Needs Assessment to Developing the Competencies of the Academic Service Officer, Khon Kaen University

Abstract

This descriptive research is aimed at assessing the needs and studyingthe approaches of the
academic service officer’s functional competencies development within Khon Kaen University. Data
collection was divided into two phases. The first phase was aresearch survey carried out on 136
academic service officers in Khon Kaen University in which a 5-level rating scale questionnaire was
used. The reliability coefficient was α = 0.96 in the actual condition, and α = 0.98 in the prospective
condition. The statistics used in data analysis were percentages, average values, and standard deviation.
The orders of needs were ranked using the Modified Priority Needs Index (PNImodified). The second
phase wasthe qualitative data collection in which 10 eminent persons were interviewed. The tool was
the structured interview, and the content analysis was presented in a descriptive format.

The Research Findings
The results showed that the population wanted every item of needs. The values of PNImodified
varied from 0.13 to 0.63. The highest value of PNImodified was 0.63 for “Analytical Thinking”, the
second was 0.17 for “Understanding Others”, the third was 0.16 for “Validation of Procedures”, and
the last was 0.13 for “Flexibility”. The approaches of development can be concluded as follows:
1) Analytical Thinking
The administrators should provide the academic officers with continuous Research & Development
trainings and should also establish the approaches to help them improve thier analytical thinking skills.
The academic officers should regularly study the relevant rules, regulations, and principles in order
to truly understand them.
2) Understanding Others
The administrators should promote the activities that support good understanding between
the staff members and those who receive services. This helps the staff to develop their sympathetic
characteristics and to be able to appropriately solve the conditions of dealing with the temperaments
of others in different situations. They will be able to properly communicate with students and those
who receive their services in order to find the best solution for their problems.
3) Validation of Procedures
The administrators should regularly give performance feedback to their staff members.
This might be performed right after the completion of their activity or before the end of the semester.
The feedback should be based on the critical consideration and should be carefully revised. Follow-up
communications should be conducted after the completion of the service in order to see if the
students have clearly followed the academic officers’ advice. Another suggestion is that the students
could reflect upon the academic officers’ performance by completing a satisfaction assessment survey.
The information, obtained from these approaches, could be used to develop performance and used
in the annual internal and external quality assessments.
4) Flexibility
The administrators should be open to receive the opinions of the staff members and should
allow them to freely express their suggestions. Moreover, in order to create greater effectiveness in the
office, the administrators should be able to develop an adjustable strategy that allows them to tackle
different circumstances. In addition, when attempting to find the middle ground for any involved parties,
the administrators should be neutral, just, and unswayed by their personal feelings towards others.