Make Or Buy HRD Programmes & Selecting The Trainer (Part 1)
Script for
Chapter 10-MAKE OR BUY HRD PROGRAMMES & SELECTING THE TRAINER
(Part 1)
By the end of this session, we will be clear about the designing of HRD programs, and the
objectives of the session are:
OBJECTIVES
● Discuss what is a design of an HRD program
● Discuss how to Identify the objectives of HRD interventions
● Explain how to Assess HRD programs
● Understand the responsibilities of HRD professionals
● Present the phases of HRD programs
● Understanding the qualities of useful objectives
INTRODUCTION
An organization following effective HRD practices would have completed Phase I of the training
and HRD process - needs assessment and obtained the information along with organisational
constraints and learning theories which are the inputs for designing effective HRD programs.
We recognize that in some cases the availability of needs assessment data may be limited.
Although HRD practitioners may feel that it will be difficult to design effective training
programs, sometimes they must improvise and make the best of such suboptimal situations. At
the same time, every effort should be made to persuade the management to identify the
importance of conducting the needs analysis and prioritizing HRD needs, as time and resources
allow.
HRD : Systems & Strategies /MOOC-2021/B.K School of Professional and Management Studies/Gujarat
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Make Or Buy HRD Programmes & Selecting The Trainer (Part 1)
Designing HRD Program
Guided by the needs assessment data, the focus now turns to designing an effective HRD
program. The key activities involved in designing an HRD program are:
1. Setting objectives
2. Selecting the trainer or vendor
3. Developing a lesson plan
4. Selecting program methods and techniques
5. Preparing materials
6. Scheduling the program
HRD : Systems & Strategies /MOOC-2021/B.K School of Professional and Management Studies/Gujarat
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Make Or Buy HRD Programmes & Selecting The Trainer (Part 1)
Figure on your screen shows where these activities fit within the training and HRD process
model. It is important to stress at the outset that program design can be a lengthy process. HRD
professionals must simultaneously accomplish several other crucial tasks throughout the design
process. Assuming that an important need for training has been identified, the manager or HRD
professional must then translate that need into a set of objectives. Objectives define what the
participants are expected to learn or do as a result of participating in the HRD program or
HRD : Systems & Strategies /MOOC-2021/B.K School of Professional and Management Studies/Gujarat
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Make Or Buy HRD Programmes & Selecting The Trainer (Part 1)
intervention. However, some managers and HRD professionals may be tempted to make a
decision as to whether to design the program internally or purchase the program or its key parts,
or to establish a contract with a consultant to serve as a trainer, buy program materials, and so
on, before establishing objectives.
In outside purchases, the organization typically uses the objectives developed by the vendor
rather than defining its own.
However, the chances of success are far greater if the organization identifies the HRD objectives
first, before deciding whether to design or purchase the program.
Statements of HRD needs are often not detailed enough to be used as specific program outcomes.
Rather, they state the problem at hand, and ideally, include a diagnosis of the problem’s causes.
Objectives, in contrast, should state the outcome the program is intended to produce, including
the specific performance expected, the conditions under which it will be performed, and the
criteria to be used to judge as to whether the objective has been achieved or not.
Responsibilities of HRD Professionals
Management professor Ronald Sims stated that training and development initiatives must
emphasize “pivotal” employee competencies. Professor Amit Karna, in his interview, mentions
that the strategic considerations help understand what competencies will be required at individual
level, and what behaviors will form the microfoundations for the dynamic capability of an
organization. To do this, HRD professionals must engage in a number of significant actions,
including the following:
1. Identify the kinds and levels of KSAOs that employees need to attain high levels of
performance and to achieve organizational results.
2. Develop and maintain organizational - structures, conditions, and climates that are
conducive to learning.
HRD : Systems & Strategies /MOOC-2021/B.K School of Professional and Management Studies/Gujarat
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Make Or Buy HRD Programmes & Selecting The Trainer (Part 1)
3. Generate and provide the necessary resources to conduct a program design.
4. Identify and provide access to off-the job as well as on-the-job learning resources.
5. Provide individual assistance and feedback on various dimensions of individual
performance
6. Serve as role models and mentors to trainees and the organization in the pursuit of
mastery of “pivotal” KSAOs.
