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Keystrokes expertise helps SSDA deliver alternative approach to IT implementation

Many organisations that make a substantial investment in Information Technology (IT) solutions never receive the benefits they had anticipated. Although badly designed and implemented solutions can be blamed for some of these failures, a surprising number are caused by problems with existing working practices and user antipathy.

The Sector Skills Development Agency (SSDA), a non-departmental public body based in South Yorkshire, had suffered from similar issues due to its change in remit and its future role in the skills arena. Responsible for funding, supporting and monitoring the network of Sector Skills Councils across the UK, the SSDA is subject to the Freedom of Information Act. As a result, the Agency needed to be able to find any information held quickly and effectively. The Agency invested in a more robust IT infrastructure toprovide faster and more reliable access to the network for remote users, but technology was only one part of the project. More importantly was the realisation that user input and acceptance were key to changing the SSDA’s existing information management structure and working practices.

The SSDA implemented the IMpact Project to research and integrate more effective ways of working with and managing their information. This involved changing the way information was stored and accessed in the SSDA. In particular, information was to be based around the SSDA’s functions, rather than its organisational structure.

A key element in ensuring the success of the project would be making certain that staff were equipped with the knowledge, skills and capabilities to maximise the benefits offered by the planned changes and the collaborative working opportunities offered by the IT upgrades. After putting the training requirement out to tender, the SSDA chose Knaresborough based Keystrokes to partner with them to plan, design, develop and deliver effective learning and development interventions that would support their staff throughout the entire project.

Gaynor Pearson from Keystrokes explains:
“We worked closely with the SSDA project team to ensure that all users were fully aware of the background to the changes, and how they would benefit them and the organisation as a whole. Our developers then put together a complete support package involving the design and delivery of: pre-course administration, pre-evaluation, classroom courses, individual coaching, user support and all the necessary supporting documentation.
Our approach, of providing workplace support to reinforce the new skills, has helped overcome the inevitable resistance to change and assisted in the embedding of the new working methods taught on the course.

In particular, by providing staff with both the skills they need and showing them why things needed to change, it has given them more of a sense of ownership and willingness to change.”

Working closely with the SSDA, Keystrokes quality training courses, learning resources and high level of workplace user support has ensured a successful project against the backdrop of last minute changes and challenging timescales.

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