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Many U.S. federal agencies, offices, or programs offer
training to staff or clients. This training may be sponsored
by agency staff, but often is delivered by contractors-sometimes
multiple contractors. Additionally, today's world of
training embraces many different media, including classroom
learning, Web casts, on-line training, satellite broadcasts,
and conferences.
With so many formats and sources of training delivery,
it is no wonder that many federal agency clients are
confused about where and how to get information. One
solution can be to create a training institute. A training
institute serves as an umbrella to capture the various
types of training being offered by a particular office.
It offers a "one-stop shop" for clients to
find out about training course content, delivery locations,
and registration.
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This article was published in the Winter
2003/2004 issue of Perspectives.
Please refer to our Terms
of Use policy regarding acceptable use of
content on the ICF International Web site.
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 How
does a training institute typically work? A federal agency
or program office determines how it wants to reach its clients
and either assigns staff or contracts with an entity to serve
as the central organizer for the process. This staff or contractor
then administers the institute in coordination with other
agency staff or contractors.
Institutes are usually administered via the Web and are hosted
on the agency's Web site, although they may have links to
various contractor Web sites. To the client, the process is
seamless, even though the actual training products may be
delivered by varying agency offices or contractors. This,
in turn, allows the client staff to make informed decisions
about where, when, and how they want to obtain training.
ICF International has helped a variety of clients develop training
institutes, most notably the U.S. Department of Housing and
Urban Development's Community Planning and Development Training
Institute and the Office of Native American Programs Training
Institute.
For each of these, ICF International developed an interactive
training delivery information/registration Web site including
a comprehensive image for the Web site as well as training
materials. Developing dozens of training manuals and on-line
training materials ranging from the basic to highly interactive,
and delivering hundreds of training sessions has garnered
some best practices in the area.
Some of the key tips to developing a successful training
institute include the following:
Develop a consistent look and feel.
Before designing the Web site or writing the training manuals,
decide what image will be conveyed throughout the training.
Develop a graphic look that matches this image, and then carry
this throughout all the products. The Web site and the cover
of all training manuals reflect this image, regardless of
which contractor developed the product. All classroom or Web-based
learning products and any marketing materials or informational
brochures carry the same theme.
Determine the information format needs.
In some client communities, Internet access is lacking or
slow (particularly in rural or low-income communities). The
training institute information also may need to be shared
via other mechanisms such as written newsletters or updates.
Other clients may want to be able to contact the agency with
questions, so ensure that the institute has an e-mail address
and a telephone "hot line."
Establish a set of standard procedures.
To ensure that products and deliveries are consistent across
staff and contractors, develop a set of written procedures
for accomplishing the training. Some questions to consider
include the following: How often will a particular class be
taught? Whose job is it to update the Web site with new information?
Who will respond to voice mail or e-mail questions?
Ensure that all products meet accessibility
requirements.
All training materials and the Web site need to be accessible
to persons with disabilities, including those with visual,
auditory, or mobility challenges. Develop a checklist to ensure
that all meeting rooms are accessible under the Americans
with Disabilities Act (ADA), and be sure that training materials
are available in large print if needed. Also be sure to offer
Telecommunications Display Device (TDD) access and to have
a mechanism that allows clients to communicate should they
need other adaptive formats.
Learn more about ICF International's training
institute capabilities.
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