5.    THE STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION OF THE NEW SYSTEM

The section below provides conceptual and operational elements of the new staff development and training system proposed by the BRC.  When appropriate a rational is provided to give the logic behind certain recommendations. 

The Name

The name of the new system will be the Personal and Organizational Development System (PODS).  Each word in the name was carefully selected after much debate and consideration by members of the BRC.  The word “Personal” was selected and placed first in the title to communicate the importance which NCCE places on the individual and for using a holistic or whole person approach to staff development and training.  “Organizational” was selected  to indicate that this new system must focus on organizational development, change and growth as well as individual change and growth.  Using the two words, “Personal” and “Organizational” together indicates that the individual and the organization comprise system and that people and the organization must grow and develop concurrently.  Obviously, the word “Development”  indicates that change and growth are the ultimate ends of the system.  Use of “System” indicates connectedness, a composite of many parts, all working together as well as a high level of sophistication in both the concept and operation. 

Mission

The mission of the Personal and Organizational Development System (PODS) is to ensure excellence in North Carolina Cooperative Extension through individual and organizational growth. 

This mission identifies the core purpose of the system, identifying the end product to be ensuring excellence, and the growth and development of the individual and the organization as the means to ensure excellence.

Philosophy

1.      PODS is designed to build the capacity of NCCE to better serve its customers.

2.      Employees and volunteers are our most valuable assets; training and development add value to those assets.

3.      A strong commitment to life-long learning must be reflected in every aspect of the organization. 

This philosophy is based upon what BRC members judge to be essential core values of the organization.   These include our commitment to a strong customer focus, our emphasis on employee and volunteer development, and our firm belief that life-long learning and the application of knowledge can improve the quality of life.

Guiding Principles

The principles below were developed to guide the work of the BRC as it went about completion of its charge.  These same principles are proposed as the master set of system rules as PODS is developed, implemented, evaluated, and refined in the future.

1.      PODS contributes directly to the vision, mission and goals of NCCE.

2.      PODS is competency-based; and competencies include technical, conceptual, interpersonal skills, and observable behaviors.

3.      Individuals are responsible for their own growth and development in a learner- focused system.

4.      The organization provides an environment that supports learning opportunities and growth for all employees and volunteers.

5.      Learning is a continuous and interactive process.

6.      PODS is a dynamic and flexible system that adjusts and renews itself in response to internal and external forces.

7.      PODS recognizes that individuals enter NCCE with varying levels of competencies; and they progress and develop mentally as long as they are associated with the organization.

A Competency-Based Approach

As it carried out its charge, the commission functioned as a learning community with members becoming experts in state-of-the-art of staff development in training.  The analysis of data collected from stakeholders, consultation with experts, and analysis of staff development and training in the corporate world, as well as public agencies, led the commission to identify competency- based staff development and training as a conceptual framework for the development and operation of staff development and training in NCCE.   Competencies are defined as:  the basic knowledge, attitudes, skills and observable behaviors that lead to excellence in the work place.

Facing an environment of increased accountability, NCCE must become better, faster and more efficient in responding to the needs of its customers.  Competency models are a vehicle for moving NCCE forward into the new millennium.  The competency-based model approach can create an infrastructure that promotes innovation and continuous learning in every dimension of the organization.  Competency models are designed around the skills individuals and groups need to be effective now and in the future.   These competencies are tied directly to the mission and strategic issues of the organization.  Some of the advantages of competency models are listed below:

1.        Competency models are highly participatory.  This will enable extension employees and volunteers to identify the knowledge skills and behaviors that they will need to be effective in their jobs. 

2.        Competency models are powerful decision making tools.  NCCE can clarify the knowledge skills and behaviors needed for success in the future.  These competencies can serve as a foundation on which to build employee and volunteer recruiting, training, professional and career tracking.

3.        Competencies enable individuals as well as staff development leaders to be forward thinking.  They can anticipate and recommend appropriate competency development to ensure that educational program design and delivery is state- of-the-art for NCCE.

4.        A competency model is holistic and systematic.  This allows for an integrated approach to selection, training, development and rewarding extension employees and volunteers.

5.        Competency models are cost effective.  They allow training to focus on the critical needs of the individual and the organization.  Competencies are a way to identify what really makes a difference in job performance.  They are the characteristics that achieve excellence.  When individuals can identify what is expected in terms of behaviors on the job, then they can do their job much better. 

