The Government Employees Training Act (GETA)

Executive Orders

Regulations

Merit principles and equal employment opportunity considerations

Comptroller General Decisions

The legal foundation for Federal human resource development programs

Legal references by subject area

Providing learning products and services that link business strategies and enable employees to meet business goals and objectives

Coordinating phase-in/implementation of SL&E

Planning, administering, managing, and executing the work necessary to provide specified services

Working collaboratively with the business customers to identify and deliver training needs

Meeting with the Leadership Development Executive Council on a regular basis to discuss training issues affecting the business customers and the learning community at large

Managing Learning Education Systems hardware and software, including the Enterprise Learning Management System (ELMS) and the Learning Content Management System (LCMS)

Managing and coordinating implementation of Learning Education System Support

Identifying and coordinating implementation of customer required systems enhancements

Testing system enhancements

Supporting internally developed web-enabled learning

Researching and developing learning systems

Coordinating with MITS on IRS systems that interface with education systems

Maintaining systems usability, system security requirements, accessibility and licensing requirements

Conducting strategic planning (i.e., develop an L&E Strategic Plan), performing environmental scans, and identifying trends and issues that impact learning in collaboration with the Embedded L&E staff

Developing and issuing training policy and maintaining the IRM

Coordinating requests from external stakeholders (TIGTA, GAO, OPM)

Conducting training program research

Coordinating Servicewide policy issues with Servicewide Policy, Directives, and Electronic Research (SPDER)

Coordinating Contracting Officer Technical Representative (COTR) issues for LEADS and Embedded L&E

Coordinating and managing appropriate legislative issues and items

Developing and managing the L&E Business Resumption Plan

Managing servicewide leadership and readiness programs

Developing all cross-functional training programs (e.g. analyst, classroom instructor training, on-the-job instructor training, instructor evaluation training, facilitation skills, Virtual Environment Training, mandatory briefings, education professionals curriculum)

Coordinating servicewide programs with other LEADS offices and customers

Managing the HCO Training Staff Development Program and servicewide L&E professional development

Collaborating with the business customer on Functional Leadership programs, as requested

Coordinating with CDS on delivery of all leadership, readiness and cross-functional support

Establishing and managing the Quality Assurance and Support Plan (QASP) process

Managing and maintaining the LEADS Business Performance Review (BPR), process

Continuing to seek opportunities to engage Servicewide customers in the quality process

Serves as point of contact for training planning and delivery issues for all business customers at all sites

Provides training plan coordination and delivery of all training programs in all delivery modes (classroom, Virtual Environment Training, Interactive Video Teletraining (IVT), and Digital Video Disc (DVD)

Orders course materials via Training Publications Distributions System (TPDS) or other special ordering processes

Provides class supplies for all classes

Manages Instructor Cadre in ELMS

Coordinates/conducts instructor training for all delivery modes

Certifies instructors for training in all delivery modes

Coordinates with business customers to select instructors for various training programs

Provides instructor support during preparation and during the training program/class

Conducts mid-course reviews for classes of 80 hours or more

Performs instructor evaluations (sit-ins and end of course evaluations)

Works with resident lead instructors in delivering training programs and evaluating instructors

Conducts end of class/program level 1 evaluations

Inputs class information into ELMS

Issues ELMS Enrollment Notifications (reporting instructions)

Schedules training space via Training Rooms Inventory Management System (TRIMS) for internal space holdings and locate and secure off-site space as appropriate

Arranges for hotel accommodations as required

Coordinates training room set-up (on-site and off-site)

Issues certificates for Continuing Professional Education (CPE), Certified Public Accountant (CPA) credit, etc.

Provides support to the career planning and development process

Performs Level 1 and 2 evaluation data collection

Administers the Tuition Assistance Program (TAP)

Performs strategic plan development to meet business customer needs

Performs curriculum/content design, development evaluation and updates for all modes of learning events following TDQAS (i.e. classroom, Virtual Environment, IVT, DVD, etc.)

Monitors and maintains all approved course development request forms

Develops functional leadership learning content

Secures and manages Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) on course development projects

Coordinates and collaborates with HCO LEADS staff on a variety of matters (LCMS, ELMS, Training Policy Development, Measures, etc.)