7. Develop efficient learning processes that take into account individual learning styles,
abilities, and work and life circumstances.
8. These types of responsibilities (especially points 2 and 3) cannot be completed without
active support and involvement from top management. However, with the increasing
focus on high performance from all organizations and employees
9. HRD professionals must ensure that every HRD initiative serves to meet the
organization’s strategic goals and objectives.
10. The previous activities must be carried out at the same time that other design issues are
being addressed.
Defining the Objectives of the HRD Intervention
Defining the objectives for the training or HRD program is one of the first things an HRD
professional should do - after completing the needs assessment. Robert Mager defines an
objective as a “description of a performance the HRD managers want learners to be able to
exhibit before they consider them competent. As such, HRD or training program objectives
describe the intent and the desired result of the HRD program. The results can be achieved in
many ways (such as through lectures, role play, and coaching) but this is not specified in the
objective. Rather, objectives are used as the basis for determining which methods should be used
to achieve the specified outcome.
As stated, objectives are essential to a successful training or HRD program. In addition to
forming the basis for selecting the program content and methods, objectives are used by the
organization to evaluate the program’s success, and they also help participants to focus their
HRD : Systems & Strategies /MOOC-2021/B.K School of Professional and Management Studies/Gujarat
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Make Or Buy HRD Programmes & Selecting The Trainer (Part 1)
own attention and efforts during the program.’ In short, objectives tell us where the program is
going and how it is programmed to achieve the desired results.
Needs assessment data are useful for defining program objectives because they identify the
deficiencies or challenges to be addressed. A training program could be designed that would
increase the brokers’ sensitivity to and support their clients. The objectives of this program will
be determined by the specific deficiencies, client preferences, concerns, and other factors
identified in the needs assessment.
Mager states that useful objectives include three critical aspects or qualities, that is, they should
describe
(1) the performance the learners (trainees) should be able to do,
(2) the conditions under which they must do it, and
(3) the criteria (how well they must do it) used in judging its success.
The qualities of useful objectives:
Performance An objective always says what a learner is expected to be able to do and/or
produce to be considered competent; the objective sometimes describes the product or result of
the doing.
For example, ...
Conditions An objective describes the important conditions (if any) under which the
performance is to occur.
For example, “Given all available engineering data regarding a proposed product, trainee will
write a product profile.”
Criteria Wherever possible, an objective identifies the criteria of acceptable performance by
describing how well the learner must perform in order to be considered acceptable.
HRD : Systems & Strategies /MOOC-2021/B.K School of Professional and Management Studies/Gujarat
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Make Or Buy HRD Programmes & Selecting The Trainer (Part 1)
For example: “The product profile must describe all the commercial characteristics of the
product that are appropriate for its introduction to the market, including descriptions of at least
three major product uses.”
Some examples of program objectives include the following:
➢ Given a packing list, the trainee will correctly identify (by circling) all items on the list that
have not been included in the shipment.
➢ Given standard hospital equipment, the trainee will draw 10 cc of blood from a patient’s arm
in not more than two tries (using any member of the class).
➢ Using the information found on a completed loan application, identify (in writing) whether a
client meets the bank’s criteria for an acceptable auto loan candidate.
➢ After completion of training, the trainee will accurately identify and describe all major points
in the organization’s anti discrimination policy.
Program objectives that lack clear statements concerning performance, conditions, and criteria
are often ambiguous and can cause those who interpret the objectives differently to feel
frustrated and come into conflict with one another. Two ways to ensure that objectives are clear
are to choose words carefully and have the objectives reviewed by others (such as managers and
potential participants). If a reviewer is confused, the objectives should be revised.
Writing objectives for behaviors that can be directly observed by others can be easier than
writing objectives for behaviors that are unobservable (like judging whether a painting is of high
quality or determining whether the use of deadly force is warranted). When dealing with broad or
“unobservable” objectives, it is necessary to specify observable behaviors that indicate whether
an unobservable outcome has been achieved! Thus, an objective for judging whether a painting
is of high quality can be written as “to be able to judge whether a painting is of high quality by
orally listing the characteristics the painting possesses that indicate its quality.”
