Is your documentation effective? How can you tell? Effective needs analysis and assessment can help you:

• Identify user needs, so you can produce tailored documentation that boosts performance levels.
• Determine the direct performance path, so you don’t waste time and money “over-documenting” unnecessary tasks.
• Determine the appropriate resources for your documentation project.
• Establish best practices and standards for all future documentation projects.

But where do you start?

Answer the following questions to determine areas of your current documentation that you might want to target for improvement.

Offline documentation, such as paper-based aids, user guides and quick reference guides

1. Do you have any undocumented processes, policies or procedures that are complex, conceptual, and/or repeated by more than one employee?
   Yes No
   
2. Is your current information mostly 2-D (linear and hierarchical)?
   Yes No
   
3. Do employees need to configure, use, or troubleshoot complex software or equipment?
   Yes No
   
4. Do employees develop paper-based company documents (processes, procedures, reports, etc.) that require a consistent company "feel"?
   Yes No
   
5. Do employees need to read a substantial amount of job-related or conceptual information?
   Yes No
   
6. Do employees travel to sites (or perform daily tasks) requiring information that is not readily available through LAN, WAN or Internet connection?
   Yes No
   

Online documentation, such as help files, online references and web pages

1. Do employees perform any undocumented procedures or tasks for which they may need occasional assistance?
   Yes No
   
2. Would users benefit from a quick-reference guide based on keywords?
   Yes No
   
3. Do employees use information that time-critical but difficult for you to maintain?
   Yes No
   
4. Do employees develop online documents that require a consistent company "feel"?
   Yes No
   
5. Do employees use information that is often changed/updated, or do you require information that can be packaged for different audiences, such as users, stakeholders, etc.? Would you benefit from a repository of easily updated information?
   Yes No
   
6. Is your information mostly 3-D (linear, hierarchical and spatial)?
   Yes No