6.        Through using competency-based tools and applications, we can establish congruence between the organizational vision of Extension in the future, the organizational goals we must achieve to reach that future and the competencies which individuals and groups must master in order to achieve the goals.

Goals of the New System

1.        To enable the recruiting, hiring, training, evaluating and supporting of creative, motivated, innovative faculty, staff and volunteers.

2.        To provide learning opportunities that are responsive, accessible, applicable and competency-based.

3.        To encourage collaborative learning.

4.        To empower individuals to pursue their own career goals and professional growth.

5.        To enhance customer focus and organizational effectiveness.

6.        To build individual and group accountability. 

7.        To build organizational commitment for a sustained learning system.

8.        To continuously assess, monitor, validate and refine competencies needed for individual and organizational excellence.

Development of the Core Competencies

After a study of a variety of organizations and agencies it was concluded that the number of core competencies should be limited to a range of five to ten core competencies.  By analyzing all the data collected through 360 degree feedback, through consultation with experts and through examination of peer institutions and other organizations, the commission compiled a list of seven core competencies. 

These were defined and refined through several group process activities.  To further verify or refine the competencies, it was decided to invite an adjunct group of 35 NCCE employees and volunteers to join the BRC in a summit conference on core competencies in NCCE.  This conference would also serve to introduce the competency-based staff development and training model to others in the organization. 

Approximately five representatives from each job group were carefully identified to join the BRC for a two-day summit conference.  During this summit, each group used a variety of continuous quality improvement and group process techniques to determine competencies and to develop sub competencies and levels of competence that would best reflect the essential knowledge, skills and behaviors that were essential for excellence within the job area.

The following seven core competencies were identified by the BRC, verified by the adjunct group at the summit conference, as critical to the successful performance of all NCCE employees and volunteers:

1.        Knowledge of the Organization – an understanding of the history, philosophy and contemporary nature of NCCE.

2.        Technical Subject Matter Expertise – the mastery of a scientific discipline, a research body of knowledge, or a technical proficiency that enhances individual and organizational effectiveness.

3.        Programming – the ability to plan, design, implement, evaluate and account for significant extension education programs that improve the quality of life for NCCE customers.

4.        Professionalism – the demonstration of behaviors that reflect high levels of performance, a strong work ethic, a commitment to continuing education and to the mission, vision, and goals of NCCE.

5.        Communications – the ability to effectively transfer and receive information.

6.        Human Relations – the ability to successfully interact with diverse individuals and groups creating effective partnerships, networks, and dynamic human systems.

7.        Leadership – the ability to positively influence a wide range of diverse individuals and groups.

For each of the core competencies, job group sub-competencies were developed for agents, specialists, administrators, support staff (secretaries, bookkeepers, etc.), volunteers,  and program assistants/associates/technicians.  Three levels of performance or proficiency were developed for each sub-competency.

In Appendix A, the work done by the BRC and the adjunct BRC members at the summit is attached.  This work is presented as the first step of the continuing development process of a set of core competencies, sub-competencies and proficiencies for each of the major job groups within NCCE.   It is in no way proposed as a final work.  As PODS is put into place, one of the first things that must be done is the continued development of this set of competencies and verification by additional members of the organization including volunteers, advisory leadership system members and internal and external stakeholders.   Recently, input from county extension faculty and staff has been ongoing and has been very helpful.  Among those counties involved to date in verifying and proposing refinements are:  Wilkes, Burke, Davidson, and Lincoln.

Personal Competency Assessment Process

The development of a personal competency assessment process should begin immediately and be congruent with the further development and refining of competencies.  The following guidelines are proposed in the development and implementation of the competency assessment process:

1.        It must be stressed that this assessment is not a performance appraisal process.  

2.        Instruments developed as assessment tools must be pilot tested.  These instruments must be made reliable and valid through field research. 

3.        The process is a collaborative assessment.  Each individual will have an assessment team.  The assessment team should be composed of the individual, the immediate supervisor and one peer (preferably from outside the unit).

4.        If the staff member is a new employee or volunteer, the assessment team should meet at least four times during the first year and annually after that.

