PIN Description
The Performance Improvement for Non-profits (PIN) project applies the concepts of
Human Performance Improvement and Knowledge Management to the non-profit sector. It is
specifically concerned with analyzing organizational and individual performance and
facilitating the creative construction, sharing, and reuse of knowledge among non-profit
agencies. We hope to use the research and work we've done with the Department of Defense (DoD)
and apply it to the non-profit agencies of the of the Big Bend area.
Human Performance Improvement
Human Performance Improvement (HPI) analyzes how people perform on the job. We are interested in diagnosing human performance problems, looking for causes of low performance, and recommending solutions that address those causes. We will collect information about the individual—particularly the roles, goals, and tasks that support organizational goals.
HPI Example
Knowledge Management
Knowledge Management (KM) studies the creation, capture, storage, reuse, and sharing of knowledge. We are interested in finding ways to make knowledge easier to access by people within and across similar organizations.
We believe that the work KCRG has done with the Department of Defense (DoD) can be transferred to other organizations, such as non-profits. The structures of the DoD and United Way of the Big Bend (UWBB), for example, are similar (though on different scales).
Just as the DoD has branches of service, UWBB is composed of independent agencies in which staff members have common roles (e.g., fundraiser, volunteer recruiter, trainer, bookkeeper). Knowledge about these roles could be shared locally and nationally through an IT system built by the KCRG team.
KM Example
Stages
Following are the stages of work we conduct with each agency:
Stage 1 – Roles, goals, and tasks
- Interview the executive director and a representative of each job title within the organization to identify each individual’s job responsibilities.
Stage 2 – Indicators and Performance Factors
- Choose the top goals within each agency and interview the person(s)
responsible for that goal to identify measures of performance for the goal and
its tasks. Identify the performance factors (e.g., knowledge, skills, tools,
resources) required to accomplish each goal.
Stage 3 – Problem-solving
- Analyze gaps between desired and current performance among specific roles;
identify the underlying reasons for the gaps and recommend solutions to address
those causes.
Three Stages Diagram
