2.+Analyse

Please add any essential elements or ideas in bullet form to the various sub-sections of the proposed "Analyse" chapter. These may include questions you would like to see answered or issues that should be addressed within each section.

Suggestions to the structure or possible resources are welcomed in the discussion space and table at the bottom of the page.

2.1 Understanding content suitability

 * The closer we can bring [MfDR] to participants’ daily working realities, the more successful the event!

2.2 Identifying audiences

 * Understanding the target audience seems to be an essential entry point from the learning design perspective. Train4Dev members working on JLE must remember to examine not only, their staff and that of other members, but also incorporate considerations from the local partners that will participate. Here then, it becomes necessary to identify possible participants early and remain flexible during the design to ensure that even last minute participation changes can be accounted for. This should go beyond capacity needs to include learning styles, etc. whenever possible.
 * This phase can also be used to generate some promotion and excitment for the learning process. Ensure that the target audience is adequately appreciated to create a program that is more demand driven, than enforced from the supply side.
 * Ensuring that assessments are conducted within the right group of people is essential to their accuracy. Disproportionate representation will adversely effective the results and potentially disrupt the design stage. In the context of conducting effective meetings, Marvin Weisbord and Sandra Janoff ( “Don’t Just Do Something, Stand There! – Ten Principles for Leading Meetings That Matter” Marvin Ross Weisbord and Sandra Janoff, Berrett-Koehler Publishers, 2007) developed a formula for deciding which actors must be involved in any given event. The “ARE IN” approach outlines all of the actors to consider for steering committees and sample groups. Although, the complete picture may not always to appropriate in the context of ITC ILO courses, it is a starting point.(Reference, ITC ILO "The Compass")


 * A || Authority (decision-making and implementation power) ||
 * R || Resources (allocation of human and financial contributions) ||
 * E || Expertise or Experience (recognized competencies) ||
 * I || Information or Insight (knowledge of subject details ||
 * N || Need (directly affected by processes or subject outcomes) ||
 * I || Information or Insight (knowledge of subject details ||
 * N || Need (directly affected by processes or subject outcomes) ||

2.3 Establishing an enabling environment

 * Assessment logistical issues, such as internet speed and location security should also be examined early. This will help design the agenda later on (see design for topics such as Study visits and blended learning)
 * Take note of the environmental factors and additional considerations that come out in the assessment phase. These will be important when considering the enabling environment and in transforming training into capacity development processes. Policy, or personal issues, for example should not be disregarding simply because they are outside of the immediate training realm. Here, using positive pressures and not simply gaps will be essential to understand and utilize in the later stages.
 * KM as defined by SDC ("A concious strategy aimed at getting the right knowledge to the right people at the right time, and helping people share and put information into action in ways that strive to improve organisational performance. KM needs to focus on creating a culture of knowledge sharing and learning." Resources) can be assessed based on some questions outlined by SDC in their pamphlet: Knowledge management in practice: the five principles:
 * 1) What is already in place?
 * 2) What is still missing?
 * 3) What should be done?
 * 4) Who is responsible for what?
 * 5) CoPs and other approaches to foster an organizational level impact must be considered from the beginning (planning KS/KM priorities, analysing challenges and opportunities, desiging appraoches, implementation the strategies and evaluating the outcomes). KS ideally takes place within the participants, across colleagues, institutions and the Train4Dev network between subgroups. How can these considerations be organically integrated throughout a guide with a divisive structure?

