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Case studies

• Retail Learning, Vision and Values at Harvey Nichols
• Learning Sets for Management Development at West Sussex County Council
• Developing Future Leaders at KPMG
• A Shared Learning Programme for Rolls-Royce
• Self-directed learning in an SME: Vestas Blades UK Ltd
• Action Learning through External Projects at KPMG
• Supporting Professional Learning and Development in the Probation Service

Retail Learning, Vision and Values at Harvey Nichols

Background

Harvey Nichols is a well-known retailer of luxury brand goods with a flagship store in Knightsbridge, London and store outlets in Edinburgh, Leeds, Manchester and Birmingham. It also owns two up-market restaurants.

A major project began early in 2003 to embed a set of brand values that had been identified as defining business success. These three brand values:

• We provide a feel good experience
• We are exclusive but accessible
• We provide fashion leadership

reflected the company's approach to customer service. The challenge was to decide how they could be expressed in terms of visible behaviour: the critical question was 'What does it look like when it happens on the shop floor?'. Once this had been determined the development of individual skills could be progressed.

A project team was established to translate these three values into something that would be tangible and of practical value. The project team was made up of the following: staff representatives from each of the individual sites who were considered active customer service champions within the business, a director who acted as the project sponsor and members of the HR team whose role was to steer the project and manage the project plan. The project team members in turn created their own teams within each of their respective sites. In this way, using a mixture of the top-down and bottom-up processes, a set of people values and behaviours were developed. Those associated with the first brand value - we provide a feel-good experience - are set out in the table below.

In addition to the people values and behaviours a number of illustrative 'customer journeys' were prepared to provide specific examples of expectations, barriers and opportunities.

Rolling out the system

In the summer of 2003 launch events were held at every site, to present the values and the associated behaviours. Directors led these events, and actors presented role-plays of desirable (and undesirable) behaviours. Subsequently the department managers (who could be responsible for anything between six and 24 staff) were charged with ensuring that the values were embedded in the company. All department managers attended a one-day 'train the trainer' course and were provided with the necessary tools for team discussions and exercises. Currently the competencies that underpin the performance review system, and the system itself, are being updated to reflect the desirable behaviours identified from the brand values exercise.

The on-going task facing the HR department at Harvey Nichols is to ensure that such behaviours are recognised and reinforced in the context and culture of an up-market retail organisation.

Karen McKibbin, the Training and Development Manager, has explicitly rejected the idea of a generic training course for all sales assistants. A traditional training solution is not considered appropriate. In her view sales assistants will learn best through immediate feedback and personal reinforcement with support from their managers and peers. Input from the small group of Harvey Nichols specialist advisers (the elite sales people who receive additional recognition for their exceptional capabilities) emphasised that it would be wrong to be over-prescriptive on what makes for good customer service; it involves an elusive ability to 'read the customer'. This can be learned, but may not be trainable.

Against this background, in late autumn 2003 Harvey Nichols introduced the Brand Champion Scheme. This was based on immediate recognition and potential reward for people who demonstrate the values. Importantly it was the sales assistants' peer group who were given the responsibility for identifying such examples. All staff were issued with voucher cards, which they could complete when they observed exceptional action in accordance with the values. They would hand these vouchers to the person who had demonstrated this behaviour who would then forward them to HR as evidence of eligibility for designation as a Brand Champion. Such a designation earned one-off rewards.

Linking learning with performance

The challenge now is to create learning opportunities for the less proficient. According to Karen McKibbin these too must be based on immediate peer feedback and manager support. Developing such options is a major current concern for her. Buddying-up staff with a suitable peer is one evident possibility; this is already used in inducting new staff. Harvey Nichols is currently seeking to extend the number of staff who can act as buddies. Another major thrust is to develop the department manager's ability to question in a non-threatening fashion. It is Karen McKibbin's firm view that staff learn on the job and that such learning is inextricably linked with performance.