5.        The assessment tool should provide a measure of each proficiency identified within the sub competency.

6.        A Likert type instrument is recommended.

7.        The assessment should ultimately be a web driven interactive system that assess the levels of competence.  It will identify training options for growth and development to a higher level.  (A model currently used by the Zerox Company is an appropriate prototype).

Above all it should be stressed to the assessment team that  competencies, sub-competencies and proficiencies are not “set in concrete,” but represent the best available information on knowledge, skills and demonstrable behaviors essential to excellent performance on the job.

Career Tracks

            When the competency-based Personal and Organizational Development System (PODS) is fully developed, it will provide career tracks for employees and volunteers within NCCE.  For example, for employees who are program assistants/associates beginning at the entry level, (Level I – Proficiencies) can determine the knowledge, skills, attitudes and behaviors that they must master in order to progress to Level II and III proficiencies; or if they enter the system with Level 1 competencies, they can begin building at Level II and III.  Moreover, if Extension assistants/associates have a career goal to become Extension agents, they can determine the appropriate competencies along with suggested learning options  for entering the agent job group.  Another example would be Extension agents who wish to become County Extension Directors.  These individuals can ascertain the kinds of knowledge, skills, attitudes, and behaviors needed by these county level administrators.  A progression of competencies and proficiencies would be available with suggested learning options for progressing to the County Extension Director position.  (As a side note, a number of county field faculty that have reviewed the proposed set of competencies, and several have concluded that these competencies comprise a logical career track for each of the positions.)  Other qualifications for inclusion in a career track such as work experience and educational credentials will also be developed by the PODS faculty and staff.

The Professional Development Plan

            Each employee will annually complete a professional development plan.  This plan will be based on the competency assessment in consultation with the personal assessment team that includes the immediate supervisor and a peer.  The plan will identify learning goals and learning options for achieving those goals.  A longer range career development plan will also be developed for employees who have completed their orientation training and are ready to select long term career goals.  The process will be based on self-assessment with assistance from career counselors in PODS.  The career development process will use proficiency assessment and other tools to reflect upon individual professional assets and aspirations.  The professional development plan and the career development plan will be largely self-directed with the individual initiating and assuming personal responsibility for the accomplishment of personal and professional goals.  There will be assistance and support from the organization.

The Use of Information Technology in PODS

Why use Technology-Mediated Training

Technology-Mediated Training (TMT) is any learning experience taking place using learning infrastructures (LIs) supported by technology that result in a change in an individual’s knowledge, attitude, skills, or behavior.  While traditional approaches using classrooms and face-to-face instruction are still valued and have a strategic role in NCCE, technology mediated training will play a critical role in the Personal and Organizational Development System due to the ability of TMT systems to:

• Provide flexibility in where and when a participant can learn.
• Allow for the learner to initiate the learning on demand.
• Be scaled to reach large numbers of individuals.
• Be more cost effective.

Learning Approaches

      Learning systems, supported by digital and analog technologies, allow instructional designers to create learning experiences using a variety of methods.  Ideal approaches seek to use a mix of these learning systems to address the varied needs of learner, the context in which learning takes place, and content.  The following learning systems are available for use in the NCCE:

“Face to Face” describes learning environments where both the students and instructor meet in the same location.

“Two-way Interactive Video (w/engineer)” refers to facilities where two-way video and audio is transmitted between two sites and engineers are working at both sites to manage the video and sound inputs.

“Two-way Interactive Video (w/software)” refers to facilities where two-way video and audio is transmitted between two sites and software is used to manage video and sound inputs. Instructors may also have limited capabilities in managing video and audio inputs via a console.

“One-way Video/Two way interactive Audio” refers to facilities where one site, usually referred to as the originating site, transmits video to another site, while both sites have the capability to transmit audio. An engineer at the originating site manages video and audio.

“Two-way Interactive audio” refers to a facility where audio can be transmitted between two sites.

“Electronic Collaborative Rooms” refers to electronic working spaces, which provide chat rooms, white boards and other conferencing tools to individuals through their desktop computer using the Internet.

“MUDS & MOOS” refers to multi-user interactive role-playing environments that reside on Internet. Originating in the gaming world, MUDS and MOOS provide an electronic world where learners can take on roles and participate in scenarios that provide insight into real world situations.