2.4 Assessing learning needs
> In the realm of international development, new policies, laws and recommendations are constantly altering the approaches to business, and learning activities must develop accordingly. Participants in ITC ILO activities come from a diverse range of backgrounds and learning at the international, regional and sector level is often necessary. It is essential to remain up-to-date on key developments for the design of effective learning programmes. Custom LNA answer can be collected over several activities and analysed together on a larger scale to determine trends and respond accordingly. > Learning needs that arise within organizations, unions and departments should be addressed on a collective basis where ever possible, and always in consideration of the known macro level factors. The LNA should be designed to capture crucial information such as the working context and possible influences within the organization once the participant returns to apply the lessons learned. > ITC ILO activities typically target individuals, but this has proven effective when several key actors from one organization participate together, or when courses are custom designed for specific target groups. > Two key questions should always be considered to connect individual participants with their organization’s learning needs: > Micro, or individual analysis identifies specific learning needs for an individual or group of individuals so the learning activity can be tailored to meet those needs. This analysis focuses on individuals, their current competencies in terms of knowledge, skills and attitudes and the ones they need or wish to acquire. Questions should cover the following parameters:
 * The following is derived from the ITC-ILO "Compass" internal staff development guide.
 * What to look for: The first step is to identify the capacity gaps (shortfalls, weaknesses) within a given context at the geographical level (regional, sector wide, etc.), at the organisational level (functional, professional, etc.) and/or at the individual level. The following questions outline some areas to investigate in order to determine where learning interventions will be most effective:
 * Problems or deficits: Are there problems in the organization and/or the country which might be solved by learning activities?
 * Imminent changes: Are there problems which do not currently exist but are predicted due to upcoming changes, such as new processes, new laws or conventions?
 * Opportunities: How can the organizational strengths be utilized in a proactive approach to reach new goals or objectives, or implement new strategies?
 * Mandated training: Are there policies which might dictate the implementation of some program? Are there governmental mandates that must be adhered to?
 * Designing and learning needs analysis: The Learning needs analysis (LNA) is a method of identifying and qualifying gaps between existing competencies (knowledge, skills and attitudes) and those that are needed for the sector, organization or individual to function effectively. Conducting a LNA will allow:
 * Specifically targeted activity design
 * Contextualized learning content and resources
 * Identification and prioritization of learning objectives
 * More efficient allocation of resources
 * Macro learning needs
 * Meso learning needs
 * 1) What are the organizational needs driving this training activity?
 * 2) What are the goals and objectives of the activity?
 * Micro learning needs
 * 1) What are the individual goals and objectives (in terms of knowledge, skills and attitudes) for this learning activity?
 * 2) What is the profile of the target group, including existing competencies (knowledge, skills and attitudes)? (See outline in Annex )
 * 3) What are the competencies participants should acquire through the learning activity based on their individual goals as well as on the organizational goals?
 * 4) What is the gap or difference between the current profile and the desired profile?
 * Possible competencies needed from a project manager may include:
 * Knowledge elements covering the nature of the projects managed, techniques of project management and the system used to manage projects.
 * Advanced skills in dealing with other people, managing the project team and influencing important stakeholders.
 * Attitudinal requirements such as attention to detail and the persistence to overcome obstacles and see the project through.

2.5 Evaluating learning styles
> >
 * Profile of an adult learner (ITC-ILO internal resource)
 * Characteristics and behaviours of adult learners may include:
 * Internal motivation
 * Eager to learn and develop (making up for lost time, incentives)
 * Goal directed
 * Active or passive learners depending on personality (introvert vs extrovert)
 * Independent
 * Self-responsible
 * Self-disciplined
 * Varied expectations
 * Vulnerable
 * Critical/challenging about content and presentation
 * More established emotional framework and way of seeing the world (attitudes, assumptions, values)
 * Fear of unknown
 * Fear of change/conservative
 * Fear of making a fool of self – more considered and less spontaneous
 * Need to be stimulated
 * Need to know where going
 * Concerned about application of content
 * Sharing of experiences
 * Integrate with others’ experiences i.e. be able to relate to others’ experience even if not experienced exactly the same thing
 * Mature
 * Competitive
 * Develop own impressions
 * Reflective
 * Evasive
 * More heavily impacted on by external stressors i.e. come into training with concerns about work issues, financial or family problems
 * Longer attention span but more selective about what give attention to – want to see value/purpose of the learning
 * The different ways people learn and why it matters (ITC-ILO internal resource)
 * The ‘Creator’ (Diverging style)
 * Their strengths are absorbing information through concrete experience and processing it through powers of observation. Their imaginative ability enables you to generate many alternative ideas. They love brainstorming and are interested in people, as well as very feeling- oriented.
 * They can become overwhelmed by alternatives and indecisiveness. They must make an effort not to prioritize urgent challenges above important challenges, or treat mere symptoms as challenges.
 * The ‘Planner’ (Assimilating style)
 * They have the ability to perceive new information abstractly and process disparate observations into integrated rational explanations. They are good at inductive reasoning and the creation of models and theories. These systematic planners are great goal setters.
 * Their style often overlooks the practical implications. Be aware of the danger of engaging in premature discussions of solutions and ensure that critical facts are known.
 * The ‘Decision maker’ (Converging style)
 * They are able to take in new information in the abstract and process it into concrete solutions. They use hypothetical deductive reasoning to arrive at a single best solution to a question or problem. Their great strength is the ability to solve problems and make decisions.
 * They can be hasty or define problems prematurely. They must be encouraged to avoid narrowing their focus early on or creating unproductive conflict and competition.
 * The ‘Do-er’ (Accommodating style)
 * They are able to understand new information clearly and transform it actively. They have the ability to adapt to changing circumstances. Their strengths are doing things, carrying out plans and tasks and getting involved in new experiences. They are more likely to want to learn and work with others, and are comfortable learning through practical experience.
 * They can be seen as ‘pushy’ and impatient. They may spend a lot of time making trivial improvements or taking the wrong action. They must seek to win commitment from the rest of the team before taking action.

//Comments and suggestions//
include component="comments" page="1. Plan" limit="15"

//Possible resources//

 * Title (Full name) || Author (Organization) || Link (Contact details) ||

1. Plan 3. Design 4. Develop 5. Implement 6. Evaluate