Learning Sets for Management Development at West Sussex County Council

Background

West Sussex County Council employs some 24,000 people (including part-time staff) to deliver local authority services on the south coast of England. Major business units include: Education and the Arts, Social and Caring Services, Environment and Development, Resources, and a County Secretariat, together with supporting functions to the Chief Executive.

In 2000 the Council launched a new Advanced Management Development Programme (AMDP). This was introduced as a Council-wide programme - staff from all the above business units are eligible. Previously, the Council was buying a range of management development programmes from many different suppliers. The then Chief Executive wanted a different approach which developed integrative working and sharing of ideas within the Council and, in his own words, was in keeping with 'the rhythm of the organisation'.

Selection

Participants on the AMDP are selected through nominations by the business units. Those nominated are invited to a briefing/selection meeting. However, Tony Droar, the Director of the AMDP programme and an internal consultant employed by the Council, stressed that by this stage there is a strong element of self-selection by participants. The style of the programme would not suit everybody. Participants could have had a wide range of years of service with the Council (from five to 30 years). All must have some level of strategic responsibility in their current role; all must be capable of further development. Equally importantly, all must be capable of responding to the mixture of self-managed learning, activity in learning sets and coaching support that forms the basic elements of the programme.

The programme lasts for 18 months and participants are part of a cohort of some 15-20 managers. Six AMDPs have been run over the three-year period, the last two of these are still in progress. A seventh is at the selection stage and will start in January 2005. Recently, another local authority, Slough Borough Council, has sent a small group of participants on the programme, and West Sussex is looking to extend the opportunity to other organisations - particularly those with whom it has close business connections.

Once a participant has been selected he or she will meet with their line manager and one of the programme coaches. The aim at this first meeting is to consider the participant's learning objectives. There will be linked with their development needs identified at the annual performance review, and must also be firmly embedded in the strategic objectives of the business unit and the County Council as a whole. At this preliminary meeting, every effort is taken to ensure that the participants will have the necessary support to complete the programme ? especially time to learn.

Phase 1

The participant then embarks on Phase 1 of the programme, which lasts for six months. Here the cohort is divided into learning sets of some five or six people. A coach, either staff employed by West Sussex, or outside consultants, supports each set. After an introduction to the AMDP, the learning sets will consider the methods of working. An external consultant presents a session on approaches to individual learning - for many involved this will be the first time they will have encountered ideas on the management of learning. The main task in this first phase is for each participant to prepare a personal development plan (PDP). In this document, which can be presented in any appropriate format, the participant must address five questions:

• Where have I been?
• Where am I now?
• Where do I want to be?
• How will I get there?
• How will I know when I am there?

With the help of the learning set, which continues to meet with the coach in support every month, the participant is expected to produce a PDP which is assessed at the end of Phase 1. Tony Droar emphasises that a lot of informal support is available to ensure that a robust and realistic plan is produced.

Phase 2

Phase 2 of the programme, which lasts a year, uses a similar approach. In this phase the participants are expected to have implemented their PDP. In addition to the PDP, participants will also have agreed their strategic project. This must involve objectives and activities that cross the functional boundaries of the Council. Past projects, for example, have involved the participation of elected members in a business excellence initiative, the landscaping of a village centre, and an e-government approach to schools admissions. These projects must be of strategic value to the Council and must encourage the participant to learn from and with others - particularly those in the same learning set.

In Phase 2, as in Phase 1, participants will meet in their learning sets with their coach. In addition each participant can take advantage of £250 personal learning account. This can be spent on any legitimate activity designed to progress the PDP - in the past participants have used this sum to receive soft skills training, and attend conferences and exhibitions.

There is no taught element to the programme. However, the locally based University College Chichester provides accreditation. The participant's PDP is assessed at the end of Phase 1 and the implementation thereof at the end of Phase 2. Their strategic project is also assessed when completed at the end of Phase 2. On completion, a Postgraduate Diploma in Strategic Management is awarded to successful participants.

