Final conclusions as to which KSA items should receive high priority, moderate priority, and low priority were based on the combined analysis of the employee and supervisor findings. Any KSA where employees and supervisors were in agreement as to level of priority received that level of priority. For KSA’s where employees and supervisors were not in agreement with level of priority, that item was placed in the moderate priority category. The following is the list of final recommendations resulting from the NPS Universal Competencies training needs assessment. Where appropriate and where consensus between supervisors and employees exist, the gap between importance and preparation is used to rank training priorities within each of the three categories. The moderate priority KSA’s are listed in rank order based on the gap analysis between importance and preparation by employees and supervisors, whereas the low priority KSA’s are listed simply in the order they appear on the survey instrument.

High Priority

• Promote the concept of sustainable resource use through programs and services provided at NPS units
• Those six KSA’s where NPS supervisors and employees were judged to substantially differ in training priorities, as represented in Table 4.

Moderate Priority

• Demonstrate a commitment to continuous, personal and professional learning through recognition of strengths and weaknesses, feedback, and the pursuit of continuing education opportunities
• Demonstrate good physical and mental health practices in order to reduce physical and stress-induced illness in the workplace
• Employ knowledge of federal ethic and conduct requirements in the utilization of public resources such as budget and property
• Facilitate complete participation in and use of NPS facilities, programs, and services by individuals with physical, sensory and cognitive disabilities
• Understand current local, state, and national political influences on individual NPS units
• Articulate NPS policy and legal requirements for providing architectural, programmatic, and interpretive services for all persons with disabilities
• Promote resource stewardship to NPS visitors by developing diverse participation opportunities for the public in protection of park resources

Low Priority

• Appreciate how individual job responsibilities affect protection and stewardship of resources in NPS units
• Provide superior customer service to members of the public, other government agencies or private organizations by assessing customer needs, providing information or assistance, resolving problems, and satisfying expectations
• Treat fellow employees fairly and equitably by promoting diversity of culture, experience, age, thoughts, ideas, race, etc. in the workplace
• Operate as part of a highly functioning team where projects are completed by the actions of small groups and/or individuals
• Demonstrate ability to analyze simple situations, think critically, make sound conclusions, and recommend courses of action to resolve conflicts
• Develop and practice safe work behaviors such as hazard detection and prevention
• Communicate effectively with the public and others in the workplace utilizing clear, oral presentations, listening skills, and recognition of non-verbal cues
• Utilize principles of effective written communication such as usage of proper English grammar, punctuation, spelling, and succinct, organized thought in daily written correspondence with fellow employees and the public
• Perform basic computer skills such as word-processing and electronic mail
• Effectively manage changing situations, such as the presentation of new information, changing work conditions, and unexpected obstacles, through the ability to adjust required behavior or work methods
• Develop and sustain cooperative work relationships with fellow employees and external partners such as state, local, and special interest groups in order to accomplish projects compatible with the NPS unit
• Demonstrate accountability through compliance with rules, responsibility and timely completion of assignments, serving as a personal example to other NPS employees
• Maintain poise and productivity during stressful situations
• Understand the organizational structure of the National Park Service, the Department of the Interior, and the federal government
• Apply knowledge of various aspects of park operations and legal mandates in order to accomplish NPS and park unit missions
• Understand and apply information from technical material, rules, regulations, instructions, reports, charts, graphs, or tables to specific situations
• Organize and maintain information or information systems in order to gather needed information
• Demonstrate ability to contribute positively to an environment which motivates others to achieve shared goals
• Display professional commitment to the NPS mission through support of resource protection, conservation, and NPS regulations
• Apply effective teamwork skills and abilities in order to affect work output
• Display basic knowledge of NPS strategic planning as it relates to resource stewardship

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