Proposal for eLearning at Save the Children Internal and External Revenue Model By Michelle Lee IT Trainer, Save the Children
Table of Contents 1
The Charitable IT Training Vision
2
2
Background: We can use IT to teach IT!
2
3
Analysis
2
4
3.1
How does Save the Children benefit from IT Training?
2
3.2
How does Save the Children recover the expense of IT training?
2
3.3
How much time is spent training?
3
3.4
How are improvements in efficiency due to IT Training measured?
3
3.5
Does the current model of IT Training provide opportunities for revenue generation? 3
Limitations and Restrictions of Current Model 4.1
5
3
What are the limitations of the current Training model for Save the Children?
Proposal and Aims and Objectives
4
5.1
Proposals to develop IT training as an internal and external resource.
4
5.2
What steps will be taken to ensure the success of the revenue generating e-Learning Stream?
6
4
Resources 6.1
3
4
What resources are required to implement the project?
4
7
Who Benefits?
5
8
Summary: Use it to teach it and use it to fund it!
5
9
Research
5
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1 The Charitable IT Training Vision A co-operative IT Training Solution with instructor led facilities, Virtual Learning Environment and supplementary materials providing Instructor Led training for Co-operative Charities, an envious and complete Virtual Learning Environment which can measure learning outcomes and provide a common IT Charity Forum. In time, generating revenue for the participating co-operative Charities and nominated beneficiaries from the wider corporate market.
2 Background: We can use IT to teach IT! Learning useful skills for work by utilising Information technology (IT) to deliver and enhance learning methods is not new. The e-learning model of training is not new. The IT Training community has started to compliment classroom based training with virtual learning methods more and more. Whilst there is still a place for Instructor Led training, VLEs (Virtual Learning Environments) are fast becoming the preferred method of delivery for businesses and education. This shift in paradigm is driven by both financial and educational advantages to both providers and participants. The IT training philosophy, we currently have at Save the Children, involves attendance for training sessions, run in small groups, with content supported by training manuals. Instructor led training is very popular and in high demand, and feedback has been consistently excellent. In addition to this method of delivery, various forms of e-learning, interactive modules have recently been created that accompany instructor led training and course manuals and will shortly be available to delegates who have attended classroom training. We are embracing the developments in training IT that IT offers us. We can use it to teach it! We could also use it to fund it and support Save the Children.
3 Analysis 3.1 How does Save the Children benefit from IT Training? The vast majority of our staff’s time is spent using computer based software packages such as Outlook, Excel, Word, and PowerPoint. Most would admit they do not know even a tenth of the time-saving and efficiency features. In recognition of this Global Information Systems (GIS) have developed a number of essential Training modules for Save the Children Delegates. Currently these consist of 3 hour, smallgroup, courses for between 6-8 delegates. This duration is short enough that delegates can find time to attend training whilst still learning the essential skills to improve efficiency and facilitate productivity. How much does this cost save the children? The development of the Training strategy, modules and delivery of training of the online modules have been undertaken as part of my role thus the cost of these developments is covered by a single (0.6 FTE) salary.
3.2 How does Save the Children recover the expense of IT training? Delegates are charged ÂŁ30 to attend a 3 hour course. This is authorised by line managers and a budget code allocated. Inter-departmental transfers are likely to amount to approximately ÂŁ20,000 in 2010/11. At the current rate of course bookings, GIS will secure complete return on (salary and on costs) IT training investment through interdepartmental charging for training well within the financial
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year.
3.3 How much time is spent training? Approximately 50% of my time is spent training delegates (class contact time) (from 3 months after employment in May 2010).
3.4 How are improvements in efficiency due to IT Training measured? Regular surveys and course evaluations are completed to ensure that training is being pitched at the right level and speed for the delegates. However, it will take a review of working practices over a longer period of time to really understand the impact of IT training. Efficiency, employee satisfaction, external perception of professionalism, reduction on calls to the Helpdesk, reduction in data storage on the servers are all areas that can be reviewed, ideally at 6 and 12 months after the launch of IT training.
3.5 Does the current model of IT Training provide opportunities for revenue generation? Under the current model there is no opportunity for further revenue for Save the Children.