Looking ahead

The Council's main purpose in introducing the AMDP was the need to develop managerial talent below the level of the Chief Executive's board and those managers who report directly into board members. In addition, the strategic projects produced in the course of the programme are of considerable value. This has led to a desire on the part of the Council to use members of past AMDP cohorts as a resource in considering future strategy. Tony Droar is currently developing an AMDP alumni network and is planning activities in which they will share knowledge in considering a number of important issues on the delivery of County Council services.

Developing Future Leaders at KPMG

Introducing the leadership development programme

KPMG is a leading business advisory firm with over 8,500 staff in the UK and 100,000 worldwide. It offers clients audit, tax and advisory services. Early in 2003 KPMG devised a new leadership development programme, which was launched in July that year. The programme reflects an important succession planning need and a requirement to identify and develop future business leaders. According to Mike Rake, Chairman and UK Senior Partner, the stated aim of the programme is to build 'depth and breadth of leadership and business capability in all our people starting with the exceptional performers'.

The scheme is selective. The number of places is limited to 12-15 per cent of staff at any specified grade and level of experience. Functional heads, in consultation with human resources, nominate participants on the basis of current performance, future potential and motivation. Each element of the programme lasts for about a year. Emerging Leaders' Events are currently in place for partners, senior managers and managers. Importantly, an individual's participation in the programme is reviewed at the end of each year - staff can be selected to join the relevant programme at a later stage in their career and existing participants are not guaranteed a place to participate in future events.

Each one-year programme focuses on one or more of the leadership behaviours identified by KPMG as critical to the business, for example, client relationships, business development, creating impact, leading people and teams, flourishing in a complex environment, and managing and mitigating risk.

Programme events

Each programme begins with a two-day event but KPMG is keen to emphasise that these are not courses. These events have a number of activities centred round the chosen leadership behaviour(s). One event for senior managers, for example, focuses on impact and confidence. A number of pre-event assignments are set which participants undertake in co-operation with their colleagues. These include a business intelligence project and preparation for communication exercises. At the two-day event, participants receive input on relevant topics including precision questioning techniques, influencing and media skills. Importantly, they are placed in action learning sets with other participants - these sets are facilitated initially by an internal learning specialist but will then be managed by participants. They are expected to meet regularly and can draw on external resources - including outside business speakers.

Participants maintain reflection notes over the two days and at the end prepare an individual action plan. They will receive a telephone call three months later from the sponsoring partner who will review their progress against their plan. The emphasis, thereafter, is on self-directed learning with peer group support through the learning set. The latter is important. As Emma Grundy, a Learning and Development Manager at KPMG, puts it:

'It can be difficult to admit weaknesses with subordinates or immediate colleagues but the issues can be safely addressed in a learning set.'

E-learning support

Participants have the full resources of the firm at their disposal. They can access these via learning paths, which are set out explicitly on the corporate intranet. Individuals can obtain a range of e-learning material, books and videos through the intranet. Individual one-to-one coaching support is available from specialists in the functions. Writing skills, for example, can be developed through an e-learning module and by submitting work for feedback and advice. The extra support available to those on the programme is targeted via the intranet too. Much emphasis is placed on the learner's responsibility for his or her own improvement.

Generally, given the nature of the demands of the business, every effort is made to go beyond the training event as a solution. Clients will always come first and withdrawals from the programme can be a problem. But, overall, the programme is gaining momentum as participants see the benefits of the new insights they gain.

A Shared Learning Programme for Rolls-Royce

Company background

Rolls-Royce is one of the UK's largest manufacturing companies and operates in four global markets - civil aerospace, defence aerospace, marine and energy. The company has a broad customer base comprising more than 500 airlines, 4,000 corporate and utility aircraft and helicopter operators, 160 armed forces and more than 2,000 marine customers, including 50 navies. It has energy customers in nearly 120 countries. The success of these products is demonstrated by the company's rapid and substantial gains in market share over recent years.

