We are thinking of using a Wizard pattern to help a user complete a task.
The Wizard pattern seems to solve our problem. We are also interested in what human factors research might have to say about the basic problem of a non-expert user needing to accomplish an infrequent and complicated task-–-are there other, possibly better paradigms for doing this than a wizard?
You posted this question over two years ago and no one has offered a better interaction design pattern than the wizard.
That looks like an answer to me.