BTSR guidebook ~ Training & skills self-evaluation

What provision at this level looks like and feels like

For the organisation

In 2008, 24% of broadcasters evaluated at this level, 1% were lower and 75% were higher.

Some team members can feel very cosy at this level… especially those who would like to divert a slab of the training budget towards meeting their own goals and aspirations.

A small, tightly knit organisation can work effectively with provision at this level, provided team members understand the organisation’s strategic purpose and are prepared to hitch their own development to that of the business. (Otherwise it will merely be a small, tightly knit, dysfunctional team.) Other organisations face a near-certainty of spending money on training that makes employees happy – which is, of course, a valid ambition – but does little or nothing for the business.

For the training function

The trainer in this situation can be in an uncomfortable position, that of the gatekeeper who has to decide between conflicting claims on the training budget. Without formal guidance from management – otherwise the organisation wouldn’t be at this level – there will be no credit for getting it right, and perhaps plenty of blame for getting it wrong. And the definitions of right and wrong exist only in the heads of individual managers – otherwise the organisation wouldn’t be at this level – and almost certainly differ from manager to manager. The sensible options are (1) change the organisation and (2) change employer.

Unless, of course, it’s a small, tightly knit organisation.

Benefits & risks of provision at this level

Benefits

For a small, tightly knit organisation, provision at this level is efficient and effective. Everybody knows what the organisation is trying to achieve, and supports everybody else in trying to achieve it… including by providing suitable training and development interventions.

For other organisations, the only advantage of informal planning is that it places few demands on management time (in the short term, at least).

Risks

Provision at this level involves several risks:

• Training expenditure could be unproductive (or counterproductive)
• Because the organisation is effectively spending on training – rather than investing in it – training activities are unlikely to be valued. They might therefore be cut or eliminated when times are hard… including that element that, by the law of averages, is in fact productive
• Over time, the organisation could develop a reputation in the jobs market as a soft touch among those more interested in helping themselves than their employer.

Processes & benchmarks for evaluating provision at this level

Distinguishing from »medium» provision

The distinguishing features between base and medium levels are mainly to do with the degree of linkage between training & development planning and business planning. At this level:

• The organisation plans training & development in isolation – wholly or partly – from organisational goals and objectives
• Managers and other employees do not perceive that training planning is linked to organisational objectives.

Processes

Here are some diagnostic questions:

• Can training be planned independently of the business planning and budgeting cycle?
• Can training be initiated by departments or individual managers independently of any overall plan?
• Can major departments or functions plan training in some years and not others?
• Is it possible for a service delivery function people who provide broadcasting and directly related services (for example, includes editing but excludes cleaning) not to provide any training?
• Can employees attend training just by booking?
• Are training budgets devolved to departments, but not ring-fenced for training?
  

If the answers are mostly Yes, that’s a fairly strong indication that the organisation is providing at this level (or below).

Reference material relevant to this strand and level

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Examples of provision at this level

Here are some examples of evidence used by broadcasters, in previous years, to demonstrate provision at this level:

• Training materials
• Statement of commitment to training
• Ad hoc training developed (or bought in) as required for individuals or departments.

The wording is broadcasters’ own, and does not necessarily follow our usage preferences

What it takes to get to the next level

Probably the hardest thing about moving up from this level is getting onto the radar of senior management. If they are happy that training is decoupled from the business, that could mean that trainers are doing a fantastic job and management can confidently tick the training box as “done”. More likely, it means that they attach little or no importance to training and are just doing it because they feel they should… until, of course, the money gets a bit tight.

To get their attention, it helps if you can develop some understanding of the experiences that have led management to take their current view of training. Then you’ll have to identify and understand the business issues that keep management awake at night. Then you can muscle your way onto their agenda by spotting a current or imminent business problem for which training can provide a solution. Or use any other means you can to formulate a training solution to an important business problem.

Does all this sound difficult? It is. It takes a higher degree of training skill to get out of Level B than it does to sustain the organisation at Level C. Consider getting help from a consultant or from peers in other organisations.

Once you’re on the agenda, here are some ideas for executing your move up:

• First and foremost, deliver the training solution you promised… and in a way that exceeds expectations by the greatest possible margin
• After that – and it could be months after that – get the training cycle in synch with the business planning cycle. (It achieves little on its own, but without it there is no prospect of making the move)
• Get management to articulate what it wants from its training provision. If you can, interview each member of the senior team individually. Then present the findings to the whole group: confirm the points where they agree, and resolve as many of the others as you can
• Soon after that, present back to management a costed programme of training and development activities that directly addresses all the needs they articulated, or as many as possible. Include success measures – answers to the question “how will we know that it worked?” – wherever possible. If management accept the programme – or something very like it – then you’ve achieved your move. If they don’t, lose no time in understanding why.

It helps in all this if your processes for evaluating the effectiveness of training (Strand 7) are at Level C or higher. That’s because any management worth its salt will shy away from committing time and resources unless there is some way of measuring the outcomes. If applicable, it’s a good idea to try to move up in Strands 1 & 7 at the same time.

In this and in all strands, the Case studies are a rich source of good practices that can help you to move up. In this strand, BBC Learning Board/Academy is insightful.