As with all strategic investments, the development of human capital must produce returns that meet or exceed financial and organizational objectives. Too often, training and organizational development initiatives are evaluated based upon classroom-oriented metrics like number of attendees, pass rates and certifications. While important, executive-level stakeholders find it difficult to use metrics like this to discern the true strategic impact of these initiatives on overall business objectives. A better way to measure success is to take a business-objective approach through the strategic alignment of an organization’s goals with a comprehensive training and development curriculum that advances organizational performance and individual accountability. Using the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs as a model, learn how taking a business-objective approach to training and development translates into successful execution. This workshop will feature practical, actionable tactics for ensuring that your staff is accountable and ready to advance strategies and priorities after the classroom work is completed. Richard Garrison, Vice Chancellor, VA Acquisition Academy Brian Green, Manager, Enterprise Solutions, U.S. Federal Government, Learning Tree International

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Unleashing Learning:
From Strategy to
Execution
Unleashing Learning:
From Strategy to
Execution

2. Class Dismissed…Now How
Do We Execute?
A Strategy for Improving Individual
Accountability & Organizational
Performance

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Tactical Approach of Measurement

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The New Performance Strategy for Learning
Capture Lessons Learned
Adopt Best Practices
Report & Confer Sr. Mgt.
Identify / Remove Barriers
Update Policy/Procedure
Cyclical process anchoring
business process
improvements while
increasing organizational
performance
Invest in Training

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Define the Purpose: Business Context for Training
US Civilian Agency Acquisition Spending

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Entitlement programs are creating a significant near-term
strain on all federal budgets

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• Shorter shelf life for failing projects
• Need for both individual accountability – acquisition
competencies & business acumen – and organizational
accountability – policies, systems & procedures
• Escalating expectations for “Transparency” on all programs to
curb runaway costs
• Burgeoning responsibility to produce Positive Results and
Program Benefits, not simply on time and on schedule.
• More alignment required between mission goals, program
requirements and acquisition strategies…
• Foster a mindset of purpose, performance, accountability, and
integrity
• Improve the accuracy of program metrics which executives base
program/portfolio decisions
Define the Purpose: Impact on your Audience
Goals
StrategiesRequirements

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Align with Performance-minded Stakeholders
“…the Federal Government needs to make greater
investments in its existing workforce, helping workers build
skills and gain expertise to meet new challenges. Agencies
need to increase and improve their training efforts, and
implement plans to measure the effectiveness of their training
investments.”
- Building a High-Performance Government (President Obama’s 2010 Budget)

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Feeling the Pinch of Transparency & Accountability
• Population explosion
• 16-Major Initiatives
• Program Performance
• Budget Cuts
• Secretary Directive
• VAAA has designed a comprehensive training program for its VA
acquisition professionals
— Addresses acquisition career continuum
— Focuses on applied learning
– Documenting lessons learned & best practices
– Tracking application of process improvements
– Reporting on performance improvements
— Ensures that impacts are measured

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Custom Government Curriculum
Acquisition
Management
Leadership &
Interpersonal Skills
Business
Management for
Government
Applications
Acquisition
Management
Entry
(120-hrs)
Mid
(120-hrs)
Senior
(120-hrs)
Acquisition
Management
Leadership &
Interpersonal Skills
Leadership &
Interpersonal Skills
Business
Management for
Government
Applications
Business
Management for
Government
Applications
Program/Project
Management
Program/Project
Management
Program /Project
Management
Invest in Training

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Action Plan
• Demonstrate the value of learning through Action and Accountability
— Hold Participants, and their Supervisors, accountable for improving one
element of their project/program/department as a result of the training
investment
• Articulate the value of the improvement effort in terms of Benefits Received,
Cost Improvement, Productivity Enhancement
• Capture and identify Organizational Impediments
— Process, Procedure, Policy; not culture
— Stakeholders
• Identify the Risks associated to your customer, operation and budget of not
implementing the change
• Ensure each participant, and their supervisor, develops an Implementation Plan
that is Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Timely (SMART)
Capture Lessons Learned

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Tracking Improvements Adopt Best Practices

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Senior Management Support Identify / Remove Barriers

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• Demonstrate strong commitment and top level leadership addressing
organizational risks
• Develop Capacity/Competence to address organizational performance
gaps
• Implement Corrective Action Plans addressing root causes of trouble
projects and initiate a subsequent solution design and project plan
• Launch program to monitor and independently validate the effectiveness
of the corrective measures
• Institute a transparent process that offers the ability to demonstrate
progress
• Establish a Strategic Plan for maintaining and expanding the revised
Organizational Best Practices / Policies that focus on performance,
accountability, transparency and fiscal discipline
Business Alignment Report & Confer Sr. Mgt.

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• Benefit of not only reporting on progress internally to improve
operational efficiencies, but likewise reporting out to external
stakeholders (e.g.: OMB, GAO, “shareholders” within private
industry)
• Learning executives are also being held accountable for ensuring
that their efforts are demonstrating alignment to external
stakeholders concerns:
• Operational improvements
• Customer Service improvements
• Shareholder value
• Organizational preparedness
• Market Confidence
External Stakeholders Report & Confer Sr. Mgt. (cont)

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Define. Align. Apply. Deliver.
Training Action Plan Implementation Reporting
Performance
Improvement

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• Get ahead of the curve!
• Understand the directives of your business; current and future
• Analyze any/all business/human capital issues impeding individual
productivity and organizational performance
• Develop and execute your business/training plan to improve the
performance of your company; follow through and report progress
• Partner with your consumers, your customers; be in alignment with
their stakeholders
• Develop a transparent performance management model; report progress
• Take stock; improve and secure the buyer experience
‘Moment of Truth’
Always…
make sure that you deliver the right product, that solves the right
problems, for the right customer, at the right price

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Brian Green
Manager, Enterprise Solutions, US Federal Government
brian_green@learningtree.com
www.learningtree.com/facppm
Richard Garrison
Vice Chancellor, Veterans Affairs Acquisition Academy
richard.garrison2@va.gov
http://www.acquisitionacademy.va.gov
Thank you!

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Unleashing Learning:
From Strategy to
Execution
Unleashing Learning:
From Strategy to
Execution