COLLECTION, ANALYSIS, AND USE OF INFORMATION ABOUT JOBS IN THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM - ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS IN A COMPREHENSIVE HUMAN SERVICES PROGRAM (FROM NATIONAL SYMPOSIUM ON JOB-TASK ANALYSIS... - SEE NCJ-61413)

• NCJ Number: 61426
• Author(s): R A ASH; E L LEVINE; F SISTRUNK; P L SMITH
• Date Published: 1978
• Length: 15 pages
• Corporate Author: Texas Cmssn on Law Enforcement; National Assoc of State Directors of Law Enforcement Training; US Dept of Justice
• Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/
• Publication Type: Conference Material
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

TECHNIQUES EMPLOYED BY THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH FLORIDA IN COLLECTING, ANALYZING, AND USING INFORMATION ABOUT JOBS IN THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM ARE DISCUSSED.

Abstract

INITIAL PROJECT EFFORTS IDENTIFIED THE NEED TO PINPOINT HUMAN RESOURCES PLANNING, DEVELOPMENT, UTILIZATION TECHNIQUES, AND PROCEDURES THAT COULD BE ADAPTED TO THE SPECIAL NEEDS OF THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM. HOWEVER, IT BECAME CLEAR THAT THE HUMAN RESOURCE FUNCTION IN ANY ORGANIZATION CAN BE ACCOMPLISHED EFFECTIVELY ONLY WHEN TECHNIQUES ARE AVAILABLE FOR GATHERING, ANALYZING, AND USING INFORMATION ABOUT THE PEOPLE IN THE ORGANIZATION, THEIR JOBS, THE ORGANIZATIONAL CONTEXT ITSELF, AND THE GENERAL ENVIRONMENT OF THE ORGANIZATION. RESEARCH TECHNIQUES ARE PRESENTED FOR ACCOMPLISHING FIVE IDENTIFIED FUNCTIONS: ROLE OF TASK IDENTIFICATION, JOB DESIGN, JOB OR TASK DESCRIPTION, JOB CLASSIFICATION, AND JOB EVALUATION. METHODS OF JOB ANALYSIS INCLUDE TASK ANALYSIS, JOB INVENTORY, POSITION ANALYSIS QUESTIONNAIRE (PAQ), THE JOB ELEMENT METHOD, AND THE CRITICAL INCIDENTS METHOD. THE FIRST METHOD INVOLVES A BREAKDOWN OF JOBS INTO INDIVIDUAL TASKS WHICH ARE ANALYZED AND RATED ON SCALES WHICH REFLECT THE RELATIONSHIP OF THE WORKER TO THE TASK. THE JOB INVENTORY IS A VARIATION OF THE TASK ANALYSIS INVOLVING A LISTING OF ALL SIGNIFICANT TASKS PERFORMED BY WORKERS. THIS METHOD NORMALLY INCLUDES MEASURES OF TIME SPENT, FREQUENCY, AND IMPORTANCE OT TASKS. THE PAQ FEATURES JOB ELEMENTS PHRASED IN TERMS OF BASIC HUMAN BEHAVIORS, SUCH AS READING VISUAL DISPLAYS. THE JOB ELEMENTS APPROACH CALLS FOR A GROUP OF EXPERTS TO DEVELOP AN EXHAUSTIVE LIST OF ALL REQUISITES TO JOB PERFORMANCE. THE CRITICAL INCIDENTS METHOD IS BASED ON EVALUATION OF A SPECIFIC EXAMPLE OF WORKER BEHAVIOR IN TERMS OF POOR, AVERAGE, OR EXCEPTIONAL PERFORMANCE. THE PAQ WAS THE MOST VERSATILE METHOD. HOWEVER, NONE OF THE METHODS EMERGED AS A CLEAR FAVORITE. WHENEVER POSSIBLE, MORE THAN ONE METHOD SHOULD BE USED BECAUSE EACH APPEARS TO OFFER ADVANTAGES. REFERENCES AND EXHIBITS ARE INCLUDED IN THE PAPER. (LWM)