Training Development Project

In partnership with the Basic Needs Office at California State University, Long Beach, the training team developed a two-module Orientation and New Hire program for incoming Master of Social Work (MSW) Interns and Case managers. Below you will find a brief overview of the project including information about our client organization, the training development process, and reflection on my personal project outcomes. You can also view the project deliverables including the summary report, trainer manual, and trainee manual with the links below.

Summary Report

Trainer Manual

Trainee Manual

Project was completed in collaboration with Alina Gharibkhanyan, Claire Henderson, and Reyna White

About Basic Needs

Basic Needs provides information about resources that students may be able to take advantage of regarding basic needs, such as food assistance, emergency housing, and grants for unforeseen emergency situations that may jeopardize a student’s access to food or housing

Mission Statement: “The CSULB Basic Needs department assists and immediately serves students who have been displaced, experiencing homelessness, food insecurity, an emergency, and/or a crisis. Basic Needs provides services and resources to remove barriers and empower students to persist and thrive in their educational journey towards academic success.”

Training Modules

1 / Orientation

The first module serves the purpose of orienting all new Basic Needs employees through the in-person lecture and discussion training facilitated by a Basic Needs incumbent.

2 / Case Processes

The second module provides training on the overview of case intake and processing, the responsibilities specific to all Basic Needs case managers. As this training is intended for case managers, it is also recommended that the training be utilized for MSW interns.

A needs analysis is an essential first step in identifying training areas in the workplace that may need change in order to become more efficient and effective (Goldstein & Ford, 2002). By conducting our needs analysis, we gathered baseline information from which a training program for Basic Needs can be developed.

Organizational Analysis

Assessed the goals, support, culture, and climate of the organization through interviews with senior staff and on-site visits to the Basic Needs Office

Job/Task Analysis

In lieu of a full job analysis, the team conducted a thorough review of the knowledge, skills, and abilities as well as the job tasks of the Case Manager position. This was accomplished through research on O*NET and examination of the most recent Case Manager job posting.

Person Analysis

Focusing on current Case Managers and MSW Interns at Basic Needs, the person analysis addressed the trainee characteristics and whether KSAs required for the job are being met.

Training objectives are a formal description of what a trainee should be able to do once training is completed (Goldstein & Ford, 2002). Training objectives constitute more than what topics will be included in the training, but rather what participants will value, understand, and do with each topic.

Module 1:

Understand the unique population of students at CSU Long Beach to properly address Basic Need’s Mission. in order to accurately refer students.
Identify external resources offered through campus partners that are most appropriate for each student’s situation
Recognize the internal assistance services offered by Basic Needs

Module 2:

Analyze information from a student application by taking notes to thoroughly prepare for an intake call.
Conduct an intake call using the guiding questions to collect additional case details.
Distinguish the different features within the Maxient system to accurately log the steps of a case.

Learning Theories:
Two learning theories were examined for the Basic Needs positions in question, including expectancy theory and constructivist theory.

Expectancy theory: explains how and why behavior is energized and sustained, claiming that trainees are motivated based on the expectation that there will be a particular outcome as a result of their work and behavior (Goldstein & Ford, 2002).
Constructivist theory: learning and motivation is constructed by the individual through cumulative experience. The developed training serves as the first step to the constructive process of learning in which trainees will continue their training with shadowing incumbents and learning while on the job.

Design:
The team composed each module with about one hour worth of material and activities spread out amongst recaps and experiential role playing, resulting in the overall training to be approximately two and a half hours when considering a half an hour break. The team utilized Microsoft Powerpoint as the means of delivering the material, while using Canva for the creation of training aids such as the trainee brochure and handouts for the training activities.

The purpose of training evaluations are to ascertain whether training programs are effective at teaching what they are intended to teach. Generally, it is seen as a final step in the design of a training program, but it should be viewed as a continuous part of the development process since feedback can identify whether the training is effective (Silberman et al., 2015).

Reaction Level:
The reaction evaluation measures trainees' initial reactions to the program and whether they believe they have learned anything from the training.

Trainees were asked how they are feeling and given the opportunity to share their thoughts and opinions about the orientation and training in an open discussion

Learning Level:
The learning evaluation measures the extent to which participants acquire the intended knowledge, skills, and attitudes from the training.

The team incorporated a small quiz at the end of the orientation training to measure trainees retention of material just taught

Behavior Level:
The behavior evaluation measures the extent to which participants apply what they learned during training to their workplace.

As part of the case manager training, time was designated for practicing on-the-job skills during training

Results Level:
The results evaluations measure whether a training program's results align with the organization's goals and objectives.

At 30, 60, and 90-day check-ins, it was recommended that the department incorporate evaluations where they can measure trainee performance and engagement.

Reflection

Successes

Through this project, I have been able to expand the skills of my passion area of Training and Development. By collaborating with Basic Needs, I was able to gain experience communicating effectively with a client in order to deliver a quality training program that met their specific organizational needs. Additionally, I was able to directly incorporate learning theories in the design of training content and activities to create engaging materials that will maximize the transfer of learning to the workplace.

Future Considerations

Learning from this project, there are a few things I would maintain and improve upon in future training projects. Communication is crucial when developing a customized training for a client, so I would ensure that in the future I provide regular updates on each step of the training development to get timely feedback. Additionally, I would expand on the Need Analysis, conducting interviews with multiple staff members at each level to accurately assess the KSA gaps and gain their input on the training design.

Skills Developed

Critical Thinking
Adaptability
Communication
Project Management
Interpersonal Skills
Leadership