Rolls-Royce employs around 36,000 people, of which 22,000 are in the UK. Ensuring its people are equipped with the right skills and knowledge is vital to sustaining success. To achieve this the company has devised a professional development framework to indicate the training and learning opportunities available to staff in a number of functional specialisms. This includes human resources where some 500 people are employed in both operational, generalist and specialist roles.

A shared learning programme

In 1999 Rolls-Royce introduced an HR shared learning programme, aimed at developing professionalism in support of Rolls-Royce's HR strategy. The programme is intended for HR professionals, most of whom already have a relevant professional qualification or are in the process of gaining one. If a programme participant had joined Rolls-Royce through their graduation scheme, he or she would now typically be some three to six years into his or her career.

The shared learning programme lasts for approximately one year and usually involves between eight and 12 participants. These are identified through a mixture of expressed interest or nomination by the business. The programme proceeds through a series of modules. Each module usually lasts two days and up to six will be held over the course of the year. The first is an introductory module, which is facilitated by a member of the Rolls-Royce learning and development team. Participants are expected to agree their learning objectives and prepare a plan for the year. They also agree the parameters within which they will work and consider the implication of working as a team.

At the heart of the programme is the requirement that participants prepare a module which will be a significant learning event. A budget is available for this purpose and participants can seek advice from a programme sponsor who will be a senior member of Rolls-Royce's human resources function. The programme sponsor will be heavily involved in the introductory module - thereafter it is for the participants to determine the extent to which they request support or advice.

Hannah Betts, an Employee Development Manager, based in the combustion systems operation at Bristol considers the requirement to organise a learning event for their delegates to be a significant learning experience. The topic must reflect the programme participants' agreed learning objectives, and, as Hannah points out, the need to achieve a consensus means that those identified objectives are often content-rich, rather than focused on individual skills. Typical topics could be 'lean HR', 'organisational change' or 'succession planning and performance management. External speakers and facilitators can be invited to present or participate in the module, which will always include some practical activity.

The HR shared learning programme is best described as the establishment of an on-going learning set with a strong developmental focus. Because the participants are a mixture of generalists and specialists there is much sharing of experience. It is however, firmly anchored in the Rolls-Royce business strategy and develops participants within a professional context.

To date, four separate one-year programmes have been completed and the underlying model for learning has been accepted as valuable. The population eligible for the programme is currently under review to ensure the target group derive maximum benefit from the learning experience.

Nikki Thomas, Career Development Manager in the company's corporate headquarters, shares ongoing responsibilities for maintaining the programme with Hannah and recognises that team-working issues can arise. Participants can request an intervention to assist their move towards developing shared objectives and learning themes. Some programmes struggle to agree the objectives for future modules - an issue which itself enables participants to learn about team dynamics. Evaluation, during the final module demonstrates the benefits to individuals and the company.

Extending the programme

This model for shared learning, developed for HR professionals, has been extended to other disciplines. In 2003 the first shared learning programme for operations managers was introduced. Here the 12 participants were plant managers who are responsible for planning and manufacturing output and in some cases managing more than 700 people. The recognised value of learning from shared experiences was an important factor in successfully establishing this programme.

It was also recognised that people with demanding roles need to have the opportunity to reflect if learning is to be thoroughly absorbed. Rolls-Royce has found that a learning set using this approach offers this 'protected' time for learning.

Self-directed learning in an SME: Vestas Blades UK Ltd

Background

Vestas Wind Systems, a global provider of wind turbine renewable energy technology, owns Vestas Blades UK Ltd, a blade research, development and manufacturer based in the Isle of Wight and Southampton. In 2002 the UK subsidiary set itself some stretching strategic goals. These included: reduce manufacturing times and costs drastically, introduce 24-hour seven-day production, launch three new blade designs into production and increase quality reliability. The company planned to increase the number of employees from 120 people to over 450 in three years and saw learning as playing a key role in developing its capability to achieve the strategic objectives.

