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From training to learning in the European Commission

Introduction and background


In 2006, some 28,000 staff were employed at the European Commission with the largest number based in Brussels, a heavy concentration in Luxembourg and the remainder across various sites in Europe and beyond. Following the accession of ten new members in 2004 (from Eastern Europe, the Baltic States, and Cyprus and Malta) there are now 25 members and 21 official languages. Staff are drawn in representative proportions from all 25 countries and must be able to communicate in at least two official languages – English and French being the most commonly used. The challenge of training and developing such a diverse group is the subject of a separate case study.

In 2000, major reforms in the internal management of the European Commission were implemented, following the resignation of the Commission in 1999. As a consequence, there was an increased emphasis on good management in general and, in particular, in the importance of people management and development. A number of new personnel policies were introduced, including a new appraisal system. One of the main strands of the reform process was the need for a more coherent strategic framework for human resources. A Commission decision of 7 May 2002 called on the Commission’s Directorate-General for Personnel and Administration (DG ADMIN) to

“Ensure overall coherence of training policy and action in the Commission, identify training needs which are in the interest of the Commission as a whole and designate training actions which have a compulsory character or which are essential prerequisites for certain career steps.”

It is fair to say that, before the 2000 reforms, a limited amount of training activities were in place and they were insufficiently co-ordinated.

The central training function and its challenges


Norman Jardine is Head of the Learning and Development Unit in DG ADMIN. He manages a central team of some 50 people and coordinates the activities of additional training staff in the 40 Directorates-General which comprise the Commission. The client group of learners range from the most senior specialists through to the wide range of administrative and support staff present in any large organisation.

He has identified the following as his global challenge. First are the problems and opportunities based in working in a multilingual, multicultural and multinational organisation. This is the subject of a separate case study.

The second challenge, to an extent compounded by the first, is the sheer complexity of the organisation, the changing agenda and the need to deliver a wide range of initiatives against a date time pressure. There are increasing demands on staff, they travel a lot and can arrive with expectations that working for the Commission will provide them with excellent opportunities, and support for, career development. As a result, there are many positive drivers for the training and learning from staff themselves.

Norman Jardine faces challenges that many training managers in large organisations would recognise. He has to convince line managers who have a widely different range of prior experience and commitment to training, learning and development and different views of its importance. Withdrawal rates from events due to workload pressure can be high

In addition he would like to be in a position to demonstrate more effectively the importance of the training, learning and development effort.

From training to learning


A key element is Norman Jardine’s strategy to shift the balance away from training to learning. Initially, following the reforms of the early 2000s, a target average of 10 days training per year per staff member was set. By 2005, this had been achieved, with an average of 11.5 days per person.

This target has had the effect of gaining awareness and respect of the value of training and integration across the Commission. However, in Norman Jardine’s view there is simply too much "classical" training in place. He wishes to see other forms of learning being supported and a far better relationship between the immediate job task and individual learning. This means

“25% less training, much more activity in teams and a sharper focus on the demands of the job.”

He has illustrated his intentions in practical terms.

From training to learning in the European Commission

A requirement and consequence will be a different approach, skill set and competencies from trainers themselves. One of his intentions for his own team is to create a set of client managers who can build a better relationship with DG ADMIN's service: “If not, we will be seen as the bureaucrats in the middle who make people do things they don’t want to do.” A related challenge is the need to develop better communication channels with the job-holder themselves.

Norman Jardine feels that the shift from training to learning will receive strong support over time since any move to take learning beyond the formal course has been well-received when it has been implemented. In his words part of the reasons for the over-emphasis on formal training has arisen because in the past: “No-one has been brave enough to say we should do things differently.”
 
 
 
 
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