Occupational Analysis Technology: Expanded Role in Development of Cost-Effective Maintenance Systems

摘要

The objective of this study was to refine and coordinate occupational analysis, job performance aids (JPAs), and elements of the instructional systems development (ISD) process for task specific maintenance training. More specifically, the purpose was to interrelate techniques for Task Identification and Analysis (TI&A) (from the technologies for JPAs and task-specific ISD) and data gathering techniques for occupational analysis. Occupational analysis for TI&A can function as complementary technologies for major improvements in Air Force maintenance. However, a comparative analysis of TI&A and current occupational analysis technologies indicates substantial incompatibilities between them. The Task Identification Matrix (TIM) of the TI&A technology identifies specific tasks for each specific hardware to which it is applied. Such specific tasks are described in terms of maintenance functions (such as checkout, align, and troubleshoot) coupled with an appropriate portion of the hardware being considered. In contrast, although using similar maintenance functions, the occupational analysis technology identifies sets of heterogeneous maintenance tasks across an Air Force Specialty Code (AFSC) without regard to the specific hardware in the AFSC; this hardware is frequently of varying vintages of design. By neglecting the real differences among tasks within the same set, from hardware to hardware, current occupational analysis results in oversimplified and distorted portrayals of job content of many maintenance AFSCs.