Training activities administration
and logistical support
Learning objectives
• On completion of this unit participants will be
able to:
– Describe how to plan and manage the required
administrative and logistical support for a
successful training event
– Discuss roles and responsibilities within the
training team and the key elements of a training
event administrator's role
– List the logistic and administrative needs in
planning and organising training events as well as
how and when to apply these during the phases of
training
Your own experience
• Why is good administration and support
necessary?
– What happens when no (good) support is
available?
• What kind of support is required?
– What kind of tasks?
• What kind of relationships between
– Trainer & Training Administrator?
– Trainer & other support?
Functions of the training administrator
The training administrator can be said to
have three (3) main functions.
1. Administrator of training and support;
2. Information coordinator for the event
3. Internal consultant to the management
of the organisation providing the
training support.
 Difference?
Information Coordinator?
• Manages and monitors “contractor”
relationships
• Enables and evaluates line manager
effectiveness in providing required
services/support
• Coordinates an organisation-wide
implementation and delivery effort
» Note: contractor means the various parties
involved in a training event (internal and external)
Internal Consultant?
• Identifies skill development needs at the
organisational level
• Advises on staff development methods
and best practice
• Evaluates and improves the
effectiveness of the organization’s
training and development effort
Administrative and logistical support
• Traditionally, focus was primarily on the first of
these roles: providing administrative and
logistical support to training events and trainers.
• As a training administrator you will be required to
support all phases of the training event. The
level of support required will depend upon the
complexity and length of the event, the number
and types of stakeholders involved – e.g. clients
(sponsors), training and participants, the types of
objectives, etc.
Pre-event
• What are the event administrators doing?
– determining clients needs/requirements,
– assessing scope of training on basis of the
determined needs
– planning how best to acquire these,
– notifying participants,
– determining budgets & funding,
– determining support requirements (physical
including technological, human, financial)
During the event
• What are the event administrators doing?
–
–
–
–
Briefing personnel on required tasks
Performing site and facilities checks
Assisting with participant welcome and registration
Providing or ensuring technical support
(troubleshooting, peripherals, network, etc.)
– Providing or ensuring administrative support
(photocopying, telephone calls, participants’
issues, etc.)
Post the event
• What are the event administrators
doing?
– Assisting in evaluations
– Drawing up final financial overview
– Co-determining follow-up methods
– Ensuring reporting
– Organising follow-up requirements
– More?
Like any other activity…
• Like any other component in the training
intervention, logistics and support
requires proper planning!
– *If you fail to plan, then you plan to fail…*
To manage resources
• You must…
• You should…
– Develop training framework to determine resource
requirements
– Develop a budget that includes categories
covering the necessary training activities
– Obtain funds to support the budget
– Ensure that processes are in place for proper
management of the budget and disbursement of
the funds
To determine content
• You must…
• You should…
– Gather information from potential learners and their
supervisors as part of the course design process
– Identify subject matter experts who are proficient in the
knowledge and skills to be learned and that match the
required criteria;
– Determine facilities and human resource requirements
needed to support the identified training strategies (e.g.
activities, media and technology, etc.)
– Be sensitive to the ways that issues concerning ethnic
groups, gender, and organisational culture may affect
training design in a specific location
To manage training logistics
• You must …
• You should…
– Develop a checklist of all of the logistics for the
training course
– Assign responsibility for each logistical activity &
ensure those responsible are aware of
expectations
– Establish and follow a reasonable timeline of
activities to guide yourself and others
– Communicate clearly and timely with participants
and other relevant persons (e.g. supervisors)
– Administer training needs assessments
To monitor and evaluate
• You must …
• You should…
– Define minimum support standards that are requested by the
trainer
– Develop tools that adequately evaluate logistical support
(e.g. site/facilities) and processes (e.g. invitation) to assess
satisfaction with training
– Develop a process and tools to monitor and evaluate
performance on the job after training (e.g. follow-up &
checklist, respectively)
– Develop an action plan to address any problems related to
logistics and support as identified during the training delivery
process
To provide follow-up
• You must …
• You should…
– Co-determine the type of follow-up required (e.g.
observing, coaching, solving problems, gathering data
about learner progress, identifying other performance
gaps, etc.)
– Follow-up by telephone or correspondence if site visits
are not possible
– Involve other interested parties in follow-up activities
– Inform both the learner and the supervisor of the
findings and recommendations resulting from the
follow-up
Remember!
• The roles and responsibilities of the
training administrator may change
according to the needs expressed by
the “client” or the trainer
• To avoid assumptions be sure to check
and validate what will be needed of you
in this role!
Other practical issues for
consideration in administration
planning…
At the beginning
• Find out:
–
–
–
–
–
–
how many are attending;
why they are attending;
who sent them to the workshop;
what are their hopes and expectations;
what are their fears and constraints;
what range of experience will they bring to the
table;
– if they have any biases towards or against you or
your organisation;
– what is their prior knowledge of the subject.
The room
•
•
•
•
Check it out beforehand.
Make sure you have all that you need.
Check out and deal with potential distractions.
Decide where you will stand and how you will move
about.
• Decide on the best seating plan (see later).
• Prepare the blackboards, charts, displays and
screens. Make sure they will be visible to everyone.
• Make sure you have plenty of paper, markers, etc.
Seating arrangements
• Think carefully about the best way of arranging
seating. It is sometimes a good idea to vary seating
arrangements. The most common options are:
– rows of tables and chairs;
– tables arranged in a hollow U-shape;
– tables arranged in banquet style - lots of small tables, with
four or five people per table;
– conference table - everyone seated around a single table;
– circle of chairs;
– trios of tables (three tables arranged in a star).
• Think about why a particular arrangement might be
good, and in what circumstances.
Check list
• Are you clear about overall training objectives?
• What are your specific training objectives?
• Have you reached agreement with co-trainers on roles,
training objectives, programme and training styles?
• What are the main characteristics of likely participants?
• Have you worked out a timetable?
• Does each session include an introduction, main points
and a summary?
• Have you planned to use a variety of learning methods?
• Are you clear about the five golden nuggets you want to
impart?
Check list continued…
• How aware are you of your style, intonation and
expression?
• What will you do to calm yourself before you start?
• Have you planned question and answer sessions?
• Are the room, facilities and arrangement of
tables/chairs as you want them?
• Have you planned for changes in seating
arrangements?
• Are all audio-visual materials ready?
• Are electrical supplies working? If not, what are your
contingency plans?
• Have you planned time for evaluation?
Thank you
Any questions?