Training Plan and Materials

ATO Plan for Training on the TTA Smart Hub

This section summarizes key points made in the formal training plan submitted for OCIO review. See Ongoing Training Post ATO for the record of trainings and training materials available.

Needs and Skills Analysis

The primary users to be trained on the MVP of the TTA Hub are:

approximately 300 Regional TTA Specialists who enter data into the activity report (AR) and
approximately 30 Regional TTA Managers who approve the reports

We previously trained those users on the form content as part of implementing the SmartSheet for TTA Activity Reports in Sept 2020, so the TTA Hub MVP will have familiar data labels, terms and fields. We are confident that users understand the content because they are currently providing this data in an interim version of the AR in SmartSheet.gov. More than 600 SmartSheet ARs were submitted between Sept. 15, 2020 and Oct. 29, 2020. A User Guide was created for those trainings.

For the MVP of the TTA Hub will train each user group on the presentation of TTA Hub navigation, how to enter and save data, sharing and submitting ARs, and AR approval notification processes. Our users are already familiar with form-based AR data and the submission and approval workflows. The User Guide created for the SmartSheet.gov instance will be updated to reflect completion of the AR in the TTA Hub.

Training Curriculum

The training curriculum will be developed based on:

learnings from user research, which will inform our understanding of the training needs that the different users (as indicated in 2.1, Regional Specialists and TTA Managers) have and
consultation with TTA managers (Program Specialists, ECS Managers, TTACs) and TTA CO representatives, which will inform our understanding of performance objectives.

Topics for the training sessions and the training guide:

Overview of the whole Smart Hub site
Role-specific demonstrations and documentation focused on Activity Reports (the primary feature in the MVP of the Smart Hub):
Demo of the workflow for specialists, who create, update, and submit reports for approval
Demo of the workflow for managers, who review and approve/reject reports
Q & A during the demos to address confusion and questions
Review of Support team contacts for any issues users have later

Instructional Method

Our trainings will be conducted virtually, with two live sessions, one for each type of user. Some users will not be able to attend the live sessions. To support their training needs, an on-demand recording of each session type will be available for each user group. Accessible versions of the recording will be provided: video with audio, audio only, and text only. Links to those recordings, as well as access to the User Guide, will be available in the Office of Head Start’s document sharing instance in Box. This approach addresses the user needs and course objectives as follows:

While in-person trainings on new software are preferable, virtual trainings are currently expected and even required to ensure the health and safety of all. Due to the focus on ensuring the ease of use of the new system, we do not anticipate any significant loss in training effectiveness due to its remote nature.
Self-directed training by watching the recording is needed to ensure all users have an opportunity to learn. With over 300 users, we can’t schedule trainings that to fit everyone’s schedule.
The demonstrations will walk users through the steps for accomplishing their work, showing each required step and providing information about variations that arise.
The training sessions will include time for Q & A.
The trainings will inform users about where to report issues or need for further help after the training.
The training will provide users with electronic copies of the training guide.

Quality Assurance for Training

Attendees of the live or recorded sessions will be invited to submit a course evaluation form. Responses will be used to revise subsequent trainings. Users will also have the User Guide, which will provide contacts for reporting issues with the training materials.