Secures training space via TRIMS and ensures through the Employee Resource Center (ERC) that equipment is secured for all course development assignments

Pursues National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) CPE/CPA accreditation for all appropriate technical courses (LMSB)

Manages NASBA Course Certification process (LMSB only)

Performs training plan delivery planning with LEADS

Develops, manages and monitors training budget

Conducts the evaluation of technical quality of instructors delivering training

Develops Level 2 - 4 evaluations following TDQAS

Update training - the continuing effort to maintain and update an existing level of proficiency by keeping current on new developments in legislation, regulations, rulings, court cases, and internal procedures, as well as new developments in technology.

Gap training – the continuing effort to fill knowledge and skill gaps with expertise not acquired, or needed at earlier stages of a career.

Depth training – the continuing effort to concentrate on specific subject matter areas by acquiring detailed knowledge and skill where previous basic training provided awareness level of training.

Determining CPE needs on an annual basis by means of a needs assessment process

Establishing the total number of annual CPE training hours and funding needed

Developing the CPE program

To be eligible, employees must have one year of service in the IRS at the time of application.

To be eligible, employees must, at a minimum, have a current performance appraisal of fully successful or higher.

Eligible employees must complete Form 12907, Tuition Assistance Program Application and may request up to four (4) courses in a fiscal year. However, employees are limited to two (2) courses during the same semester.

The IRS will compensate employees for the full cost of each approved course(s) without a dollar limit. This includes the cost of tuition, books, and required fees for courses approved under the program. Required course materials in CD ROM format are acceptable. No other fees will be paid. Any employee whose approved courses cost more than $5,250 for the year will be notified by the IRS that there may be tax implications for the portion of the amount exceeding $5,250.

The IRS will not compensate employees for travel or other costs, such as parking, general supplies (e.g. calculators, diskettes, pens, brief cases, school-related apparel, etc.), internet service provider fees, computer hardware/software purchases and /or rentals associated with training. Any invoices received by the IRS for such items will be returned to the bookstore/vendor as unauthorized purchases.

Administrative time will not be granted for attending courses under the TAP.

Employees attend training on their own time either during normal working hours or outside their normal tour of duty. If the course falls during the employee's normal tour of duty, subject to managerial approval, the employee will be allowed to utilize a flexitour or use approved leave. Managerial approval for training during an employee's normal tour of duty is subject to workload requirements and may or may not be approved. If the training occurs after normal working hours, IRS facilities such as computers, space, and workstations may be used, if permissible.

Due to IRS security regulations, TAP e-learning courses may not be taken on Government computers.

Obtain a signed Form SF-182, for each approved class, from their TAP Representative prior to class registration.

Sign a continuous service agreement, when applicable.

Complete all approved courses within one (1) year from the date the courses begin.

Provide evidence of successful completion of training based on the established criteria.

Reimburse the IRS if they do not successfully complete the training, withdraw from a course or fail to complete a course.

Reimburse the college, bookstore, or vendor for any purchases deemed unauthorized as described under Overall Program Guidelines.

Prevention of Sexual Harassment (POSH)

Ethics

Information Protection, which includes Privacy/Disclosure, Computer Security and Unauthorized Access (UNAX)

Safety and Health

Notification and Federal Employee Anti-Discrimination Act (No FEAR)

Require on-site assistance

Involve the detail or assignment of IRS personnel

Involve an appreciable amount of IRS resources (other than a request for a few spaces in IRS classroom training)

Any training material restricted under the provisions of IRM 1.3, Disclosure of Official Information Handbook

Copyrighted materials that IRS purchases or leases, and for which the contract limits distribution

Allocating training funds to meet the training requirements of their BU

Distributing training funds in accordance with their BU training funding process

Monitoring additions, changes, and deletions to training requirements and their impact on funding levels

Ensuring training requirements are entered into the Annual Training Plan

Preparing program guidance for managing training funds within their BU

Planning and funding delivery strategies

Identify the performance problem. The first action in the TDQAS Assessment phase is to identify a performance problem: the discrepancy between actual job performance and desired job performance. Performance problems may include inadequate performance of experienced employees, changed job responsibilities employees cannot yet perform, new technology affecting job performance, or newly selected employees who lack the necessary job skills.