Traditional training approaches had been used for technical skills and new starters. But, given the forward agenda, the management team wanted to introduce new approaches for ongoing learning and provide a mix of learning opportunities for its growing number of employees.

The approach to learning

Critically, new approaches had to give ownership of learning to individuals. Learning needed to be continuous, timely and relevant for people whose roles would present new challenges as the business grew. They wanted employees to have choice about what they learned, when and how. A menu of training courses not only seemed unattractive but was also seen to have limited effectiveness in terms of the transfer of learning to the workplace. A requirement of any new approach was that it should motivate employees by serving their own individual learning needs but at the same time meeting those of the business. After due consideration the company chose to use Self-Directed Learning (SDL) groups developed in conjunction with Roger Martin and Russell Devitt of the Acuition consultancy.

Rod Taylor, Vestas HR Manager began by inviting twenty managers to pilot the SDL programme. Those invited included all four members of the senior management team and those who worked closely with them. It was made clear that all those invited, irrespective of level, could say 'no' if they did not genuinely believe the programme would work for them. After nine months the pilot group of 20 recommended that SDL groups be extended to a further 80 people.

The SDL programme began by addressing a common mind-set held by many - 'I'm here and am waiting to be taught.' This was tackled by introducing the concept of personal awareness (via the Myers Briggs Type Indicator) and its relevance to learning and human interaction more generally. Secondly, in conjunction with the Acuition consultants, Rod Taylor developed an inquiry tool to help participants identify their own learning needs. Known as the Needs Analysis Process (NAP) individuals decided the learning goals that would have the greatest benefit to them and their part of the business. The NAP focused attention on the impact the business's strategic and operational objectives had on each participant's current and future level of performance.

Once participants were made aware of the wealth of learning resources available through books or e-learning they chose the learning group they wanted to join. Each group consisted of four people from across the organisation and would meet regularly every six weeks in confidence - serving as a support structure for its members. Such support was critical. The opportunity to talk about how to apply learning in the workplace not only helped group members make sense of the effect their learning had but also supported fellow learners in the group working on the same or similar topics. The frequency of the meeting ensured an individual's learning stayed firmly close to the top of their agenda.

During the first year each group had its own facilitator drawn primarily from Acuition but also from within the company. The facilitator's role was to accelerate the group's capability to learn. The key drivers that affected this capability were seen as the quality of dialogue and levels of trust between participants. Facilitators helped each SDL group member to:

• Articulate clearly the issues they saw as important to their progress.
• Focus more on what is and less on what is not within their sphere of influence and control.
• Identify how their attitudes and subsequent behaviours contribute to successes and difficulties.
• Gauge emotions, ask insightful questions and listen actively.
• Give and receive feedback.
• Use colleagues to achieve specific objectives eg as role players to practise a group or one to one meeting which is due to take place.

The work of the SDL groups was supplemented with workshops delivered by NLP practitioner Sue Knight. These further sharpened people's ability to use precise questioning, listen and give feedback.

Programme effectiveness and results

From the learner's point of view SDL asks them to make a commitment to themselves, their learning group colleagues and the company as a whole. No one missed a learning group meeting. The original SDL groups have now been in existence for over two years. One person out of 99 has dropped out of a group since they began in 2002. Discussions at learning groups are held in confidence, but participants describe their groups as a place to get energised and to reflect on topics they don't discuss with anyone else. They value the new insights they receive about themselves and these make a difference to their confidence and competence to meet the challenges of their jobs. Though conversations in the group can sometimes be challenging they also feel supported by their fellow group members. Many feel they learn as much by helping colleagues in their group as they do from receiving it.

