A WORKPLACE DESIGNED FOR LEARNING: FROM STRATEGY TO IMPLEMENTATION

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A WORKPLACE DESIGNED FOR LEARNING FROM STRATEGY
TO IMPLEMENTATION
HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT FOR THE PUBLIC SERVICE
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A VISION FOR HRD
A dedicated, responsive and productive Public
Service
BUILDING HUMAN CAPITAL FOR HIGH PERFORMANCE AND
ENHANCED SERVICE DELIVERY
Fostering HEI FETC Partnerships
Mobilization of management support
Utilization of the strategic role of SETAs
Responsiveness to Millennium Development Goals
E-Learning Programmes for the Public Service
Career Planning Talent Management
Values, Ethics Professional Code of Practice
Promoting integrated inter-sectoral approaches
to developmental priorities
A National/Provincial Public Service Academy
Managing Employee Health Wellness
Promoting HR Learning Networks
Capacity Development to promote success of
Industrial Economic Plans
Promoting Learnerships, Internships Traineeships
Ensuring adequacy of Physical Human resources
facilities
Managing Effectiveness of Communication
Development programmes of professional bodies
Promoting appropriate Org. Structure for HRD
Awareness promotion of growth development
initiatives
Fostering Effective Monitoring, Evaluation
Impact Analysis
Leadership Development Management Strategies
Performance Management Development Systems
Integrating NEPAD, AU, Regional Global
Programmes
Managing HRD Policy Planning Frameworks
Guidelines
Integrated ABET Framework
Knowledge Information Management
Workplace Learning Programmes
HR Planning - Supply Demand Management
Strengthening aligning governance roles in HRD
ASGISA, JIPSA, EPWP, PGDP, IDPs
CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVES
ORGANIZATIONAL SUPPORT INITIATIVES
GOVERNANCE INSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVES
ECONOMIC GROWTH DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVES
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4 KEY PILLARS FOR HIGH PERFORMANCE IN THE PUBLIC
SERVICE THROUGH HRD
Responding to needs of designated groups (women
disabilities
Focus on all Performa levels of employment
Building learning communities organizations
Continuity through all spheres of government
Recognizing contextual differences
Maintaining a performance focus
Responding to sectoral differences
Promoting the agenda of development
Cohesiveness Integration
Flexibility and adaptability
10 CORE PRINCIPLES INFORMING IMPLEMENTATIONOF HRD
STRATEGY
LEGISLATIVE FRAMEWORK AS A FOUNDATION
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Pillar 1.1 Workplace Learning

• Strategic Focus
• To strengthen workplace learning interventions
  so that quick gains could be seen in
  organisational performance and in the services
  provided to citizens and stakeholders

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Some key activities of 1.1

• 1.1.1 Guidelines developed for managing and
  evaluating HRD in the workplace
• 1.1.2 Training provided in managing HRD in the
  workplace for HRD practitioners and for line
  managers
• 1.1.3 Guidelines developed for pre and post
  training interventions
• 1.1.4 Common framework and guidelines are in
  place for skills audits, needs assessment and the
  evaluation of the impact of training on workplace
  performance
• 1.1.5 Common frameworks and processes are
  available for managing workplace learning

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What is workplace learning?

• A definition
• learning or training or development undertaken
  in the workplace, usually on the job, including
  on-the-job training under normal operational
  conditions, on-site training which is conducted
  away from the work process (e.g. in a training
  room)

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New way (model) of viewing the challenge

• First focus on PERFORMANCE rather than training
  or even learning new way of viewing HRD
  strategy identify the problem first then
  provide the solution.
• Ask the question Is there value in solving it?
• Smart questions What are we trying to
  accomplish rather than what training does the
  person require

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A model of how processes relate

• A learning performance architecture is a
  systematic integration of approaches (electronic
  non electronic) that facilitates both formal
  informal workplace learning support
  ultimately improved human performance

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Learning and Performance Architecture

• Most learning takes place on the job
• Learning is not training
• Training is incapable on its own of supporting
  all learning needs of employees
• Technology can be used for learning in a powerful
  way
• Learning effectiveness is extremely important in
  the smart organisation, but it does not, in and
  of itself, constitute the ultimate value
  proposition that comes from improved level of
  workforce performance

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• the usual approach to training taking
  employees off-site for intensive training is in
  fact misguided. Such courses tend to work
  against human nature, since they are typically an
  attempt to part knowledge needed to employees in
  one fell swoop , with little attempt to tailor it
  to the specific employees job or learning style
  in order to improve performance.

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• On-the-job training coupled with self-paced
  e-learning online help to deliver personalised
  assistance as required is in fact a more
  effective way of ensuring employees get training
  that is relevant to their jobs in order to
  improve performance.

