Building standards - verifiers management and training and development recording: review

Annex A Local Authority Building Standard Managers Survey

Local Authority Survey: Review of Verifiers Management and Recording of Training and Development

Introduction

Optimal Economics has been appointed by the Building Standards Division (BSD) of the Scottish Government to undertake a review of the management and recording of the training needs of verifiers to support the delivery of the workforce strategy. The study is seeking to investigate how the recording of training needs identified through the new Competency Assessment System (CAS) is managed and how the systems and processes can inform the development of a learning hub for the building standards profession.

As part of the research, Optimal Economics is undertaking an online survey of all local authority building standards manage to understand the current processes and systems that are used to manage, deliver and record training for staff in local authorities and how the new CAS fits with these processes and systems.

The survey is split into two parts with the first part dealing with existing systems and the second part dealing with CAS. All references to existing or current systems refer to the position before the introduction of CAS.

Background Information

Name:

Job Title:

Local authority:

Existing (Pre-CAS) Processes and Systems for Recording Training and Development Needs

1. Can you describe the current process for formally identifying the training and development needs of buildings standards staff. Please describe:

a. Frequency of appraisal

b. Use of forms e.g. Building standards specific or generic local authority

c. Format of appraisal – e.g. self-completion form followed by face to face meeting

d. Who is involved eg. BS manager, line manager

e. The role of human resources (HR), if any

f. Other comments

2. Where specific building standards training and development needs are identified, what is the process for formally recording these needs? Please describe:

a. Where e.g. within BS team, personnel records within HR system,

b. What systems are used e.g. Microsoft packages, HR software

c. Are these linked to any specific BS software e.g. Uniform

d. Are these needs shared elsewhere in the authority?

e. Other comments

3. What is the process for ensuring training needs are addressed for building standards staff?

a. Responsibility of individual, building standards department, HR etc.

b. Does this vary depending on the type of training e.g. internal or external courses

c. Is there a role for a central corporate learning and development team?

d. Other comments

4. Is there a process for recording training needs identified outside any formal appraisal process? If yes, please describe:

a. The broad process

b. Who records the training need and where is it recorded

c. What software and systems are used

d. Other comments

5. Is there a process for updating records when training is complete? If so, please describe.

6. Are these processes for identifying, recording and addressing training needs specific to building standards or are they authority wide processes? (please tick)

	BS Specific	Authority Wide	Other (please describe)
Identifying needs
Recording needs
Addressing needs

7. On a scale of 1 to 5 where 1 is very poorly and 5 is very well, how well do you think the current system meets the needs of your staff in terms of:

a. Identifying training needs

b. Recording training needs

c. Addressing training needs

8. Please identify any strengths of these processes from a BS perspective:

a. Identifying training needs

b. Recording training needs

c. Addressing training needs

9. Please identify any weaknesses of these processes from a BS perspective:

a. Identifying training needs

b. Recording training needs

c. Addressing training needs

New CAS Processes

10. Have you undertaken any assessments using the new CAS and its toolkit?

Yes/No

11. If Yes, what aspects of the process worked well?. Please provide comments in relation to the five steps of the CAS process:

a. Assessment planning and agreement

b. Evidence gathering by candidate

c. Assessment

d. Assessment decision making

e. Recording outcomes

12. What aspects of the process did not work as well as expected? Please provide comments in relation to the five steps of the CAS process:

a. Assessment planning and agreement

b. Evidence gathering by candidate

c. Assessment

d. Assessment decision making

e. Recording outcomes

13. On a scale of 1 to 5 where 1 is very poorly and 5 is very well, how well does CAS and its toolkit fit into your existing processes for identifying, recording and addressing training and development needs:

a. Identifying training needs

b. Recording training needs

c. Addressing training needs

14. Can you explain the reason for your answer to Q13?

a. Identifying training needs

b. Recording training needs

c. Addressing training needs

15. Are there any other comments you would like to make about CAS and its toolkit?

Thank you for your time.