Determine the focus of training development efforts. The second action in the TDQAS Assessment phase is to determine the focus of training development efforts. Course development activities are prioritized to ensure that the most pressing training needs are given immediate attention.

Describe the trainee population. The trainee population description verifies or revises the assumptions concerning the intended learner audience. Comprehensive knowledge about the trainees for whom instruction is intended helps developers to design training which will enable the trainees to learn effectively. In addition to demographic information which is useful in establishing the scope of training programs, trainee population data provide further information concerning existing skills, knowledge, and attitudes among trainees. Training can be geared to the trainees and can build on what they already know. Preliminary training can be offered to those who do not possess prerequisite knowledge and skills. Differences among trainees can be identified and compensated for in the training design. This helps ensure that all trainees benefit from the instruction. Failure to identify existing trainee knowledge and skills may lead to unnecessary overtraining or insufficient training. This, in turn, can lead to student boredom, frustration, or even failure. Trainee population data are routinely referred to throughout the various phases of TDQAS.

Inventory the job tasks. For training development purposes it is crucial not only to define the job thoroughly, but also to specify all of the tasks which are components of the job. These tasks represent all of the possible "targets" upon which training programs could focus. This provides the basis for the match-up between job tasks and the requisite training programs which lead to successful job performance. Failure to produce an accurate task inventory can result in voids in training or in training the wrong tasks. This negatively affects job accomplishment.

Select the tasks for training. Under real-world conditions, not all tasks associated with a particular occupation or specialty can be, or need to be, formally trained. This is partially due to shortages of resources, time available for training, the nature of the tasks themselves, and other factors. Even if resources were available, it would not be a prudent strategy considering retention and career progression variables. It is desirable, therefore, to provide for economy of training by reducing the number of tasks to those necessary or critical to accomplishment of the job. During the task selection process, tasks are selected which require formal training, on-the-job training, or can be performed using job aids. Tasks which do not require training are eliminated.

Analyze the tasks. Tasks analysis for training purposes is the process of examining each task selected for training in the circumstances under which it is performed. This provides information which will assist in the design and development of performance-oriented training. A properly prepared task analysis will save countless hours by avoiding duplication of effort among designers, writers, and producers. Even more important, this common analysis base provides consistency and continuity among various training products and programs. The analysis may also be used to identify common training among occupations — opportunities for generic modules, merger training, etc. The goal is to ensure that the trainee is trained under conditions that accurately reflect job performance and which will result in job proficiency.

Conduct a learning analysis. This is the last action of the analysis phase and is preliminary to the actual design of the training and training support materials. Based on the task analysis data, this is where specific training objectives are written; the requisite knowledge and skills are determined; and the job aid candidates are confirmed. Special emphasis should be placed on job aid candidates, as this may decrease the need for formal courses of instruction.

Design the training plan. The training plan can also be viewed as a training strategy or curriculum. The training plan, once developed, serves as the master plan for all training activities within an occupation. It is the specific training picture or scheme for each occupation within the function. It is here that overlapping or redundant training objectives can be eliminated and gaps in the training programs can readily be identified. The training plan provides the structure for coordinated and efficient training development activities by streamlining and integrating courses of instruction to provide the right training at the right time in the right amount.

Construct the test items. Test items (not to be confused with the test instruments themselves), whether used in a formal testing scenario, as drill and practice, as practical exercises, or as some other form of learning assessment, measure whether a trainee has achieved a training objective to some standard or degree of proficiency. They are derived from an analysis of what is required to perform successfully a particular task on the job.

Prescribe the course design strategy. The course design strategy provides the guidelines for group-instruction and self-instruction which are conducted in a classroom, learning center, or job setting. The strategy is prepared before extensive writing or costly production begins. It is the recipe or blueprint for learning that has been prepared by the training developer that all writers and production specialists can ultimately follow. This is especially helpful when using task forces or outside contractors to arrive at a clear understanding of how the course is to be developed.

