Title: edited learning guide
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QUALITY Services	A Supportive Learning Environment

Document Profile

Title:				Guide IV: A Supportive Learning Environment*

Series:				Quality Services
				
Author/Information:		Innovative and Quality Services Group
				Financial and Information Management Branch
				Treasury Board Secretariat
				Telephone: (613) 952-8781

Last Revision:			Original publication - October 1995

For Print Copy:			Treasury Board Distribution Centre
				Telephone: (613) 995-2855
				Facsimile:  (613) 996-0518
				Catalogue No: BT22-42/4-1995
				ISBN:  0-662-62053-4				
				Cost: No cost

For information on other electronic versions, please contact:
				
				Electronic Dissemination Unit
				Planning and Communications Directorate
				Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat
				Telephone:  (613) 957-2421
				Fax:  (613) 952-9998

Alternative Formats:		This publication is available in alternative formats.

* This document is protected by Crown copyright.  Permission is granted to copy and distribute it freely within the Canadian federal government and other levels of government in Canada.

* * * * *

BACKGROUND AND CONTEXT
In an environment of ongoing fiscal restraint, there remains the need to respond to the public’s growing service expectations by redefining government service. We must improve efficiency, enhance service, constantly review and improve our programs, and focus on continuous learning for all employees.
All departments are at different stages in this process. For a learning strategy to succeed, managers must be committed to it. It is their responsibility, and they are the driving force.
WHAT CONSTITUTES A SUPPORTIVE LEARNING ENVIRONMENT?
•	A learning culture and attitude.
•	Management support.
•	Methods in place to measure success in meeting learning objectives.
•	Measurably greater client satisfaction.
•	Success in meeting performance indicators that have been developed in consultation with clients.
•	Encouragement and use of continuous feedback.
PRINCIPLES
The three pillars of quality service are client focus, employee involvement and continuous improvement. In a quality service environment:
•	all learning has a quality service focus;
•	learning supports business plans, which support the quality services initiative;
•	the learning strategy and environment focus on client satisfaction;
•	learning activities should promote a quality service environment; and
•	learning is a continuous process.
People learn in three ways. The percentage of skills and information learned breaks down as follows: 
•	learned on the job: 50 per cent;
•	learned from others: 30 per cent; and
•	learned through formal training: 20 per cent.
THE ACTION LEARNING MODEL

COMPONENTS OF A LEARNING STRATEGY
To implement a learning strategy, you should
•	position the organization in terms of its quality services initiative;
•	determine the type of work force needed to support the quality services initiative;
•	determine the actual capacity of your work force;
•	identify gaps;
•	encourage employees with specialized knowledge to share it; and
•	use partnerships, teamwork, coaching and other activities to use limited resources to their fullest.
RESOURCES
No new funding is available for these learning initiatives. Departments are expected to reallocate resources to respond to their quality service training needs.
TIMEFRAME
Departments must produce a three- to five-year training strategy for inclusion in their business plans by March 1996.

ANNEX A
LEARNING STRATEGIES
OBJECTIVE
The learning strategy will ensure departments have a work force with the knowledge, skills and attitudes to meet the results outlined in the quality services initiative. This will be achieved through sub-objectives. These are listed in no particular order, as each objective could be in progress at the same time.
Sub-objective A — Basic knowledge and skills
Purpose | To have a Public Service that shares common values and attitudes and that is committed to customer satisfaction and quality services.

Expected results

•	employee commitment to better, client-focused services
•	a common quality services culture within and among departments
•	employee awareness and understanding of the quality services initiative
•	a willingness and capacity in each department to create and maintain a quality services culture
•	a behavioural change to quality service, as defined by this initiative

Target  audience | •	all employees

Training strategy

Identify employees who are already are at the base level.
Establish a training plan for remaining employees to reach the base level.
Determine a timeframe to get all employees to the base level.
Ensure all new employees have access to tools that let them reach the base level.

Sub-objective B — Specific skills and specialized competencies
Purpose | To have an adequate number of employees acquire specific skills and competencies to support the implementation of the quality services initiative and contribute to its success.

Expected results

•	a group of employees in each department who can lead initiatives and/or help colleagues
•	an overall capacity in each department to address issues related to quality services and customer satisfaction

Target audience | •	identified employees who will acquire the necessary skills to support a quality services initiative

Training strategy

Identify the skills needed to support the initiative.
Identify the number of employees who should have each of these skills.
Identify employees who already possess these skills.
Identify gaps.
Establish a training plan to educate employee leaders.
These employees will help their colleagues give better service. They will be encouraged to update their skills and competencies continuously. They will be encouraged to network with colleagues in similar fields and in other departments to share practices and find out about new ideas.

ANNEX B
POSITIONING LEARNING AND QUALITY SERVICE 
IN YOUR ORGANIZATION
The following questions will help you evaluate the extent to which your organization has established a learning environment to support the quality services initiative. In order to simplify the evaluation, the questions are grouped by task. 
Question | Answer | Work to do
1.	Planning and environmental scanning

1.1	How would you describe your continuous learning strategy?

What are the barriers to achieving this strategy?

How will you eliminate them?

How is the strategy integrated with your departmental business plan?

1.2	How is quality service a component of your departmental planning process? | |
1.3	What visible commitments has your senior management made to establishing a continuous learning environment in support of quality services? | |
2.	Needs analysis

2.1	What core competencies has your organization identified that support quality services?
	What are the gaps?
	How are you addressing the gaps?

