I have to admit a council’s remit seems a tough one at the moment. Not only do they have to run the libraries and leisure centres better than ever before, keep the streets clean, manage door step recycling schemes (whilst encouraging reluctant recyclers to use them) but, this week, there’s been the small factor of having 100,000 or so less staff to do it. And all the while trying to reduce costs annually by 3% to meet their CSR07 targets.
On top of all that central government’s also been busy with the publishing of six white papers in just half as many days. These papers cover some meaty issues tackling devolvement of power and putting communities in control. Citizen Kane had nothing on Hazel Blears.
The main aim of these white papers is to bring more people, that’s you and I, into the democratic process and give more control to local communities rather than Whitehall. But can and will this actually succeed?
One big challenge not to be underestimated is simply being able to communicate the clear and precise messages from the papers through to each staff member. A tough job at the best of times but especially so when staff numbers are in the hundreds or even thousands spread across many different working locations and working different hours. Sounds like a job for e-learning! This is a medium perfect for delivering consistent messages to a large dispersed audience within a certain time frame.
Local councils must first respond to the new White Papers but the biggest challenge lies ahead, delivering the knowledge needed in order to implement these changes.
This could be achieved by constructing a clear, defined learning and development strategy in conjunction with e-learning services like our Dynamic Learning Environment (DLE), a fully hosted (and very cost effective) system which does more than an LMS ever could.
You can deliver our e-learning courses, and anybody else’s too for that matter, using it and it can be designed and tailored exactly to your needs. Add in polls, quizzes, glossaries (anyone for a TLA?*), links to other learning material and podcasts. It can even allow people to sign up to a webinar or online chat with the Chief Executive. Priceless for making your CE accessible to far flung and remote working staff.
We’ve got some ideas up our sleeves (there are that many) for other interesting stuff, not least a piece of e-learning outlining the 7 key themes of the Empowerment white paper. But more on that later….
*three letter acronyms
Andrew
Tags: Add new tag, Citzen Kane, CSR07, Dynamic Learning Environment, Empowerment White Paper, Hazel Blears, lms, Local councils
