This job aid guides employees at Jean Farb Middle School (JFMS) through the detailed process of requesting reimbursement for school-related expenses. To create it, I followed the ADDIE model to collect and analyze data, and to use that data to design and develop a checklist that was ultimately implemented by the financial clerk at JFMS.

To begin this project I conducted two analyses, as detailed in “Analyzing Performance Problems,” by Mager and Pipe (1997).

• Performance Analysis: I interviewed the key stakeholders to identify the gaps between actual and desired performances.
• Task Analysis: I worked with the financial clerk and school district level accountants to determine how the check requisition process should legally be carried out, both from the staff members’ and the accountant’s point of view.

From the analyses I conducted I learned that the reimbursement process as defined by the San Diego Unified School District is very detailed, has many steps, and requires 100% accuracy. Most staff members rarely need to request reimbursement, and when they do they found the process long and confusing.

I used the information gathered in the analyses to guide the design and development of the job aid. Because the process has so many necessary steps I chose a checklist format. This way the steps flow in order from top to bottom, with details listed left to right. To reduce confusion I kept descriptions of each step as concise as possible, in most cases as short as two or three words. I also highlighted one-word actions in bold to further simplify the steps. Table headings and colors are meant to logically divide different phases of the process. In addition, gray and black were used so that high quality photocopies can be made by JFMS staff.

I worked very closely with the JFMS financial clerk to produce this job aid. Since then we’ve created unique versions for several school organizations and implemented them with good results. Now the financial clerk attaches the checklist to the district requisition form every time she hands one out. While a formal evaluation has not been conducted, both the financial clerk and principal have been very pleased with the results. Since implementation began there have been fewer mistakes by staff members and the time it takes to process each request and write the checks has been greatly reduced. In fact, staff members who regularly request reimbursement rarely need to use the checklist anymore because they have learned the process so well as a result of using this job aid.

This project not only introduced me to the ADDIE model, but it also showed me that I am good at creating a job aid. I can think analytically and apply that analysis in an easy to understand format. More importantly, I enjoy the process and have had good results. I have since created several other job aids for JFMS that are still in use and I look forward to making more of them in the future.

 

References:

Mager, R., & Pipe, P. (1997). Analyzing performance problems or you really oughta wanna. Atlanta, Georgia: CEP Press.