Strategic Planning – Is the content development a temporary or an ongoing activity?

?In my previous article I addressed the question, “do I have people identified to perform the content development?” I covered internal and external resources focusing on their individual skill levels, role requirements, project duration and availability. Your takeaway should be an understanding of the people required to deliver the project and what should be included in the detailed plan.

?In this article, I will focus on the duration of the content development activity. The key question being, “is it a temporary or an ongoing activity?” The answer to this question will determine how we staff the effort.

What is temporary?

?A temporary content development activity assumes some or all of the following characteristics.

• Leadership focus is on the go-live date and the readiness of the training materials. There is little support for additional resources or maintaining of the content.
• The materials are built to align with a specific go-live event and there will be no edits post go-live to maintain alignment with the application.
• The learning materials need only be good enough to support the deployment configuration on the date of go-live.
• There is little to no performance monitoring or qualitative feedback to improve the learning assets.
• Adequate content with the least investment cost is a key driver.
• Content development toolsets have basic creation features that are simple to use, are low cost, typically employ a per developer cost model and do not require annual license renewals.
• The budget is easy to determine because all of the investment happens within a very short time span and there are no content development application license renewals or maintenance.
• The mechanism to deliver and store the learning assets is minimalistic and not typically part of the content development toolset.
• Key people are assembled for a focused effort and then the team is disbanded. There is no expected value in any retained knowledge.
• External staffing is often used to avoid internal workforce disruptions and to have the content developers immediately productive with the planned development toolset.
• Training on how to develop content or how to use the toolset is not part of the project scope. These skills can be rented by hiring a consultant.

?What is an ongoing activity?

An ongoing content development activity assumes some or all of the following characteristics.

• Leadership focus is on the learner experience and achieving the project performance goals. Additional resources will be provided as needed.
• The materials are built to be upgradable as the application platform evolves.
• The quality of the learning materials is exceptionally high, and they are anticipated to be used to continuously educate the workforce.
• An effective learning experience is a key part of the expected project deliverable, and it is typically paired with a performance monitoring and feedback component.
• The learning content delivered is a valued asset to the organization and as such, the funding will be sufficient to deliver the most effective user experience in pursuit of the quality and performance metrics defined within the strategic plan.
• Content development toolsets are usually full featured, highly customizable with automation potential, they are complex and require a longer runway to gain proficiency in their use. Licensing favors an end user (learner) based pricing model with annual or monthly renewals. A consumption versus a creation model if you will.
• The budget is challenging to determine. It includes two parts, the first being the initial investment - applications, training and system standup. The second is the ongoing operational expenses in perpetuity. Operational variables include the actual maintenance cost in headcount to consistently meet performance expectations and the content development application license renewals, maintenance, training and any additional implementation consulting assistance.
• The delivery and storage mechanism needs to be robust and easy to navigate as learners are expected to frequently visit the contents to refresh their knowledge, complete periodic recertification and to stay current with changes in the applications. This functionality is a common component of the content development toolset.
• Internal staffing is the norm for ongoing endeavors. People may adopt additional responsibilities, or new roles may be created to avoid work priority conflicts. The creation of new roles with dedicated people is the most effective approach.
• Training is viewed as an important investment and ample time to grow the internal knowledge is part of the strategic plan.

?What was not covered

?Excluded from this discussion are considerations of any highly sensitive information, such as proprietary formulations, patented works, trade secrets, national security interests and other closely held information. When any of these are in play, internal resources will either be required or highly preferred.

The big bang

?Let’s assume our content development is temporary. In this scenario my approach is to put the burden of content delivery on the backs of existing team members. Where I lack competent hands, I’ll outsource the work to consultants. I focus on the number of deliverables and drive toward the completion of all basic learning content.

?The finished product doesn’t have to be perfect, just functional. I use tools that are easy to acquire and learn. I don’t plan to repeat the process, and any knowledge gained on the toolset will not be of value.

?I will communicate the availability of the learning materials via email, and I will store them in a SharePoint or similar hosted site. The effectiveness of the learning content will not be tracked, and my job is finished once the last learning asset is posted. My plan will be constructed accordingly.

In perpetuity

?In this second scenario I realize that I will be leading this effort for the next few years. I cannot overly burden my internal teammates with content development responsibilities, so I create new roles and seek approval to recruit the right people.

?I consider the content creation toolset as an investment in the success of the organization. I am looking for results, not the cheapest or easiest to use solution. I need a content development platform that is robust, feature-rich with automation potential, performance measurement and reporting, and capable of delivering the learning in an efficient, effective and engaging learner experience.

?I will use performance metrics to refine the learning materials as needed to gain their highest benefit. I fully expect to bring in skilled trainers to prepare the team and I include a reasonable amount of time in the schedule for the learning to take place.

?We are building a competency within the organization and the learned knowledge is extremely important and valuable to our continued success. As the system changes so too will the learning assets. Every effort will be made to maintain alignment between the training materials and the actual application as it evolves.

?The delivery of the learning will follow a well-designed model that is easy to navigate. The user experience needs to be intuitive and friendly as it will become a frequent resource for all employees.

?Communications will be highly automated leveraging the application capabilities with the organization’s email platform. Learner asset storage will link to the internal Learning Management System (LMS) to support any annual recertification requirements and to onboard new employees with the proper training.

?My work does not end at go-live. I measure success in learner performance against the goals set for the project. I use this feedback to refine and adjust the learning assets. It becomes a full cycle of monitoring the feedback, adjusting the content and assessing the improvement. This is the plan that I will present for leadership approval.

Summary??????

?In consideration of what you just read, how do your projects fit into the temporary to ongoing activity spectrum? The approach taken will depend on what the vision is for the organization post go-live. Will it be just good enough or is there a performance-based goal to the project? This is usually defined by leadership, but you can set them on the right path to a good decision by guiding them through the benefits and risks of the desired approach. Your takeaway should be an understanding of what temporary and ongoing content development activities look like. You will likely have a few more characteristics to add to each based on your own experience.

What’s next?

?In my next article I will focus on managing the content and ask the question, “where will the content be stored?”

?If you like what I wrote please take the time to share it, as others may find it interesting, if not amusing. Let’s not be just consumers of information or share only the works of others. Your voice matters, and I’m sure you have good ideas that could help others. Try being a thought leader and not just a follower.

To those of you who take the time to read my efforts I sincerely thank you. I would be remiss if I didn’t remind you that this is a two-way conversation so put your comments in and let’s have a volley of ideas, so we all continue our intellectual growth.

And for those planning to implement a strategy or are struggling with an existing effort, I provide effective assessments and coaching.

Mr. Gray is a seasoned business strategist experienced in SAP Enable Now implementation and training, PMO stand up, digital and business transformation, process development, and best practice guidance. He has developed industry-leading methods for SAP Enable Now readiness, staff modeling, project deployment, financial performance, team onboarding, and business readiness. Mr. Gray is a problem solver at heart and a sharer of knowledge by choice. He has authored more than one hundred thought provoking articles which are all available on Linked-In.

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