ACTIVITY 1- SECTION 1
In this brief dissertation below will be considered three of the most used methods in organizational contexts to identify learning and developments needs for individuals and groups: SWOT, focus groups, self-assessment.

SWOT
The SWOT analysis is an easily applied tool, which asks the team to consider strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats relating to a specific situation. SWOT’s primary objective is to help organizations develop a full awareness of all the factors, positive and negative, that may affect strategic planning and decision making.
Example: A small manifacturing company might decide to perform a SWOT analysis to review the activity of the company itself and find new approaches for the next two years:
Strenghts:
- we can offer a better service to the costumers and dedicate to them more time; - we are able to change our offers in a brief lack of time if we realize they do not fit well with the current marketing request;
- we have just a small markup on our prices and for this reasons our products are not so expensive.
Weaknesses:
- our company is not well known; - our employee lack of skills and knowledge in some specific working field. This makes difficult a job rotation; - we are vulnerable in front of the request of days off and holidays.
Opportunities:
- our business sector is expanding and we have good opportunities to achive success; - the local administration department decided to help small companies giving funds and facilities.
Threats:
- the fear related to not have the right skills to adapt on the new technologies knowledge and tools.
The company may decide to specialize in early intervention and qualified services: advertising in the local press, to widen the market; updating the skills of the people, to adapt to changes in technology, where possible.

Focus group
A focus group is a powerful information-gathering technique that uses small group discussion to identify the views of people in the group and to gather the opinions of each member about a defined subject of interest. Focus groups are usually composed of six to twelve participants, an observer and a trained moderator of the group.
Furthermore, focus groups can be used for identifying learning and developing needs, expectations, and potential reactions.
Responses in a focus group have more depth, nuance, and variety. In addition, the leader-moderator should plan ahead some important steps to guide the focus group:
● Describe the instructional technology and context (that includes the purpose of the instructional technology) and the users (education, motivation, skill levels).
● Identify stakeholder needs and develop central questions. Key questions focus on the major areas of concern. The majority of the time is devoted to discussions of these questions (How was it that you first learned about the program?)
● Determine the purpose of the focus group.
● Determine how you will use focus group results.
● Write good questions and organize the focus group.

Self-assessment
A self-assessment could identify particular individual learning needs. For example, looking at General practitioners work, researches has shown that doctors tend to pursue further education in topics that they already know quite a bit about and avoid areas where their knowledge is deficient. Learning-needs assessment is a good way to discover the limits of your comfort zone and encourage you to move out of it. The self assessment can involve a diary of learning needs that crop out during your working day. You might jot down something in a consultation or write a note about an issue from a practice meeting. By looking back at your diary you can identify your knowledge gaps.