WORKSHEET 1 

WORK SITUATION ANALYSIS (WSA)

Step 1
Job and
Work Situation Training Certification
Competency
Analysis report Framework Framework
Framework
WSA TF CF
JCF

PEDAGOGICAL TOOLS

IMPORTANT INFORMATION
OBJECTIVE OF THE WSA
✔ The Work Situation Analysis provides the
description of a given job by drawing
up the participant’s exit profile, in terms The work situation analysis report is the first step of
of tasks and activities they will be able to the training engineering process.
perform. The WSA report provides the most accurate
depiction of a given job’s reality and enables us
✔ T he WSA report identifies job-relevant
to expand on the information obtained during the
tasks and operations via documentary
feasibility study, especially the sector analysis.
research and workshops with professionals
in the trade.

The Work Situation Analysis details:

• the nature of the job, conditions under which it is carried out, W
requirements for entering the labour market, employment TO KNO
prospects, salary, etc., OD
GO d JCF
• tasks and operations carried out by the employee in the job/ ee n WSA an
tw
ces be ality
trade in question, Differen a given
job’s re
the
es of
• the conditions under which these tasks are carried out and A outlin e exit profile does
The WS u p th W SA
performance criteria, wing The
by dra nt in training. s.
a cie
• the current work process, particip e competen
t inc lud tencies
•task frequency, execution, complexity and importance, n o
e s the compe s identified
F defin e task
• the knowledge, skills and attitudes deemed necessary for the The JC to carry out th
e d
practice of the job, requir
SA.
• suggestions for training and learning. in the W

Hussein
© Abbas & Makke
 WORK SITUATION ANALYSIS METHODOLOGY

The Work Situation Analysis is carried out according to the following methodology:
➊ 
Documentary research to analyse the context,
and provide an overview of the job in question (e.g.
each method having pros and cons. We recommend,
at least, workshops for the following reasons:
by consulting, if available, a national directory of • Workshops provide an accurate depiction of the job in
occupations or by asking companies that may have question based on an over-arching consensus among
sufficiently detailed job descriptions). If no information is sector professionals concerned.
available relating to the country in question, as is often
• Workshops bring together experts from the sector,
the case, conduct research on neighbouring countries
enabling you to customise the framework from the
where the job’s working conditions are similar or analyse
beginning.
relevant job descriptions in international job directories
(for example: the International Standard Classification of • Workshops enable the Framework-building Team to
Occupations (ILO) or the French operational directory of understand the reality of the job in question from a more
trades and occupations (ROME). hands-on perspective than documentary research.
• Other approaches do not provide for consensus so the
➋  Missing information acquisition. The documentary
research is often insufficient to provide a realistic depiction
Framework-building Team must organise a workshop
to be able to make compromise without the risk of
of the job in question and it is necessary to gather the over-valuing some parts of the work activities at the
missing information. This information can be obtained via expense of others on the basis of a single point of view.
workshops, interviews, questionnaires and shadowing,

DAY 2
DAY 1
entation
Welcome, pres
nts and
WORK SITUATION ANALYSIS 8:30 of the participa
(WSA) WORKSHOP the wor ksho p
Achievement
This workshop sources the Presentation of
conditions and
information necessary to draft the framework 8:30
criteria
process performance
the WSA report. It brings together 9:00 development
sector experts and is designed to g engine ering
(trainin
be exhaustive (e.g., it is important pr oc es s)
to involve representatives from all n of the
Brief descriptio
the sectors concerned to provide 9:30 b
target jo Break
information on a job function 10:30
common to multiple sectors). Break conditions
10:30 Achievement
an ce
Here is an example of how a n of the 10:45 and perform
Brief descriptio ontinued)
workshop can be organised over 10:45 tinued) criteria (c
target job (con
2 days. This can be adapted to 3 e,
Task importanc
days if necessary. m plexity and
ation 11:45 co
Task and oper
11:15 ysis frequency
an al
12:15 Lunch
12:15 Lunch Technological
in the
developments
TOOLBOX Task and oper
ation
ued)
13:45
trade and their results
13:45 analysis (contin
15:15 Break
In the toolbox, you will find:
Break ncerning
15:15 Suggestions co
✔M
 ethodology help-sheet 15:30 the training
to organize a
WSA workshop Task and oper
ation 16:00 Conclusions
15:30 tinued)
analysis (con
End of the WSA
16:30 workshop

