CAPACITY BUILDING IN e-LEARNING FOR THE NIGERIAN PUBLIC SECTOR A PAPER DELIVERED BY

1. CAPACITY BUILDING IN e-LEARNING FOR THE NIGERIAN PUBLIC SECTOR A PAPER DELIVERED BY MR. A. A. PETERS THE DIRECTOR-GENERAL, ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF COLLEGE OF NIGERIA (ASCON)

2. Abstract e-Learning has emerged as an attractive alternative for the content delivery of education, training and development. It has the potential to benefit the public service and the society at large. The advent of internet and multimedia has injected a paradigm shift in education, training and development thereby resulting in easier, flexible, attractive, meaningful and effective content dissemination and assimilation without the constraint of time and location. The paper examines the effectiveness of e-Learning from the perspective of enhancing government operations effectiveness and efficiency.

3. Introduction Governments (federal, state and local) have been undertaking various steps to implement series of reform progammes. It has been widely acknowledged that one of the best ways to accomplish reforms, especially in the public sector, is through capacity building. Scholars postulate that capacity includes education, training and development. Be it education, training or development modern technology has been used to bring certain advantages in the teaching-learning process. The technology used in education environment is referred to as Educational Technology; while the technology used in training, skills acquisition and development is referred to as Information and Communication Technology (ICT). The combination of Educational Technology and Information and Communication Technology gave birth to e-Learning.

4. Concepts Clarification • Capacity Building • Process through which individuals, groups, organisations and societies enhance their ability to identify and address challenges facing them. • Detection and understanding of the obstacles that inhibit realisation of goals and objectives on the one hand; while enhancing the realisation of or removing the obstacles to the realisation of the goals and objectives on the other hand.

5. Concepts Clarification Cont’d • Education • A mean through which the aims, goals and habits of people are sustained from one generation to another. • Provision of knowledge, skills and attitude on a long-term basis, which is fundamental for a given job performance. • Training • Provision of capability, competence and performance. • Provision of knowledge, skills and attitude on a short-term basis, which helps better job performance. • Development • Provision of knowledge, skills and attitude on a short-term basis, which helps growth or progress • Human growth from birth, infantile, childhood, adolescence, adulthood and later life.

6. Historical Development of Capacity Building

7. So, What is e-learning, anyway? • An approach to facilitate and enhance learning by means of personal computers, CD-ROMS, and the Internet. • The use of information and communications technologies (ICTs) to deliver content (learning, knowledge and skills) on a one-way (asynchronous) or two-way basis (synchronous)

8. Building e-Learning in the Public Service PLANNING PHASE Building Phase INTEGRATION PHASE Improvement Phase

9. Planning Phase Development of a team, an assessment of organizational, learner and technological needs and capacity, and the design of an e-Learning model. Planning Phase Integration Phase Building Phase Improvement Phase

10. Building Phase This phase involves the building and programming of the e-Learning solution, including the delivery technology, content and services required to support the e-Learning solution. Planning Phase Building Phase Integration Phase Improvement Phase

11. Integration Phase This phase involves communicating the established, used and measured e-Learning solution to the organization. Planning Phase Building Phase Integration Phase Improvement Phase

12. Improvement Phase This involves the evaluation and improvement of the e-Learning model. The e-Learning project is based on the premise of continuous improvement and the alignment of action and outcome with organizational strategic needs. Planning Phase Building Phase Integration Phase Improvement Phase

13. Benefits of e-Learning • Learning is self-paced and gives individuals a chance to speed up or slow down as necessary • Learning is self-directed, allowing individuals to choose content and tools proper to their differing interests, needs, and skill levels • Accommodates multiple learning styles using a variety of delivery methods geared to different individuals; more effective for certain individuals • Designed around the participant to foster flexibility, individual selection

14. Benefits of e-Learning Cont’d • Geographical barriers are eliminated, opening up broader education options. Learning takes place everywhere and not necessarily in schools • 24/7 accessibility makes scheduling easy and allows a greater number of people to attend classes • Travel time and associated costs (parking, fuel, vehicle maintenance) are reduced or eliminated • Overall individuals costs are frequently less (tuition, residence, food, child care)

15. Benefits of e-Learning Cont’d • Overall individuals costs are frequently less (tuition, residence, food, child care) • Potentially lower costs for companies needing training, and for the providers • Fosters greater individuals interaction and collaboration • Fosters greater individuals/facilitator contact leading to higher retention

16. Benefits of e-Learning Cont’d • Enhances computer and Internet skills thereby fostering global opportunities • Draws upon hundreds of years of established pedagogical principles • Fosters convenience and Portability • Anywhere, anytime, anyone anyhow, whenever. • Just-in-time access to timely information.

17. The Crux of the Matter Capacity Building for government employees and political office holders contributes to building their capacities to create and implement local sustainable policies and management practices and to facilitate the democratisation process. The reality in Nigeria, however, is that targeted training provision that meets the prime civil service needs is still a mirage rather than a reality. Although, e-Learning is seen as a contribution to fill the gap in the current provision of training, certain questions need to be addressed. How is e-Learning being applied to support government administration and service delivery, community access, sector programme development, private initiatives, the overall development of a knowledge society, and the regulatory frameworks and development of standards? How does it contribute to the improvement of management skills, including financial, time, and project management? How can it improve the flow of information at all levels of the economy and the society in line with FOI? What is the status of e-Learning for the public sector in Nigeria? Who are the stakeholders and what are the lessons learnt so far?

18. Capacity Building in e-Learning for the Public Sector • Securing government and top management support • Getting reluctant users interested and engaged with e-Learning • Making e-Learning programme accessible to a wide range of users • Ensuring content ethics and morality • Taking e-Learning to next level with multimedia elements and new technologies • Integrating e-Learning with face-to-face training and create a comprehensive blended learning strategy • Building the business case for investment in e-Learning and save money, time and other resources • Utilisingthe PPP initiative in making e-Learning a success • Putting policy in place that will ensure ICT appreciation and utilization • Utilisingthe mobile system as well as CD-ROM to disseminate training, development and education of the public servants

19. Conclusion For the public service, the main purpose of e-Learning is to support government administration and service delivery, community access, sector programme development, public and private initiatives, the overall development of a knowledge society, and the regulatory frameworks and development of standards and policies. e-Learning is envisaged to contribute to the improvement of management skills, including financial, time, and project management. In addition, e-Learning is believed to have the capacity to improve the flow of information at all levels of the economy and the society in line with FOI.