East Renfrewshire Council

1. East Renfrewshire Council Best Value Training

2. Our plan • Basically sound but new a learning curve • Listen and talk to the staff • Get a feel for learning preferences • Understand insecurities and lack of confidence • Aim for an achievable standard for all staff • Prioritise the support of their training Best Value Training

3. Making it happen!- our hopes • Sold it to the staff telling them how much more marketable they would be ! • Set up a forum so they can talk about and share their training experiences and problems • Hoped to demonstrate quality in materials administration and support • Brought in external speakers for briefings so they understood the big picture Best Value Training

4. The plan • ECDL accreditation as standard • 14 passes 7 well on the way • 30 November • 3 learning centres • 1st People’s Network Library opened Best Value Training

5. Where we wanted to be? • Ready for People’s Network roll out in…. • Right staff ready at the right time. • A training provider who understand how crucial all of this was to us Best Value Training

6. Looking back Our approach was good - all of the feedback and evaluation of the training and delivery was listened to carefully. • “ECDL ok time- consuming ” • “ Advanced and contextual training a waste of a day in their lives” • “Practice/ study time difficult to arrange” • “Materials , co-ordination of receipt of module materials and content poor” …more .We had to listen and act Best Value Training

7. Training support officer- problems • Very poor communication with provider no reply to calls or e-mail • Still no reply even when escalated by Head of Service • Materials arriving after seminars • Poor content • No assessment of our staff’s level of knowledge • General impression of inefficiency and anything will do Best Value Training

8. ……and • Training was aimed too wide at all authorities staff • It took no account of our already very high level of skills and knowledge • One size fits all approach- no consultation on content • Poor value for NOF money and our staff’s valuable time • It was demotivating the staff Best Value Training

9. Tackling the problems • Evaluated carefully not a decision taken lightly • Listed our problems • tried to communicate them to the supplier • No response • Not a decision taken easily but need to ensure quality training and materials • Discussed our problem with Rhona • Rhona discussed with NOF • New methodology discussed with NOF, planned and costed Best Value Training

10. Next steps • Looked at other providers • Took up references from other authorities • Met and interviewed providers • Roadtested new ECDL • costs agreed with new supplier Best Value Training

11. Time for action • Satisfied with alternatives in cost, communication and content • Wrote to provider saying that we did not wish to take up any of the further advanced and contextual training and requested a final invoice Best Value Training

12. Rethink our approach and delivery • Move to a more “seminar style” of training • More regular meetings with supplier • More input intocontent of advanced and contextual roles • Co-ordinated approach? • Continue to monitor and evaluate content • Staff incentives? Best Value Training

13. Changes we have made • New supplier • Hugely improved communication • Better understanding of our staff’s level of expertise • Located closeby • An ECDL package that is individual/ sensitive and can be completed in half the time • Input into the advanced and contextual content Best Value Training

14. If we can share our experiences? • Call us • Visit us • Meet our TSO • Meet staff currently being trained and get their feedback Best Value Training

15. Thank you for listening Best Value Training