Module 2

The reading concerning needs assessment- internal and external -gave me a lot to think about. It is very true that when you are in an organization, especially within a government institution...it will be very hard to implement a needs assessment. The resistance to change is very strong among the management and sometimes even of the employees themselves. Comfort of a "used" system and the discomfort of the unknown, makes people look the other way, even if the system needs to be tweaked for better performance.

The article is correct in saying that a needs assessment when done with skill can yield information regarding gaps in the system and if done in a "gentle" way---may have a better effect on management and have a better chance of accepting certain changes.

This really hits home for me. I work in a very big government bureaucracy back home and this is a problem in my office. Certain systems that needs to be changed are not being done because it is very hard to enact change, when you are part of the system you want to change. Preconceived rules, regulations, policies and objectives are already operating, thus reducing ones actions to freely start certain changes.