HRD : Systems & Strategies /MOOC-2021/B.K School of Professional and Management Studies/Gujarat
University
Make Or Buy HRD Programmes & Selecting The Trainer (Part 1)
In many cases, simply presenting trainees with objectives for learning or performance may be
enough to elicit the desired behavior.’ That is, sometimes people do not meet performance
expectations because they were never clearly told what the expectations were or how they were
supposed to meet them. Clear objectives provide this information and represent the
organization’s expectations, which can play a key role in shaping employee performance.
Writing objectives is a challenging but essential aspect of effective HRD.
Some questions to ask when writing objectives include:
Is your main intent stated (concerning what you want the trainee to do)?
➢ Have you described all the conditions that will influence trainee performance?
➢ Have you described how well the trainee must perform for his or her performance to be
considered acceptable?
➢ It is remarkably easy to write objectives for training or educational courses that contain
phrases with little or no meaning (Mager calls these “gibberish” objectives).
Guidelines for developing useful objectives
➢ An objective is a collection of words, symbols, pictures and/or diagrams describing what you
intend for the trainees to achieve.
➢ An objective will communicate your intent to the degree that you describe: what the learner
will be doing when he/she will be demonstrating achievement or mastery of the objective, the
important conditions of the doing, and the criteria by which achievement will be judged.
➢ To prepare a useful objective, continue to modify a draft until these questions are answered:
○ What do I want trainees to be able to do?
○ What are the important conditions or constraints under which I want them to
perform?
○ How trainees must perform for me to be satisfied?
HRD : Systems & Strategies /MOOC-2021/B.K School of Professional and Management Studies/Gujarat
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Make Or Buy HRD Programmes & Selecting The Trainer (Part 1)
➢ Write a separate statement for each important outcome or intent; write as many as you need
to communicate your intents.
The “Make Versus Buy” Decision: Creating or Purchasing HRD Programs
After a manager or HRD professional has identified the program objectives, a series of decisions
must be made towards the development and delivery of the program. One of those decisions is
whether to design the program internally or purchase it (or portions of it) from an outside vendor,
or use some combination of the two (Sims R.R 1998). Many services are available through
outside vendors or consultants, including:
➢ Assisting with and conducting needs assessment
➢ Guiding internal staff to design or implement a program
➢ Designing a program specifically for the organization
➢ Providing supplemental training materials (exercises, workbooks, computer software,
videos) presenting a previously designed program
➢ Conducting a train-the-trainer program to improve the instructional skills of internal
content experts.
As discussed in our previous session about - Analysing and Prioritising training needs, we
looked into a Case study which can be useful here, in the Make or Buy decisions too.
Scenario
A company proposes to hire a consultant to conduct a training program by releasing requests for
proposal (RFP or tenders). To check each vendor’s reputation, managers checked it with various
professional organisations (ISTD or Indian society for Training and Development) and also
asked certain questions like,
● How much and what type of experience does your company have in designing and
delivering training?
HRD : Systems & Strategies /MOOC-2021/B.K School of Professional and Management Studies/Gujarat
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Make Or Buy HRD Programmes & Selecting The Trainer (Part 1)
● Would you provide references of clients for whom you worked in the past?
● What about the training material?
● How does your product/service fit our needs?
What do you think the Scenario is about? What aspect of Needs Assessment analysis it is,
according to you?
The answer was, Organisational Needs Analysis. The reason being the scenario highlights
● The type of program being instituted and the characteristics of the organization.
● The program aligns with the strategic needs of the business?
● Do we have experts who can help us develop the program content and ensure that we
understand the needs of the business as we develop the program?
This case study can also be used here, as we are talking about company’s needs and requirement
with that of the program and its alignment, also the expert who will be helping us, either would
be an in-house expert or a vendor called for the same.
There are many sources of HRD programs, materials, and advices.
Many consulting firms, educational institutions, professional societies, trade unions, publishing
houses, governmental agencies, and nonprofit community-based organizations offer training
programs and information to interested organizations. The American Society for Training and
Development, as well as T&D magazines, are useful places to begin a search for external training
providers.