Prescribe the OJT design strategy. This provides the link between classroom training and on-the-job performance. The OJT design strategy is carefully planned so that the OJT program is organized around important, job-related issues and activities. OJT activities and assignments are logically and optimally arranged to facilitate the learning process in a job setting. Without an OJT design strategy, there is a high probability for a mismatch between objectives, learning activities, and practice. Follow-on training to enhance or expand upon what was learned in the classroom may be inconsistent among trainees unless it is properly designed.

Prescribe the job aid design strategy. As alternatives to formal instruction (unless they must be trained in their use) job aids are usually faster to develop, less expensive, and easier to revise. Nevertheless, they must be carefully planned. In terms of improving job performance, job aids can decrease the amount of time required to complete a task, reduce the number of errors, and increase the confidence of an employee in his or her ability to do the job by eliminating unnecessary memorization.

Prescribe the evaluation strategy. The primary purpose for evaluation in a training context is to gather credible data for improving training which should, in turn, lead to improved job performance. Planning for evaluation cannot wait until the last minute. Commitment by SL&E and other involved parties to the evaluation process should be obtained in advance. This minimizes the chances of evaluation being perceived as threatening. Resources necessary to the conduct of the evaluation can be identified early-on, thus facilitating the whole process.

Develop the draft materials. Development is the logical follow-on to assessment, analysis, and design activities. Draft materials provide the opportunity for multiple sources of input to the training program materials, as well as serve as a checks and balances mechanism for minimizing errors.

Try out the draft materials as appropriate. This tests whether or not the training materials, in fact, teach. Tryout of draft materials should not be bypassed. The process contributes significantly toward successful training programs and, ultimately, job performance. Studies have shown that even a limited number of tryout participants can identify 75-80% of the errors and shortcomings in the materials.

Revise and produce the materials. This is the logical conclusion of the development phase. The training and training support materials should now be effective, efficient, educationally sound, and ready for distribution.

Implement the training tracking system. This action is the link between the produced materials and their implementation. It concerns the administration and logistics of cataloging, warehousing, and distributing the training and training support materials. In addition, mechanisms for tracking trainees (for training evaluation purposes) during and subsequent to the conduct of instruction should be addressed. The training tracking system enters the training and training support materials "into the system" so that actual implementation of training programs can occur.

Enter course information into the Enterprise Learning Management System (ELMS) in accordance with ELMS procedures.

Oversee Training Implementation. The purpose is to train trainers how to teach, set up the classroom, obtain the training materials, prepare to conduct training, assemble the trainees, conduct the training, and initiate the evaluation process.

Evaluate learner reaction and achievement. Learner reaction determines how people feel about the training. Learner reaction, also known as Level 1 feedback, answers the question: Did they like it? This is the lowest level of a comprehensive approach to evaluation and should never stop here. Learner achievement is known as Level 2 feedback. As a continuation of the process, learner achievement determines whether trainees learned the skills and acquired the knowledge as a result of the training. Did the participants learn what they were supposed to learn? These two aspects of the evaluation process provide a basis for deciding whether the training met its planned objectives. It helps remove guesswork from training programs by obtaining hard data upon which to base revision efforts.

Evaluate Job Performance and Organizational Achievement. Evaluating job performance is known as Level 3 feedback. In a training context, evaluation of job performance determines whether trainees used the knowledge and skills they were taught while on the job. What do they do differently as a result of training? Evaluation of organizational impact is known as Level 4 feedback. Also in the training context, evaluation of organizational impact determines whether organizational outcomes were influenced/accomplished by the training program. Did the training program impact the mission of the organization? These two final aspects of evaluation help to enhance job proficiency by removing guesswork from the training program when hard data are used as a basis for revision efforts. Failure to determine training impact on job performance allows training deficiencies to remain undetected. Evaluating the link between training programs and subsequent job performance establishes the accountability of training to the organizational mission.

Identifies the tasks performed in each occupation and occupational specialty

Specifies the training courses that provide the knowledge and skills necessary to perform each task

Planning the training of new employees

Planning the supplemental and developmental training of more experienced employees

Identifying and remedying job performance weaknesses