2.2	How are your employees encouraged to identify continuous learning needs? | |
2.3	How do you ensure a common understanding of quality service principles in your organization? | |
2.4	What key principles of quality services are linked to your organization's training? | |
3.	Communication and networking
3.1	How are quality service objectives and initiatives communicated throughout your organization? | |
3.2	How are the messages perceived and accepted? | |
3.3	Do you keep abreast of quality service developments and best practices? | |
3.4	What links have you established with quality service practitioners in other organizations? | |

Question | Answer | Work to do
4.	Design, “make or buy” and partnering
4.1	What learning activities does your organization offer to support the quality services initiative? | |
4.2	What resources does your organization, or other organizations, have to assist in this initiative? | |
4.3	How often does your organization make use of in-house facilitators? | |
4.4	What innovative and alternate delivery standards has your organization put in place? | |
5.	Evaluation, validation, self-assessment and value for money
5.1	How does your organization measure the impact of continuous learning on the achievement of your organization's objectives and business plan? | |
5.2	How is your training organization continuously improving the quality services it provides? | |
5.3	How does your organization measure the extent to which quality service training is achieved (i.e., value for money)? | |

ANNEX C
INFORMATION SHARING — TRAINING AND QUALITY SERVICE
The following sources of information may be useful to organizations trying to integrate quality service principles and practices with their continuous learning strategies, plans and activities.  Departments and agencies are invited to add information specific to their needs.
The working group prefers to disseminate information through interactive electronic media such as the Internet.  Recognizing that not everyone has access to such media, we recommend that the information also be made available on disk and through local area networks.
Subject | Description/source | For more information

Federal networks and
committees

Interdepartmental Quality
Network (Ottawa)

Terri Doherty
(613) 957-2549

| ADM Advisory Committee on Quality Services (Ottawa) | Chris Dodge (613) 957-2484
| Interdepartmental Committee of Heads of Training (Ottawa) | Diane Séguin-Lindsay (613) 953-5582

Provincial/Regional
networks and committees

Public Sector Quality Council
of Ontario (Toronto)

Rowly McPherson
(416) 973-6679

| Manitoba Quality Network (Winnipeg) | Claire Warszycki (204) 983-5955
| Atlantic Quality Network (Moncton) | David Tripp (506) 851-6515
| PEI Quality Network (Charlottetown) | Chris Brittain (902) 566-8023
| Quebec Quality Network (Montreal) | Jacques Urbain (514) 496-3825
| Public Service Improvement Forum (Vancouver) | Terry Tetreault (604) 623-6029

Professional associations

National Quality Institute
(Ottawa)

Canada Quality Council
(Airdrie, Alberta)

American Society of Quality 
Control

Association québécoise de la qualité

1-800-263-9648

1-800-575-6898

1-800-248-1946

(514) 874-9933

Public Service courses
on quality service

Courses offered jointly by the Canadian Centre for Management Development and Training Development Canada include:
	managing quality service
	complaints and recovery
	effective service standards
	managing client relations

Jacques Fournier
(613) 997-0462

Paul Proulx
(819) 953-5138

Subject | Description/source | For more information

Facilitators are also available from both organizations.

Courses offered by Training Development Canada include:
	group facilitation skills
	working in teams
	quality and excellence in customer service
	management of change

Departmental courses

(819) 953-5400

Contact your departmental quality coordinator or head of training

Consulting services — 
private sector

see National Master Standing Offer catalogue* available from PWGSC
(* NMSO "Total Quality Management Services")

Catalogue: (819) 956-3383

Information: Jim Corkery
(819) 956-1654

Consulting services —  
Public Service

Canadian Centre for 
Management Development 

Training Development Canada

Consulting and Audit Canada

Paul Robillard
(613) 992-8346

Marcel Déry
(819) 953-4633

Art Turner
(613) 995-9421

Quality service reference
and resource centres (available for assistance to all departments)

Training Reference Centre
Training Development Canada
•	documents
•	videos
•	database on departmental courses
•	conferences
•	federal Public Service workshops and seminars

Canadian Centre for Management Development Management Resource
Centre

Departmental reference centres

(819) 953-5594
1-800-265-9787

(613) 995-6165

Contact your departmental quality coordinator or head of training

Departmental quality
service coordinators

Membership list

Terri Doherty
(613) 957-2549

Partnership Network in the Federal Public Service

Database on partnering

Alti Rodal
(613) 947-1177

INNOVATIONS
"Best Practice" Notes

Published by the Treasury Board
 Secretariat

Terri Doherty
(613) 957-2549

Innovation and Quality Exchange

Bulletin board on the Internet

Adel Shalaby
(613) 957-2493

FAX-BACK USER SURVEY
QUALITY SERVICES GUIDES

We would appreciate your input in updating the Quality Services guides.  Please fax your comments to:
Quality Services Guides
Innovative and Quality Services
Treasury Board Secretariat
(613) 954-9094

NAME OF GUIDE USED:

1)	HOW DID YOU USE THE GUIDE?

2)	WHAT IMPROVEMENTS WOULD YOU MAKE?

3)	WOULD YOU BE WILLING TO SHARE SOME OF YOUR EXPERIENCES IN THIS AREA?  (For example, do you have practical examples you would like to see published in the next edition of the guide?)

4)	DO YOU HAVE ANY SUGGESTIONS FOR ADDITIONAL GUIDES?

Name of department or organization:
Name of your directorate or branch:
Your name, your telephone number and fax number: