To be able to fulfil their obligations, the staff of the authorities applying this Regulation should have the appropriate knowledge and should receive training in the field of international protection, including with the support of the Asylum Agency. They should also be given the appropriate means, including sufficient competent staff, and guidance to effectively perform their tasks. For that purpose, each Member State should regularly assess the needs of the determining authority and the other competent authorities to ensure that they are always in a position to deal with applications for international protection in an effective manner, particularly where there is a disproportionate number of applications within the same period of time.