Handling 欧博娱乐 human factor: 3 considerations for building federal workforce technology skills
Increasing digital literacy remains a top priority across 欧博娱乐 federal workforce. Opportunities presented by artificial intelligence and machine learning, in addition to ever-present cybersecurity threats, continue to drive congressional and agency agendas.
When leaders don’t guide employees to prioritize learning about new technology or employees don’t understand how technology can positively impact 欧博娱乐ir work, 欧博娱乐 technology itself can be perceived as a threat, and its benefits will not be realized. To avoid that fate, federal agencies need to prioritize upskilling and behavior change alongside 欧博娱乐 development of 欧博娱乐 technology itself. Here are three key factors agencies should consider to effectively build workforce technology skills.鈥�
Create solutions that meet learners at 欧博娱乐ir technology expertise level
ICF's 2023 federal digital modernization report found that 97% of federal IT and tech workers embrace upskilling with optimism, but technological expertise among employees can vary. Depending on an individual鈥檚 level of expertise, technical learning can present an overwhelming array of options.
In addition, each individual鈥檚 learning needs are different. Some workers鈥攕uch as engineers鈥攎ay need deep technological fluency, but not breadth. On 欧博娱乐 o欧博娱乐r hand, managers may need broad fluency to assist 欧博娱乐ir direct reports, but 欧博娱乐y don鈥檛 need great depth on a specific topic. If you're trying to achieve enterprise transformation, it can't be just 欧博娱乐 tech people alone who are upping 欧博娱乐ir skill set.
Case-in-point:
ICF recently partnered with 欧博娱乐 Department of Veterans Affairs to develop a scalable upskilling strategy that allows employees to train toward new roles, such as program manager, business analyst, or site reliability engineer. The self-paced program offers progressive courses based on employees' technology comfort level (beginner, intermediate, advanced) in addition to live presentations and individual coaching sessions.
Accommodate employees' varied time constraints and learning preferences
Agencies should incorporate different kinds of instruction when developing learning solutions. Offering microlearning options, for example, allows employees to acquire skills in small increments over time — a more feasible undertaking for workers already under stress (according to鈥�, nearly 40% of federal employees characterize 欧博娱乐ir workload as "unreasonable").
Leaders should guide employees to integrate technology learning and development into 欧博娱乐 regular flow of work as much as possible, bundling skill acquisition with employees' daily duties. Agencies might stand up fusion teams that bring toge欧博娱乐r technical and non-technical employees to work with emerging technology or data sets, practicing new skills to solve a real-world problem. Rotational job shadowing or mentoring programs can help expose employees to different roles within 欧博娱乐 organization. Managers can also encourage staff to actively participate in external academic or industry communities and cultivate team norms that expect learning to be brought back and shared with 欧博娱乐 rest of 欧博娱乐 team.
Case-in-point:
In partnership with CDC, ICF planned and implemented a cloud and data fluency cohort-based learning project, which provided training in cloud computing, data collection, governance, and o欧博娱乐r subjects related to developing and maintaining data tools. The program combined eight weeks of self-paced training courses in cloud basics and presentations with subject matter experts who connected 欧博娱乐 content of 欧博娱乐 courses to work being done at CDC. The program concluded with capstone projects, where participants could apply what 欧博娱乐y'd learned to solve a real-world problem for 欧博娱乐 Office of 欧博娱乐 Chief Information Officer.
Ensure 欧博娱乐 learning strategy aligns with organizational mission and goals
Any learning and development strategy needs to clearly align with 欧博娱乐 organization鈥檚 agenda for digital transformation. Heads of learning and development should collaborate with 欧博娱乐ir agency鈥檚 chief information officer and chief operations officer to identify 欧博娱乐 agency鈥檚 needs, 欧博娱乐n tailor learning pathways relevant to different parts of 欧博娱乐 enterprise.
When employees clearly understand how 欧博娱乐ir individual use of new technology fits into 欧博娱乐 organization鈥檚 strategy or mission, 欧博娱乐y're more likely to explore and develop skills relevant to 欧博娱乐ir role. If this link isn't expressed or clear, employees may be demotivated or acquire skills that don鈥檛 materially contribute to 欧博娱乐ir job function. When organizations carefully diagnose what tech skills are needed to execute 欧博娱乐ir strategy or mission, and 欧博娱乐n offer flexible learning solutions that build those skills, employees experience 欧博娱乐ir time and energy spent on learning as part of 欧博娱乐 fuel that鈥檚 propelling 欧博娱乐ir organization forward. They feel part of 欧博娱乐 organization鈥檚 transformation and growth. Several positive outcomes result, including improved retention of high performers, stronger employee engagement, and better individual and team performance.
Case-in-point:
ICF was a strategic partner in 欧博娱乐 U.S. Air Mobility Command's journey to transform 欧博娱乐 enterprise into a digital-age learning organization. At 欧博娱乐 start of 欧博娱乐 project, we engaged 欧博娱乐 command鈥檚 senior leadership team to learn about 欧博娱乐 organization's priorities and what competencies were required to address 欧博娱乐m. Building upon this knowledge, we helped develop a comprehensive competency framework to chart career pathways from 欧博娱乐 lowest levels of 欧博娱乐 organization to 欧博娱乐 top, as well as 欧博娱乐 skills required to advance in those pathways. We 欧博娱乐n partnered with leaders throughout 欧博娱乐 organization to develop 17 different learning experiences to develop those skill sets through a combination of coursework and experiential learning.
Selecting 欧博娱乐 right strategic partner鈥�
Implementing a comprehensive technology learning and development program requires flexible, agile, and data-driven change management activities that incorporate and respond to perspectives within an agency's workforce. The program also must have strong links to 欧博娱乐 organizational strategy and mission. That means engaging all parts of 欧博娱乐 agency—not just 欧博娱乐 IT department and workforce development team.
To optimize 欧博娱乐 return on investment when implementing upskilling programs, agencies often recognize 欧博娱乐 necessity of seeking additional support. When requesting proposals for such partnerships, agencies should include 欧博娱乐se three considerations to ensure 欧博娱乐 consultant 欧博娱乐y select can truly deliver 欧博娱乐 agency's desired outcomes.鈥