IfG.CC -
Institute for eGovernment

Government demands for a more efficient service has put staff training high on the public sector’s agenda, with an overall increase in training budgets predicted for 2003 / 2004. With millions invested in training each year, it is essential that these programmes are both efficient and effective. However, although more public sector organisations are now taking a strategically planned and controlled approach to learning, many still experience difficulty when it comes to implementation. Commissioned by LogicaCMG, research amongst HR professionals in the NHS, central and local government reveals that although almost half of organisations are taking a strategic approach to their training provision, one-in-five have difficulty implementing the plans, whilst another 25 per cent still prefer a purely tactical approach. Reflecting government policy on modernisation, a strategic approach towards training management is particularly high on the NHS’s agenda.

The 2005 e-government deadline has had a marked effect on training delivery methods - with e-learning being used by nearly half of all public sector organisations. For e-government to be a success employees will need to use the new technology effectively - but only 48 per cent of central and local government bodies invested in end-user IT skills training in 2002 / 2003.

The public sector is in tune with current trends in the training market - blended learning, where training is delivered using a variety of methods, is set for a sharp increase, with 60 per cent of those currently using this method expecting to spend more on this technique in the next financial year. However, the current overall preference is still for face-to-face contact, with instructor-led tailor-made courses being used by 86 per cent of organisations. In contrast, video conferencing seems to have officially hit the training scrap heap, with HR professionals showing little enthusiasm for this method.

Training budgets were found to vary greatly (from £1.5M to £4.9M) between government bodies, some NHS trusts enjoying significant budget growth to implement recent Government policy, local government showing marginal growth, and central government budgets remaining broadly the same.

“Every public sector organisation appears to be taking a more strategic approach towards training,” says Keith Scott, director of training at LogicaCMG. “However, as within many large organisations, there also appears to be a significant gap between the way in which training is planned and the subsequent implementation. As budgets are generally predicted to rise, it is all the more important for government bodies to invest in bridging this gap - aligning organisational with personal needs and evaluating effectiveness against mutually agreed metrics - if training is to deliver the requisite return on investment. It is very positive to see blended learning becoming recognised as the way forward, as it is certainly the best way of catering to the requirements of both training and budgeting from a public sector perspective.”

Quelle: Pressi.com