The key to SDL's effectiveness for individuals is the practical changes they make to the way they work. Examples include: better delegation to and development of the work team; more effective buy-in for process improvements and business plans; building more understanding relationships across different departments. In addition, SDL participants feel that they have learnt how to consult and how to get to the root causes of production and other frequently recurring problems. Another issue to have emerged from the SDLs is the exploration of the balance between lives inside and outside work.

The company has learnt a lot. It took the risk of awakening people's deeper desires through SDL. A few engineers left when they realised they were not where they wanted to be. But SDL helped the vast majority of home-grown talent to cope with the demands of leadership. Vestas Blades UK achieved exceptional business results by achieving the strategic objectives it set itself. SDL has become an integral part of its culture and learning is seen as an important part of the psychological contract the company has with its employees. Groups still meet regularly to support each other, unaided by a facilitator. New groups are planned. The challenge now is to engage more front-line production staff in the learning process especially now that a key strategic challenge is to transfer the blade technology developed and built by Vestas UK to other factories around the globe.

Action Learning through External Projects at KPMG

Background

KPMG is a leading business advisory firm with over 9,400 staff in the UK and 100,000 worldwide. It offers clients audit, tax and advisory services.

The UK firm embarked on a new project to prepare managers for the motivation of people in their teams, to embrace diversity and to recognise that people approach problems with different perspectives. Managers were selected to develop new skills by working in teams on an external project in the community.

The participants on the event outlined below are current managers. Many will have joined the firm on graduation and gained a further technical qualification, maybe qualifying as an auditor or tax advisor. They will have typically been working for about 8 years after graduation. They are 'emerging leaders': the top 10 - 15% of a particular year group and their next role will involve managing a large, diverse team of people and moving up to senior manager level.

How to learn

Emma Grundy, KPMG Learning and Development Manager and part of the team responsible for the programme, believes that a project-based approach is more appropriate than the classroom-based course. Classroom training can cover practical steps as well as theoretical knowledge, but the learning only really comes to life when you use it in a real situation. The event outlined here tested participants' skills using a corporate social responsibility project.

Sixty emerging leaders were split into three groups each charged with creating a development day for 40 sixth-form students from schools in Reading. The KPMG learning and development team interviewed teachers, pupils and other stakeholders to prepare the way. It was then up to emerging leaders to work with facilitators, conduct a training needs analysis, design and deliver.

Students from different schools and backgrounds wanted sessions on topics such as:

• Self-esteem
• Problem-solving
• Interviewing
• Team working
• Making an impact

The event began with two days of planning, where the brief was explained, participants presented their training needs analysis and their outline for the development day and the subsequent review day. The learning and development team covered topics such as 'learning styles', 'coaching young people' and 'managing virtual teams' to help the teams focus their thoughts. At the end of the two days, each group had a plan of how they were going to pull their design together ready for the arrival of the sixth-formers in two months' time.

The next stage involved action learning in sets. In the intervening two months participants were required to:

• Focus on the needs of the students, not the teachers
• Project manage the exercise
• Design a programme that met those needs
• Market it at the school, for example, by addressing the school assembly
• Organise enrolments. They needed to have 40 delegates for their event but each school had more than 40 students in the relevant year group
• Liaise with caterers
• Organise transport to get the students to and from the event

Different groups adopted different approaches. One group working with an all-boys school realised the importance of combining mental activity with physical; they chose a rocket-launching exercise, where students had to complete certain exercises to allow them to buy apparatus for building a rocket-launcher. The team that sent their rocket furthest won. Other groups incorporated sessions on career planning, interview techniques and team building. However, each group delivered an event that met user requirements and the feedback was positive from all the students. KPMG received feedback after the event last year from the teachers, who said there was such a buzz on the coaches on the way home - unlike anything they'd seen on previous 'corporate' events. KPMG participants commented that 'It was good to see the firm prepared to make this investment in development - also a courageous idea' and 'A real step into the unknown, a refreshing change of environment and rewarding to see the kids getting involved, having excellent ideas'.

