What is HPT?

Background information on ISPI
and the Performance Improvement community

What Is HPT?

Human Performance Technology (HPT) can be described as a comprehensive set of tools and techniques for achieving organizationally desirable and “marketplace” effective results, through the management of people and processes. HPT uses a wide range of approaches and tools that are drawn from many other disciplines including behavioural psychology, instructional systems design, organizational development, and human resources management. As such, it stresses a rigorous analysis of present and desired performance, identifies the causes for the performance gap and/or the nature and extent of the improvement opportunity, offers a wide range of tools and approaches to improve performance, guides the change management process, and evaluates the results.

What Is ISPI?

Founded in 1962, the International Society for Performance Improvement (ISPI) is the leading international association dedicated to improving individual and organizational productivity and total performance results in the workplace. ISPI represents more than 10,000 international and chapter members throughout the United States, Canada, and 40 other countries.

ISPI's mission is to improve the performance of individuals and organizations through the application of Human Performance Technology (HPT). Organizing annual conferences & expos and other educational events such as the Performance Improvement Institutes, publishing books and periodicals, and supporting research are just some of the ways ISPI works toward achieving this mission.

In 2001, a group of performance improvement practitioners from various countries founded ISPI EMEA with the vision of supporting the concept of ISPI in our geographical areas, sharing and increasing knowledge of ISPI practitioners and sustaining the application of HPT across Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Ours is a widely diverse cultural landscape and translating HPT concepts and applications is a key factor in the global expansion of ISPI.