Elsewhere on PDP’s web site is detail on the significant number of classroom based adult education courses and programs available to our sponsors. Those courses are typically offered in local and/or regionally located settings, requiring participants to travel to and from sessions. For many sponsors this more traditional approach to offering professional development courses for staff meets their workforce development needs.

Recognizing however, the busy and tight schedules, and very limited financial resources in today’s workplaces PDP can also customize many current courses, or mutually collaborate with sponsors to design and develop new courses that can be offered on-site. This more personalized tailored approach to meeting sponsors’ workforce development needs, has proven extremely effective and is currently the preferred design and delivery method for a number of sponsors. Most of the same proven curriculum/instructional design and development processes used to implement PDP’s classroom based course offerings (noted below) also guide the design and delivery of our customized training programs.

 

Typical Instructional Design Process Used for Customized Training

PDP’s proven 5-step process used for high quality instructional design is guaranteed to improve workforce performance. With expertise in public administration, social welfare, human services, welfare reform and information technology, PDP can design and deliver just about any type of knowledge, outcome and/or performance-based training program. With an infrastructure built around our core capacities and an organizational commitment to closely collaborate in each step of the process, we assist sponsors to improve both organizational and individual work performance by using the following 5-step process:

1. Analyze Needs and Expectations—for educational design and organizational development.
2. Design Educational Solutions—evidence-based curricula that result in interactive classroom experiences and computer-assisted instruction.
3. Develop Instructional Methodologies—a mix of traditional and innovative models to actively involve learners.
4. Implement Delivery and Transfer of Knowledge—through e-learning, mediated instruction, consultation and technical assistance.
5. Evaluate Program Effectiveness—using a full range of research and evaluative techniques.

PDP has significant expertise in the following areas:

• Child Welfare
• Welfare Reform
• Substance Abuse
• HIV/AIDS
• Case Management
• Public Policy Implementation
• Computer Systems Training

Needs Assessment for Customized Training

As noted in the 5-step process, a key first step in any curriculum design and development project is determining the exact training needs of your sponsor. This is especially important when you’re collaborating with a sponsor to customized a pre-existing PDP course, or design a new offering, to insure it’s relevancy for the target audience. With that in mind, PDP works closely with organizations to conduct custom designed needs assessments as the essential foundation for education, training, and organizational development interventions. Using such tools as key informant interviews, job shadowing, select focus groups, and various instrumentation and process tools, PDP can gather and analyze qualitative and quantitative information about needs, demands, and the subjective perceptions and experiences of individuals. Using these analyses, PDP prepares reports containing specific educational recommendations that guide customized training programs through tailored curricula design and development. This helps our sponsors more confidently respond to changes and needs in their workplace.

 

Curricula Design and Development used in Customized Training

As noted, well designed needs assessments help to identify the specific training needs of an organization. Results can point to the design of policy and knowledge dissemination based programs, or programs that are more outcome and/or performance-based in scope. PDP is committed to develop high quality educational interventions no matter what the outcome of the needs assessment, but is particularly well-suited to design and deliver performance-based training for adult learners. In designing these curricula we work with sponsors to mutually identify the job tasks associated with each position for which training will be provided. Then, related competencies are documented (and ideally validated) for each task. These competencies provide the framework for content development, which further ensures its relevancy. Next, PDP's training experience and our knowledge of the training population guide the choice of the most appropriate instructional methodologies and interactive approaches.

PDP’s curricula teach the skills and knowledge needed to ensure that workers acquire the competencies defined in the design process. Learning activities include embedded practices that allow learners to apply what they know, while case studies and simulations provide a realistic context for application of skills as they are acquired.

Typical curricula packages may include: a Leader's Guide, a Participant's Manual (which may also serve as a "desk aid"), supplementary educational support materials, bibliographies, and all relevant evaluation forms and processes, including pre- and post-tests.

Curricula developed by PDP will integrate with your organizational philosophy and values. We can customize existing curricula for you or work closely with you to develop a custom package of new material that precisely matches your training needs.

 

Customized Training Approaches

Technical Assistance/Consultation—In addition to providing high quality classroom training that enhances workplace performance in an array of content areas, PDP uses the processes above to customize many of its courses, or design new courses for delivery on-site. We generally refer to these offerings as “Technical Assistance” or “Consultation” sessions. It’s easy to see how the 5-step process and needs assessment activities developed through direct consultation with sponsors and on-site staff, can lead to determining how best to adapt programs previously designed for classroom delivery or new programs now meant for presentation to smaller work units, generally in much more skill and practice-based formats.

Train-the-Trainer Programs—PDP also works with many sponsors who wish to institutionalize a training program by integrating it into their organizational culture and training plan. PDP assists, if necessary, in selecting appropriate staff, then designs a tailored "Train-the-Trainer" curriculum package that includes both instruction in the required content area and "platform" skill-building. If desired, PDP staff will monitor the new trainers' "pilot" deliveries and provide feedback. Typical Train-the-Trainer curriculum packages include: a Trainer's Guide for PDP staff, a full Leader's Guide, presentation materials, a Participant's Manual, pre- and post-training supportive educational materials, and evaluation instruments.

To discuss your needs for custom training, please contact us.