The use of Predictive Index in the context of South African Legislation

There is unnecessary confusion over the use of workplace assessments and psychological tests developed for clinical purposes.

Unnecessary since existing legislation makes a clear distinction between these two categories of assessment.

Managers who use the Predictive Index are exercising their right to improve management performance by using a job related organisation instrument.

The two acts which pertain to assessments and tests are:

1. The Employment Equity Act of 1998

This legislation is intended to govern workplace practices and eliminate discrimination. It clarifies the rights of employers and employees. The Act allows for the use of assessments provided the assessment used:
    * has been scientifically shown to be valid and reliable.
    * can be applied fairly to all employees.
    * is not biased against any employee or group.

A decision concerning the exclusion or preference of any person is not considered unfair discrimination if it is based on the “inherent requirements of the job”.

1. The Health Professions Act of 1974

This Act is intended to protect the public against malpractice by health professionals. It governs the conduct of health professionals who diagnose and treat physical and mental conditions of patients for gain. In this context the Act is prescriptive about the use of psychological tests.

The Act does not define a psychological test, but clearly regards it as a sophisticated technique that enables a psychologist to offer the public services of a highly complex nature. (Annexure 1 lists the functions that a psychologist is entitled to perform.)

Legislation and the Predictive Index System (PI)

PI is an assessment technique designed to enable managers to make informed decisions about their people and the work they perform.

The system consists of:
* The PRO, a diagnostic instrument designed to enable managers to objectively establish the “inherent requirements of the job”.
* The PI Survey, a double-sided wordlist used to assess work related qualities of employees and job applicants.

(Studies regarding validity, reliability, culture fairness of the PI survey as well as job validation studies for clients are available on request).

PI SouthAfrica

PI SouthAfrica is a consulting company whose business purpose is the improvement of management and organisation effectiveness through training and support.

We train managers from client companies to:
    * use the PRO to structure jobs aligned to the business plan.
    * understand the behavioural qualities of PI profiles and make informed decisions about people against job related criteria.

PI SouthAfrica supports its clients by:
    * advising them on the range of applications from more effective selection decision making to strategic issues.
    * providing decision making models using PI data to build capacity at managerial, business unit and individual employee level.

Conclusions

The use of PI is subject to the conditions prescribed by the Employment Equity Act of 1998. Both PI and the Act are intended for the workplace and designed to facilitate the relationships between managers and the people with whom they work.

PI cannot supply health professionals with the information required by psychologists to provide the services listed in the Health Profession Act of 1974. (The classification of PI by the Test Commission as a psychological test cannot change the properties of PI and make it suitable for use by a health professional.)

PI SouthAfrica nor any of its clients practice as health professionals for gain and are therefore not subject to the Health Professions Act of 1974.

Annexure 1: Health Professions Act

The Act does not define a psychological test. It does however describe the functions of a psychologist. By implication tests used by psychologist must have the properties necessary to perform these functions. A psychologist is someone who:
   1. for gain, practices as a psychologist (whether or not purporting to be registered);
   2. for gain-
    * mentally examines any person;
    * performs any act of diagnosing, treating or preventing any mental defect, illness or deficiency in respect of any person;
    * advises any person on his mental state;
    * on the ground of information provided by any person or obtained from him in any manner whatsoever;
   1. diagnoses such person’s mental state;
   2. advises such person on his mental state;
   3. supplies or sells to or prescribes for such person any medicine or treatment;
    * prescribes or provides any medicine, substance or thing or
    * performs any other act specially pertaining to the profession of psychologist.

 Request a copy of the Validation Studies Report.