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• Organisational success (performance) is due to
  the skills knowledge of its workforce
• Due to changing nature of work in a global
  environment means that skills must be
  continuously developed

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Features of creating a learning organisation

• Training is not adequate alone to foster a
  learning organisation
• Open communication style
• Innovative systems/structures
• The role of workplace trainers
• The role of informal learning
• Fostering generic skills
• Applying skills learnt to the work at hand that
  this leads to improved performance and capability
• Networks of learning alliances, partnerships,
  collaborative problem solving
• Creation of learning events

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• Learning in the workplace is not just something
  that happens. It is planned and
• It is part of a wider system
• The manager/supervisor
• The employee
• Trainers
• The Mentors
• The Coaches

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Importance of the workplace

• The workplace is the key site for the development
  of generic skills such as communication,
  problem-solving, teamwork, information technology
  and customer service skills all critical in
  todays workplace.
• EG Encourage employees to reflect on current
  practice within the organisation and to tolerate
  risks.

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• Workplace learning is a deliberate strategy which
  takes into account the work that needs to be done
  and the skills needed to do the work
• Customised training/learning/development for
  individual employees occurs in the workplace
• Quality of training can assist with staff
  retention and in attracting skilled workers

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Challenges

• Line managers increasingly responsible for
  training their staff (Revised Competency
  Framework)
• Increase in the number of workplace trainers,
  coaches and mentors to assist in the process
• While workplace trainers have NB role to play
  often training is delivered by staff who are not
  trained to do so - leading to issues of quality
  relevance of training being delivered
• Issues of these trainers delivering training that
  lies outside the nationally developed competency
  standards within training packages

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The HR Professional (ex Practitioner/Trainer)

• As trainer
• As researcher action research interventionist
  studies of learning in work activities (activity
  theory)
• EG The HR Professional conducting action
  research around the using of the HRD
  Implementation Guide and the process around
  organisational change and attitude change in
  using this Guide in the organisation

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The HR Professional cont.

• Strategy expert
• Work organisation expert
• Employee champion
• Agent of continuous transformation (nor change)
• Staff discharging HRM functions need to be
  specialist
• Staff who play these roles will have to be
• Specialists, advisors, consultants, business
  partners
• Solid understanding of environment in which the
  organisation operates the ability to deliver
  services efficiently

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The ideal workplace learning situation

• Workplace learning is aimed at increasing
  innovative capacity
• Organisational culture supports values
  development learning
• Development learning are a part of doing
  business are included as an integral part of
  strategic planning cycle
• Development is customized to individuals to
  increase work capability (focused use of PDP)

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Considerations

• So think strategically when planning for capacity
  development for your department when working
  with managers from the various
• Is there a need for external programmes or is it
  a workplace learning issue?
• What then is your role to assist the manager to
  realise this requirement?
• Do you as HRD meet with the managers to plan
  capacity development initiatives?
• How do you construct the balance between
  knowledge and skill development in workplace
  learning?

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Key features of LD Plan

• Every position has a learning and development
  plan, with a statement of identified competencies
  (Competency Framework) required training
  programmes to attain them (HR Learning Framework
  July Lekgotla Task 9)
• An internal portal provides easy access to
  information is regularly updated
• Employees are aware of internal opportunities
  the next career steps

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Key features of LD Plan cont.

• The organisation has a comprehensive resource
  library, designed for various learning styles
• There is a well-balanced blend of e-learning
  internal class training, as well as spot
  mentoring
• Partnership with professional bodies assist in
  specialist areas and is context related
• Strong focus on measuring results in terms of the
  PMDS aligned to the Competency Framework
• Strong ME through the SMS PMDS (under PM)
  holding manager accountable
• Measure improved organisational performance
• Link training to job requirements and then career
  progression

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Some workplace learning outputs

• Number of employees receiving workplace
  training/development
• Level of external provision
• Greater level of workplace delivery of training
• Greater use of workplace trainers

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Ways to address the development of a knowledge
management strategy

• One way to address this is to try to make
  knowledge-sharing an integral part of performance
  assessment of staff.
• Another option is to recognise publically the
  staff most active in knowledge-sharing in the
  organisation
• Get more experienced staff to mentor coach the
  younger professionals or provide adequate
  opportunities for senior staff to document
  codify their tacit knowledge

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• Overcome the resistance to change (to knowledge
  management practices to share this knowledge
  through education coaching
• With greater sharing of knowledge, need for
  developing appropriate protocols to handle
  sensitive confidential information.

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Organisational Performance Improvement

• How organisations integrate knowledge-sharing
  strategies, such as communities of practice,
  on-site training sessions, daily or weekly
  debriefings, peer feedback, and formal mentoring
  coaching, into institution-building can
  significantly impact on their overall performance.

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Knowledge is sticky. Without systematic
processes and enablers, it wont move