Developing a Curriculum (DACUM) is a process that incorporates the use of a focus group in a facilitated storyboarding process to capture the major duties and related tasks included in an occupation, as well as the necessary knowledge, skills, and traits. This cost-effective method provides a quick and thorough analysis of any job.

The Process

Step One: Initial Occupational Profile

In the DACUM process, high-performing incumbent workers analyze their jobs. DACUM utilizes a panel of six to eight high-performing incumbent workers. Over a two-day period, these skilled workers identify the duties and tasks that make up their job. Under the direction of a neutral facilitator, the panel analyzes their job-related tasks while using a modified brainstorming process that encompasses a storyboarding technique. The final result is an occupational profile presented in a chart format, which describes a job in terms of specific duties and tasks that competent workers must perform. During the process, tasks are also sequenced and ranked based on:

• Criticality: Essential and/or most important components of a job
• Most time-consuming: Tasks that consume the majority of the workers’ time
• New worker training needs: Tasks that should be included in introductory training programs
• Veteran worker training needs: Tasks that should be included in veteran training programs

Steps Two and Three: Validation Process

The occupational profile is validated and vetted through various methods. A validation workshop uses a peer-review process to review the initial profile. Once peer-reviewed, the profile can then be analyzed through a management review, allowing the management team to synthesize what the workers said with what they expect and believe the job should encompass.

Steps Four and Five: Curriculum Development

Once the profile has been validated, a task analysis can be conducted to define the job further. The validated profile and the task analysis can then be used to develop a curriculum.