In 2005, KPMG is working with the same schools - all are keen to repeat their involvement. Other schools are interested, so the project could expand.

What did participants learn?

The purpose of the event was to challenge the KPMG staff and draw out the learning to turn it into positive experiences to take back to the workplace.

People felt more motivated when they were involved in the project. Sharing how they felt led to a lot of honesty amongst the teams as they broached issues such as whether or not they had let their team down or taken more/less of the burden during the action learning stage on themselves. In particular, the review revealed that all participants had been able to:

• Identify the specific skills they would require as senior managers.
• Practise these skills in a non-work environment and receive feedback.
• Stretch themselves and move out of their own comfort zone.
• Achieve learning through the use of a real, practical community project.

They had achieved these advances because the process required them to:

• Self-manage their teams
• Recognise that, in some cases, leaders just emerged
• Allocate the tasks fairly amongst themselves
• Take responsibility
• Stick to their schedule and hit the critical points

Most importantly participants realised that 'the more you put in, the more you get out'. As managers they learnt that they need to engage people more to ensure that project outputs are reached. This has also been true in the ongoing learning sets. Those who took the process seriously have asked for input from learning and development professionals into sessions and the budget to allow them to invite speakers/complete diagnostics because they want to develop themselves further.

Constraints and limitations of the approach

This project-based approach to action learning is complex and difficult to manage. KPMG's learning and development team identified a number of issues that needed to be considered to ensure that student needs were met and KPMG staff enjoyed a good learning experience. These include time pressure, bonding between team members, time for face-to-face contact due to geographical spread, applying the learning to their daily roles and ensuring participants stretched themselves and worked on their development needs.

Some conclusions

Emma Grundy emphasises that good action learning can be hard to achieve. To be successful it must:

• Aim to bring about personal and organisational change
• Be based in a real project connected to the business' objectives
• Receive high-level sponsorship
• Push participants out of their own comfort zones
• Be supported by good facilitation to relate the learning back to the workplace
• Offer participants a memorable experience

All these require commitment and resources. But, in Emma Grundy's words:

"Under the right circumstances action learning based on an external project can be very effective. Participants have to consolidate all their skills and produce tangible results, but once they know they can do it, they can embed the learning elsewhere".

Supporting Professional Learning and Development in the Probation Service

Background and content

The National Probation Service (NPS) is a high-profile public sector organisation charged with:

• protecting the public from the effects of crime
• rehabilitating offenders
• working with offenders to reduce re-offending
• working with victims to minimise the impact of crime.

Probation staff manage a diverse range of offenders throughout sentences imposed by the Courts. They work with other statutory and voluntary agencies with the aim of reducing offending

Given the importance and profile of this role, the training of professional staff is given a high priority. Resources are committed to ensuring that new entrants, Trainee Probation Officers (TPOs), receive the support and direction they need to achieve full operational status. Nine Regional Training Consortia across England and Wales manage the arrangements for qualifying training. The licence to practice is known as the Diploma in Probation Studies. A TPO must acquire a wide range of knowledge and experience to become fully effective. The National Core Curriculum defines the point of competence upon qualification. Continuous professional development builds on this.

In 2005, 500 TPOs will be recruited nationally. Some 55 of them are allocated to the North West Training Consortium - an organisation created and supported by the five probation areas of the North West to pool resources for various learning and development purposes. The Diploma in Probation Studies programme is of two years duration with the core curriculum determined by national requirements. It combines a degree in Community Justice Studies and a level 4 NVQ in Community Justice.

In the North West, as elsewhere, TPOs will be based in offices which will range in size and in the problems they encounter. Also TPOs may have significantly different prior experience. The training offered to them must therefore be flexible and tailored to their individual needs. Top-down training based on a single menu of interventions would be both inefficient and inappropriate.