17:00 End of day 1

OIF.
enting a JCF,
g and implem
APC guide no. 2 - Designin
Source :
 DRAFTING THE WSA

Regardless of how the information is collected, the necessary information to draft

the WSA report is following.
✔G
 eneral description of the job: ✔D
 efining the conditions of achievement for each task:
•definition and limits of the job, • The employee’s level of independence (individual or
•physical description of the working environment, team work, supervised or independent work);
•supervision and collaboration with others, • References used (manufacturers’ manuals, technical
documents, forms, other);
•the worker’s responsibilities in this job,
• Materials used (raw materials, tools and devices,
•risks to the worker’s physical health, instruments, equipments, etc.);
•stress factors, • Special instructions (technical details, order forms,
•factors of interest in the job (attraction to the job), customer requests, special data, information or
•employment opportunities, other);
•salary conditions, • Environmental conditions (indoor or outdoor work,
accident risks, toxic products, or others).
•the role of women in said job,
•the role of individuals with disabilities in said job, ✔D
 efining the performance criteria for each task.
•environmental impact of the job. Criteria refer to one or more observable and measurable
factors that are essential to the performance of a task.
✔ T ask and operation analysis. They usually relate to the following:
A task describes the work’s purpose with a verb and •expected results (quality of the product, service or
a direct object complement describing the product/ decision, performance, tolerance levels, etc.),
service provided. An operation refers to the subdivision
•compliance with standards, rules and procedures
of tasks coming together to execute the task. This
(occupational health and safety, quality standards,
involves determining the main tasks to be carried out,
professional ethics, etc.),
identifying the operations corresponding to each of
the tasks (the actions involved in carrying out the task) •independence (level of responsibility, degree of
and scheduling the tasks and operations. initiative, handling of unexpected situations, etc.),
•use of a tool or technique,
•expression of specific attitudes.
Each task must therefore have its own descriptive sheet.
All the descriptive sheets related to specific tasks must
be included in the final WSA report.
© Van Trinh

© Abbas & Makke

Hussein
✔D
 efining the work process once the tasks have been ✔ S uggestions for training and learning may include:
reviewed. • the organisation of materials (tools, equipment, raw
The work process is a sequence of time-ordered steps materials, etc.),
that result in an output, i.e., a product or service. Each • training (pedagogical support, learner activities,
step applies to several tasks. Steps 4-6 generally adhere order or sequencing of competencies, etc.),
to the following logical order:
• w ork placements (arrangements, duration,
•awareness of the work to be done (via written or frequency) and potential visits to companies,
oral instructions),
• learning (organising learning sequences, acquisition
•preparing for the work to be done (setting up the of knowledge, skills and attitudes, etc.),
workplace to carry out what is required in safe and
• e mployee secondment, rental or donation of
efficient manner),
equipment,
• execution (specifying the different moments of
• potential for on-the-job training.
execution, up to the production of the good or the
execution of the service),
•returning the workplace to its original state.

✔K
 nowledge, skills and behaviours.
You must gather information on the job-related
knowledge, skills and behaviours. The information
collected at this stage will be used to determine
the general competencies. It is important to ensure
that the usefulness of the knowledge, skills and
required behaviours in the job performance is clearly
articulated.

TOOLBOX
In the toolbox, you will find:
✔ T emplate for the general description of a job
✔ T emplate and example of a tasks and
operations table
✔ T emplate of the task description sheet
✔ T emplate for the definition of knowledge, skills
and behaviours
✔A
 suggestion of standard outline for a WSA
report and examples