The table on your screen lists a number of factors that should be considered while making a
purchase decision. For example, a small manufacturer desires to computerize its billing
operation. Given the nature of the training needed, it is likely that the firm’s management would
contract with an outside vendor because (1) the firm would probably not have the expertise to
design the program in-house, (2) management may not have the time to design the program, and
(3) it is not likely that the firm has an HRD department or full-time HRD professional. In
general, when the number of people needing the HRD intervention is small, it is more likely that
the project will be outsourced. That is, those needing the intervention may send its employees
HRD : Systems & Strategies /MOOC-2021/B.K School of Professional and Management Studies/Gujarat
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Make Or Buy HRD Programmes & Selecting The Trainer (Part 1)
outside the organization for the program. This could come in the form of the organization
providing the resources for professional development or tuition reimbursement.
Other factors that may influence an organization’s decisions include personal contacts or past
experience with an outside vendor, geographical proximity to the vendor, local economic
conditions, and the presence of government incentives to conduct training (Ibid).
HRD : Systems & Strategies /MOOC-2021/B.K School of Professional and Management Studies/Gujarat
University
Make Or Buy HRD Programmes & Selecting The Trainer (Part 1)
Once an organization decides to purchase a program or part of a program from an outside source,
a vendor must be chosen. One rational way to do this is to determine the match between the
vendor’s product or capability with the organization’s needs and objectives.
The criteria for these decisions vary among organizations, but in general they include the
following points :
1. Cost: price relative to program content and quality
2. Credentials: including certificates, degrees, and other documentation of the vendor’s
expertise
3. Background: number of years in business and experience in the particular content area
4. Experience: vendor’s prior clients, success with those clients, references
5. Philosophy: comparison of the vendor’s philosophy to that of the organization
6. Delivery method: training methods and techniques used
7. Content: topics included in program or materials
8. Actual product: including appearance, samples, or whether a pilot program is available
9. Results: expected outcomes
10. Support: especially in terms of implementation and follow-up
11. .Request for proposal (RFP): the match between a vendor’s offer and the requirement
spelled out in the organization’s request for a proposal
Some of these factors will carry greater weight with particular managers. For example, some
managers want to work only with the “best” providers, so they may weigh the vendor’s
experience and client list more heavily.
A recent study of outsourcing in the training area provides some interesting data. (Gainey, T.W.,
& Klaas, B.S (2002). Training managers were polled concerning their use of outside vendors for
training and development. They reported spending about 25 percent of their budgets on
outsourced training. The most frequent topics conducted by vendors were management
development (27 percent), technical training (23 percent), and computer training (14 percent).
Although overall satisfaction with the outsourced training was fairly high, only 29 percent
reported that they had saved money as a result of outsourcing. Developing trust and maintaining
strong communications with vendors were cited as major factors leading to the successful
HRD : Systems & Strategies /MOOC-2021/B.K School of Professional and Management Studies/Gujarat
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Make Or Buy HRD Programmes & Selecting The Trainer (Part 1)
outsourcing of training. Gainey and Klaas state that it is better to outsource rather than to
“acquire expertise and enhance the overall design and delivery of training,” rather than primarily
as a means to cut costs.
Outside training vendors offer organizations a wide choice of options in designing and
developing training and HRD programs. These programs represent viable options when
organizations have a small HRD function and a small number of trainees and when program
content has no proprietary value. Even large organizations that have well-respected training
functions make regular use of outside vendors for a variety of HRD programs. When
organizations, large or small, elect to go outside to purchase training services and programs, they
should, of course, first conduct a needs assessment so that they can make an informed decision.
Let us now summarize the session into a nutshell,
SUMMARY
● Designing an effective HRD program involves, setting objectives, selecting the trainer or
vendor, developing a lesson plan, selecting program methods and techniques, preparing
materials and scheduling the program.
● Defining the objectives for the training or HRD program is one of the first things a HRD
professional should do - after completing the needs assessment. Training competency
involves the knowledge and varied skills needed to design and implement a training
program.
● To translate program objectives into an executable training session, the development of a
lesson plan is recommended.
● The designer of the training program needs to understand each of the methods and delivery
systems to determine the best method for meeting training objectives, given the
organizational constraints.
HRD : Systems & Strategies /MOOC-2021/B.K School of Professional and Management Studies/Gujarat
University