___________________________

Intervention Planning

Items marked  “No” on the checklist represent potential  targets for intervention.

Priority should be given to areas where  multiple items are marked “No.”

Interventions may be implemented:

· Sequentially (preferred when resources are limited), or

· Simultaneously when appropriate.

Example Interventions by Area

Training

· Behavioral Skills Training (BST)

· Improved staff selection processes

Task Clarification

· Task clarification

· Job aids or checklists

· Prompts

Resources & Materials

· Improve access to materials

· Reorganize work environment

· Adjust staffing

Consequences

· Increase supervisor presence

· Provide performance feedback

· Highlight task outcomes

· Reduce response effort

References (APA 7)

Arco, L. (2008). Feedback for improving staff training and performance in behavioral treatment programs.  Behavioral Interventions, 23, 39–64.

Bacon, D. L., Fulton, B. J., & Malott, R. W. (1982). Improving staff performance through the use of task checklists.  Journal of Organizational Behavior Management, 4(3–4), 17–25.

Barnes, C. S., Dunning, J. L., & Rehfeldt, R. A. (2011). An evaluation of strategies for training staff to implement the picture exchange communication system.  Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders, 5, 1574–1583.

Brackett, L., Reid, D. H., & Green, C. W. (2007). Effects of reactivity to observations on staff performance.  Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 40, 191–195.

Casella, S. E., Wilder, D. A., Neidert, P., Rey, C., Compton, M., & Chong, I. (2010). The effects of response effort on safe performance by therapists at an autism treatment facility.  Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 43, 729–734.

Cunningham, T. R., & Austin, J. (2007). Goal setting, task clarification, and feedback to increase the use of the hands-free technique by hospital operating room staff.  Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 40, 673–677.

Diener, L. H., McGee, H. M., & Miguel, C. F. (2009). An integrated approach for conducting a behavioral systems analysis.  Journal of Organizational Behavior Management, 29, 108–135.

Gatewood, R. D., Feild, H. S., & Barrick, M. R. (2008).  Human resource selection (6th ed.). Cengage Learning.

Gravina, N., VanWagner, M., & Austin, J. (2008). Increasing physical therapy equipment preparation behaviors using task clarification, graphic feedback, and modification of the work environment.  Journal of Organizational Behavior Management, 28, 110–122.

Green, C. W., Rollyson, J. H., Passante, S. C., & Reid, D. H. (2002). Maintaining proficient supervisor performance with direct support personnel.  Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 35, 205–208.

May, R. J., Austin, J. L., & Dymond, S. (2011). Effects of a stimulus prompt display on therapists’ accuracy and rate of trial delivery during discrete trial teaching.  Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders, 5, 305–316.

Mozingo, D. B., Smith, T., Riordan, M. R., Reiss, M. L., & Bailey, J. S. (2006). Enhancing frequency recording by developmental disabilities treatment staff.  Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 39, 253–256.

Strouse, M. C., Carroll-Hernandez, T. A., Sherman, J. A., & Sheldon, J. B. (2003). Turning over turnover: Evaluation of a staff scheduling system in a community-based program for adults with developmental disabilities.  Journal of Organizational Behavior Management, 23, 45–63.