4 Limitations and Restrictions of Current Model 4.1 What are the limitations of the current Training model for Save the Children? Currently, all IT training must be fulfilled internally to minimise expenditure on Training. There is a great demand for IT training both within the Microsoft Office Suite and additional applications, namely CARE, Cognos, Visual Basic, Project, and Scopia. Under the current contract terms, there are not enough hours in my working week to cope with the additional demand. Additionally, there is a regional and offsite training requirement. The laptops assigned to training are unreliable; require regular reimaging, and when working remotely on a network, very slow, making classroom based training very challenging. There is no system for transportation of laptops to the regional offices. “Non-Farringdon” or regional staff may not find it easy to attend training in London, and the cost implication to Save the Children increases dramatically when factoring in travel costs for a delegate to attend instructor led training; it is recognised that this cost would escalate were training to be completed by external training suppliers as the inter-departmental charging ensures that expenditure is not lost to Save the Children but reinvested. There is no dedicated training room for Instructor led training, thus generating the following issues:
A minimum set up and set down time of 90 minutes per day’s training;
A “Make do” rather than flagship training fulfilment ethos;
A high probability of technical issues with computer equipment;
A high demand for meeting rooms, already under high demand from all areas of Save the Children;
No identity of IT training in a professional, corporate training capacity;
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5 Proposal and Aims and Objectives 5.1 Proposals to develop IT training as an internal and external resource.
To create a web based learning and assessment e-Learning environment allowing users to login in under a subscription or number of login session basis;
To explore the feasibility of involving other charities in need of the same supplementary eLearning provision through a co-operative agreement in funding and investment to attain future revenue sharing;
To generate additional revenue for Save the Children by offering this facility to external companies, including corporate companies already donating to Save the Children, in a way that raises funds under the same subscription basis;
To work with external companies on a consultancy basis and grow the range of IT training modules available through the e-Learning facility;
Brand the e-Learning facility as Save the Children’s in order to capitalise on the business opportunity of being a charity and thus create an additional revenue stream for raising funds for the charity.
Market the e-Learning Facility to External Companies by reminding them of their ability to of offsetting participation in the e-learning facility against their corporate tax!!
To generate a sustainable revenue stream for Save the Children’s charitable fund.
5.2 What steps will be taken to ensure the success of the revenue generating e-Learning Stream?
A business plan to indicate cost of implementation and potential revenue
Market research into successful e-learning companies
Strategy document for implementation
Regular project review and performance targets
Performance related pay!
6 Resources 6.1 What resources are required to implement the project?
1 x Full time IT Training Manager/Project Manager
Funds for e-learning development including website development, web hosting
Future customer support both internal and external users
Ecommerce capability
Marketing budget
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7 Who Benefits?
Save the Children users
Save the Children IT Budget
Save the Children Charitable Fund
Co-operative Charity Partners
Co-operative Charitable Funds
Private/Corporate companies buying into e-Learning offsetting against tax (?)
Children and charities’ beneficiaries identified by Charitable Partners
8 Summary: Use it to teach it and use it to fund it! Currently, Save the Children has made encouraging steps in realising the potential of its staff by engendering IT skills and competancies. These skills will improve effeciency, reduce waste and foster a professional portfolio of resources. The IT training strategy can be further improved by embracing the very IT skills we are teaching. By investing in innovative eLearning teaching methods, we can optimise our provision, for our own organisation, and for others. Our IT training eLearning packages will be attractive to other institutions and be revenue generating. We can use it to teach it and use it to fund it......
9 Research THE GOVERNANCE CHALLENGES OF SOCIAL ENTERPRISES: EVIDENCE FROM A UK EMPIRICAL STUDY - Spear - 2009 - Annals of Public and Cooperative Economics - Wiley Online Library http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1467-8292.2009.00386.x/full Foundationsand social investment - making money work harder in order to achieve more - Margaret Bolton - October 2005 http://www.esmeefairbairn.org.uk/docs/EFF_foundations_report.pdf Stand and deliver - The future for charities providing public services – The Charities Commission 2007 http://www.charitycommission.gov.uk/Library/guidance/RS15text.pdf
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Michelle
Lee
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