Needs assessment & IT Training program

More corporate IT departments are realizing that technology training should be addressed by IT with a process that goes beyond simple budgeting and fulfillment.

One reason is limitations of corporate training departments when it comes to prescribing and monitoring technical training. A second reason is the rapidity of technology change that IT must keep pace with. In the past three years alone, virtualization (which demands new thinking about network management), new OSs and servers (like Microsoft Vista and Server 2008), new security requirements (for emerging areas like social engineering, DNS attacks, etc.) and new Web services deployments, have all presented technologies that factor into the IT workload.


How do you create a training program that infuses these critical new technology skillsets into your staff and projects?



THE CORNERSTONES OF IT TRAINING

Effective IT training rests on four cornerstones:

1.Clear Goals


IT managers and staff should determine which types of training will be purchased or performed, who is going to receive the training, and who is going to ensure that the knowledge transfer from the training occurs.


2.Timely Investment

Training is optimized when it is immediately applied. IT managers must ensure that this happens if maximum results from training are to be attained.


3.Calculated Returns


For every training planned, IT managers and staff should define beforehand how the training will be used in the projects it is applied to. This creates training metrics that results can be tracked against.


4.Process Improvement


Training and projects should be reviewed annually to see which training and projects really went well and which can be improved. The end goal is continuous improvement of the training Process—from planning and procurement through knowledge trans-fer to projects.


SETTING UP YOUR TRAINING FUNCTION

IT can take these steps to assure a results-oriented program:


Meet with Managers to determine needs and budget

Most IT departments take their closest looks at training investments during annual budget cycles. They assess staff skills shortfalls, look at staff, and decide who should be trained in which skills areas to improve overall IT performance. The process succeeds in identi-fying and budgeting for training—but it often fails to follow the process once training is completed. Process monitoring is essential to assure that skills transfer takes place. This follow-up should be with both the trainee and with the project mangers that the trainee is expected to bring his newly developed skills to.



Identify training objectives by project or function

One way to facilitate the tracking of training results is to ask IT managers to match training investments to projects as well as to em-ployees. In the end, managers must ask themselves if the training delivered the desired value to the projects. This ensures that training investments match up with business and technology needs.



At the same time that IT managers identify the specific projects and initiatives that they expect the training to deliver value to—they should furnish timelines of when the projects requiring training will be coming online. In this way, the timing and the budgetary in-vestment of the training can be matched to the anticipated start dates of the projects that the training is intended to benefit.



Set metrics

CIOs should have high expectations of both their line managers and their training partners. One way to facilitate this is to ask managers to draw up lists of very specific goals where training will benefit the projects they are charged with. In other words, instead of stating a project need for training as “ability to interact with end users,” the training goals for that overall need might be expressed as a set of specific skills and capabilities such as:

•Ability to give an oral presentation;



•Ability to produce Microsoft Powerpoint presentations;



•Ability to conduct meetings;



•Ability to write a system requirements document;



•Ability to use a project management software to input and maintain project tasks;



•Ability to conduct a system review and/or test with end business users.



By breaking down overall objectives into more specific and project-directed goals, the organization (and the employee) are better able to communicate with professional trainers to let them know exactly what the company expects from the training.



Talent-scout your organization and set development objectives with staff

If you have mentors, set mentor objectives, such as training a specific employee to be able to handle day to day network management duties within six months. Managers should also be tasked with employee development objectives. These begin with effective “talent scouting” of staff to determine who is best suited for roles on projects (e.g., you might have a solid programmer who has demonstrated the ability to easily work with users, and who might with soft skills development be turned into a project man-ager in a year). In this way, you can specify a particular training regime and the goals and time frames in IT projects that the training must deliver results to. The training should be included as an objective in the employee’s personal goals for the coming year that will be assessed during his annual performance evaluation. This process lets the employee know that you are investing in him, and that you also have expectations in return.



Identify an internal resource who can coordinate training

IT departments with effective training programs assign an internal resource person who schedules training and tracks training results against projects in the same way that resources are on staff to track projects and budgets. In very small IT departments, this might mean a general administrative person who also maintains a spreadsheet or a database with training prescriptions, metrics and results. Larger staffs often hire an individual with both a training/education and a technology background who conducts the training function on a full-time basis, and who also provides consultation services to employees and managers. In either case, the training administration, metrics and results tracking process is greatly facilitated if there is administrative support and follow-up with line managers. Designating one person with administrative authority for the training function establishes a central control whenever training-related questions arise.



Partner with training vendors that share your commitment

Choose training vendors that are results-oriented and that can work with you. The best way to do this is to personally meet with ven-dors and share your specific project and training needs, along with performance-related goals and training expectations. You should ask the vendor about its training methodology, and how it can work with you to deliver skills that will support your projects and your em-ployees. Last but not least, ask the vendor for a list of references. These references will tell you how effective the training was in deliv-ering immediate value and results to their project goals.

 
Original article: http://www.computertrainingmag.com/article.php?id=79
Creating an Effective Internal IT Training Function

By Mary Shacklett