“Interactive World Wide Web Space” refers to sites on the Internet that enable the learner to interact with models, individuals, and content on a specific topic. These sites seek to engage the learner in the mastering of a specific skill or concept.

“Online Chat Rooms” refers to sites on the Internet that allow individuals to type messages to a group of participants all logged into the chat room. This enables groups to have a discussion (via typing) with everyone able to participate.

“Electronic Mail” refers to the ability of learners and instructors to send electronic messages to each other and to others involved in the class.

“Electronic Discussion Groups” refers to electronic mailing lists or newsgroups that allow individuals to e-mail a message to a group of individuals.

“One-way video: broadcast” refers to video distributed to other sites by broadcasting across satellite or cable systems.

“One-way video: tape” refers to video distribution to other sites by physical distribution of videotapes.

“Publications” refers to print publication distribution to other sites.  These publications are non-personal and written to be read by groups of individuals instead of tailored to a specific individual’s needs.

“Personal Mail” refers to technique of sending physical mail to an individual to address their specific learning needs.

Designing a Learning System

      Individuals seeking to design learning opportunities are faced with a host of choices.  The following criteria will be useful in evaluating which technologies will best meet the requirements of a specific learning experience.

Fixed Costs

      The cost of building the infrastructure of a learning system (those costs which are expended prior to normal operation) is best analyzed when it is examined separately from the cost of operating the learning system. In cases where the learning system can be scaled to reach a large number of learners with low operating costs, large investments may be easily justified. 

Operating Costs

      The cost of operating a learning system may be useful in evaluating which techniques to use. In many cases, a low cost learning system could be used for specific learning tasks to reduce the overall cost of offering training.

Potential Learner to Instructor Ratio

      The potential of a learning system to reach a large number of learners is an important criterion, especially when evaluating learning systems with high fixed and variable costs.  One useful ratio is the calculation of the estimated total cost of ownership of a learning system per potential learner. When evaluating several learning systems to get a true comparison of costs, this ratio would be an excellent tool for comparison.

Teaching Methods

      Vasts arrays of teaching methods exist and are used in instruction today. When developers consider the needs of individual learners and examine the demands of teaching a specific content, the flexibility of a learning system to support multiple teaching methods may be critical to successful learning.

Richness

      Richness refers to the clarity by which an individual can communicate a message across a learning system to another person or group.  Learning systems have varying levels of richness due to their ability to support multi-sensory communication and real-time interaction.

Interactivity

      People tend to learn better when they are actively involved in the process. Although interactivity is easier to facilitate in a face-to-face learning system, instructors have devised a variety of ways to build interactivity into many of the learning systems available.  Due to the nature of how they work, some learning systems may be more effective when implementing interactive learning techniques in a training session.

Learning Accessibility

      Technology mediated training is often put in place to distribute the learning environment to a more convenient location for the intended learner. In addition to extending the reach of the learning to remote locations, many learning systems also extend the flexibility of the learner to use multiple locations to participate in the training.

[1] Room requires an engineer to operate cameras and sound.

[2] Instructor operates cameras and sound via a console.

[3] Electronic collaborative rooms provide online working spaces that include chat rooms, white boards, & other conferencing tools.

[4] MUDs or “Multi-user dungeons” are actually multi-user interactive role-playing games on the Internet.

Recommendations

The time to develop effective TMT can be 2 to 5 times that of traditional training. Successful outcomes from TMT projects require content specialists to be open to new approaches to development of training.

Rarely is a single technology appropriate for the creation of the total learning environment. Ideally, effective TMT approaches use a mix of technologies and instructional methodologies to address the varied needs of learner, the context in which learning takes place, and the content. 

Development of technology-mediated training is best done through a collaborative partnership between content specialists, instructional designers, and educational technology experts.

Economies of scale will continue to encourage cross agency and state collaboration on curriculum development.  Development teams might wish to examine whether technology-mediated training can be development for regional, national, or international impact.

Technology-mediated training requires extensive infrastructural investment and staffing for support of both technology and the users. Centralizing coordination of expenditures and adoption of standards for learning system technologies can aid the organization in maintaining reasonable levels of investment.

Technology-mediated training may be useful to both the Extension and Academic missions of land grant universities.  Where possible, integration of materials into both extension programs and credit courses should be considered.