Iasia 2014 Research as a partner in strategic decision making

Research as a partner in strategic decision makingKoen Beirens, Training institute of the Federal Administration, Brussels, Belgium.

Research within tifa

• Why did tifa start doing research?• Big data, but little time and resources to

analyse them• A lot of assumptions, but no confirmation• A need for change, but not always clear in

which direction

From challenge to collaboration

Assumptions, questions and suggestions from trainers, project leaders, management and training responsibles

Diagnosis from “big data”: administrative data, external data bases

Search for academic partners

Collaboration agreement: win-win

Current research projects

• Antecedents of drop-out in training

• Needs of young civil servants in ICT training

• Transfer of knowledge in low educated participants

• Intructional design and drop-out in e-learning

Case 1: drop-out – The challenge

2010 2011 2012

<100%present 0.376022913256957 0.318671142493344 0.241190219345559

100% present 0.623977086743045 0.681328857506657 0.758809780654442

5.0%

15.0%

25.0%

35.0%

45.0%

55.0%

65.0%

75.0%

% full presence per year

% f

ull

pre

se

nc

e

• Administrative data analysis:

Case 1: drop-out – The research (n=28074)

level A level B level C level D0.00%

10.00%

20.00%

30.00%

40.00%

50.00%

60.00%

70.00%

80.00%

absent

present

<37 <47 <53 <650.00%

10.00%

20.00%

30.00%

40.00%

50.00%

60.00%

70.00%

80.00%

absent

present

1-3 4-6 6-14 15+0.00%

10.00%

20.00%

30.00%

40.00%

50.00%

60.00%

70.00%

80.00%

90.00%

100.00%

absent

present

Case 1: drop-out – The research (n=640)

• Questionnaire research:

Not agree Neutral Agree0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

Value training for job

%d

rop

ou

t

Not agree Neutral Agree0

0.02

0.04

0.06

0.08

0.1

0.12

Efforts of the supervisor

dro

po

ut

%

Case 1: drop-out – The initiatives

Case 2: Young civil servants and ICT-training – The challenge

ICT trainings Other trainings

Case 2: Young civil servants and ICT-training – The research (1)

• Interviews• Improving the offer

Network learning for professionals with subject matter experts as trainers

Screening the ICT skills before training

Online coaching

Social media, movie design, sharepoint as new themes

Case 2: Young civil servants and ICT-training – The research (2)

• Questionnaire researchStatement % agree % neutral % disagree

It is important that I’m involved in the decision on which themes are treated during a training

59 29 11

I prefer a training that focuses on all possibilities of a software

55 34 10

The TIFA offer should be more in line with the specific software I use for my work

38 32 30

The TIFA ICT-offer closely matches my needs 50 40 10

I prefer shorter ICT trainings than the current 4-day ICT trainings of TIFA

20 53 26

The TIFA offer on ICT is too limited for me. 32 52 16

Case 2: Young civil servants and ICT-training – The research (3)

Not at all E-learning Training Discussions Ask colleague Try yourself

Case 2: Young civil servants and ICT-training – The research (4)

Not at all E-learning Training Discussions Ask colleague Try yourself

Case 2: Young civil servants and ICT-training – The intitiatives

• Revision of the offer:• Shorter trainings, more focussed on specific

problems• Collaborations with other institutions to

broaden the offer• Introduction of a screening test to determine

the skill level

Added value of research

• « Prove » that • a problem truly exists• a method realy works• a practice has an added value

• New insights and innovative approaches • Link between theory and practice• Visibility and credibility of the organization

Recommendations

• Use administrative data• Keep in touch• Keep in mind practical usability• Inform the organisation• Search for a win-win