Julia Summerfield, the Regional Development and Assessment Centre Manager, says, "TPOs are a diverse group in terms of background, educational and life experiences. The success of the programme depends on our ability to both understand and respond to individual needs in a way which enhances their learning experience. Ultimately this will benefit the diverse communities we serve."

The challenge for the North West Consortium is to lead a regional team of Practice Development Assessors (PDAs), who are geographically dispersed and who work independently. Achieving organisational objectives in this specific context required a response which enhances the development of staff and integrates this with the core business.

The Role of the Practice Development Assessors

In the North West PDAs are recruited from qualified and experienced probation staff. They will be in post for a maximum of four years and are then expected to return to a mainstream role; many of them on return are promoted to a more managerial position.

Their current role is to assist TPO by assessing, delivering, managing and supporting the TPOs individual learning. This process is designed to ensure that the TPOs make progress in their degree, NVQ and achieve the Diploma in the time-scale. However, what is equally important is supporting and encouraging candidates in their work context. The first three elements in their job description state that this will be achieved by:

• meeting regularly with candidates in a coaching and mentoring and practice development role
• reviewing and exchanging information with candidates and their line managers in respect of the assessment of candidates progress
• enabling and supporting the candidate to relate and link theory and research into practice

The PDAs must fulfil their responsibilities not through directive training but by taking steps to ensure that trainee learning is maximised. How this is reflected in PDA training is considered in the section below. What is important to note, however, is that the effectiveness of the probation service depends on a shared ethos of learning. This has been achieved through developing a clear understanding of how people learn and is supported by access to a wide body of professional knowledge.

PDA Training and Development

Given the selection criteria, a newly appointed PDA can be expected to know a lot about the demands of probation practice. But they are unlikely to know any more about learning and training practice than that which would be acquired in any professional role. They need to be brought up to speed very quickly as people who award qualifications to TPOs and confirm transition to qualified status.

As Julia Summerfield puts it: "In developing PDAs we must model that approach to learning that we desire to see throughout the organisation. They must contribute their knowledge to the organisation and assist each other".

PDAs can take up their position at different times of the year - there is not a single cohort entry at a fixed stage of the year. One of the first tasks with a new PDA is to manage what can be described as the "emotional transition". According to Chris Davidson, Programme Coordinator, the PDAs will be regarded as the expert by the trainees and "they need to have the confidence to say 'I don't know' and then model the learning required".

The first formal element in the development process is the two one day induction workshops in which a small group of recently appointed PDAs are brought together. One workshop concentrates on the organisational context in which the PDAs operate and the second concentrates on the role and process of NVQ assessment.

Thereafter and throughout, PDAs are expected to be proactive in managing their own learning. They will attend any regionally organised communication and training events. In addition they are expected to participate in a learning programme, which develops them over their training period, and focuses in turn on the following key elements of their role:

• how adults learn
• learning styles and intelligence
• coaching and mentoring
• accelerated learning
• the learning mind
• informal learning
• managing work-based learning
• evaluating learning

Organisationally, the PDAs are supported in the achievement of their own qualifications: the Assessors Award (A1) and an NVQ in Learning and Development. Each individual has a clear set of personal learning objectives incorporated into the appraisal process.

The North West Training Consortium is seeking to develop collaborative e-learning activity and have established a "Grouptalk" facility on the internet. PDAs and managers are encouraged to discuss the learning set topics using this facility. So far, however, the impact has been limited. This e-enabled approach to shared learning is an area where the Consortium is proceeding gradually rather than by a high profile initiative

Independent consultant Charlie Watson has helped the North West Consortium to develop this programme and produce learning materials. He has advised and assisted the setting up of facilitated learning sets (action learning is the term used in the organisation). Following evaluation, further materials are commissioned from Charlie and it is the aim to create an e-learning resource. This will embed this learning as part of organisational culture and offers potential for wider applicability.

This was produced on behalf of the CIPD by the University of Cambridge, Programme for industry.