Case Studies

Organizational and Workforce Analysis

We expertly address organizational and workforce performance issues through proven human performance technologies:

U.S. Coast Guard

Harkcon has conducted a number of projects for the U.S. Coast Guard that cover the full array of organizational and workforce analyses that we offer. For example, in September 2007, the United States Coast Guard initiated a three-year project with Harkcon to assist in the analysis, development, and implementation of Manpower Requirements Determination (MRD) policies, procedures, and tools to support the effective management of all parts of the Coast Guard workforce. Harkcon completed an organizational needs assessment to capture current state Human Resources missions, mission requirements, and performance standards and to identify desired state missions, mission requirements, and performance standards given the modernization of the Coast Guard. Recommended solutions from the organizational needs assessments included the drafting of the MRD Enterprise Change Management Plan; the completion of Front End Analyses (FEA) to determine the world of work for MRD Enterprise staff; drafting of the doctrine and policies that will guide the implementation and use of the MRD Enterprise; and the development of in-depth techniques and procedures on how to conduct a manpower requirements analysis, including the integration of competencies into the analysis.

To complete the MRD Enterprise staff FEA, Harkcon indentified the complete world of work for the MRD Division Chief, Team Leader, and MRD Analyst positions. This included indentifying all the tasks and steps required of each position to produce the work outputs that would enable the MRD Program to meet its mission. Additionally, Harkcon conducted a cost benefit analysis of the training programs recommended by the FEA to ensure that the Coast Guard implemented the most cost effective training to develop analyst competencies.

Additionally, Harkcon developed a cutting edge approach for the Coast Guard's manpower requirements analysis that combined three tried-and-true types of analysis into one smooth process: Workload Analysis, Front End Analysis, and Competency Analysis. The approach captured, categorized and analyzed the most fundamental elements of organizational and human performance (goals, objectives, strategies, tasks, knowledge, skills, abilities, type of work, workload, personal qualities, assumptions and constraints) of the staff element that were analyzed. This, in turn, provided the most accurate picture of work and workload for those staffs, and therefore, better planning and solutions. Harkcon is also applying the techniques and procedures it has developed, including the integration of competency analysis into the manpower requirements analysis, to complete multiple manpower analyses on Coast Guard Headquarters staff elements.

Harkcon is using its innovative Mainstay™ performance analysis software application to effectively and efficiently complete the FEAs and the manpower analyses. Mainstay™ enables analysts to capture work, workload, and competency data in one central location, complete the required analysis, and then produce all required reports.

In addition to supporting the Coast Guard's Chief Human Capital Officer (CHCO), Harkcon is also supporting the Coast Guard's Chief Acquisition Officer (CAO) in implementing the Coast Guard's Blueprint for Acquisition Reform by designing, developing, and implementing the 2010 Annual Customer Satisfaction Survey. Using the results of the 2009 Survey and the Blueprint for Acquisition Reform, Harkcon developed a survey that provided the data used by the CAO to identify where performance gaps are being closed, what additional actions might need to be taken, and any new areas for improvement.

<