Issues and objectives
In response to regulations enacted to mitigate the adverse effects of road salt on the environment, winter road maintenance authorities across the country need to find ways to use road salt more effectively, and thereby use less of it. Smart application of road salt means changing behaviours and adopting new strategies and methodologies for dealing with ice and snow on roads. The Transportation Association of Canada (TAC) has taken the lead in developing training programs for winter maintenance operators and supervisors. There was a need for a learning guide to explain why operators and supervisors need to change their methods and behaviours, and to reinforce the learning through self-testing exercises and role-playing scenarios.

Solutions

• Synthesized policies, procedures, and best practices into learning guide designed to teach winter road maintenance employees how to become smarter about the way they handle and apply road salt.
• Collaborated with leading subject-matter experts.
• Designed and developed a train-the-trainer package based on the learning guide.

View the Salt SMART learning guide on the TAC website.

Issues and objectives
The departmental Financial Management System was phased out and replaced by the Common Departmental Financial System and the Project and Business Management System. There was a need for an innovative learning tool to support the migration to the new software applications within a tight timeframe.

Solutions

• Project managed the design, development, and production of Teacher in a Book, a 24-module training document delivering just-in-time, just-in-place instruction to support the systems migration project. The manual supported a training strategy that provided various options for users, such as self-directed learning, coach-led learning sessions, or informal workshops.
• Collaborated closely with systems developers, subject-matter experts, stakeholders, graphic designers, and other technical writers on the team to ensure that the documentation reflected ongoing system updates in a timely manner.
• At conclusion of project, analysed processes and outcomes and documented lessons learned.

Issues and objectives
The department creates customized facilities management software tools to support employees who manage federal government buildings. Updates to both the software and business processes create an ongoing requirement for user reference guides and training manuals for new hires as well as for existing staff.

Solutions

• Wrote content for, and coordinated production of, technical specification manuals, user guides, and training manuals for several in-house software tools.
• Analyzed and codified business processes involved in facilities management for inclusion in training manuals.

View sample chapters from Teacher in a Book for BMP.

View sample chapters from Teacher in a Book for OASREP.

View the User Guide for Tech2 SpaceAUDIT.

Issues and objectives
The Office Accommodation and Real Estate Services produced a suite of facilities management software tools and an electronic discussion forum for employees using the software to discuss issues around data integrity and related business processes. There was a need for an on-line help system to help users learn how to use the new tools.

Solutions

• Wrote instructional text for software users.
• Produced on-line help system using RoboHelp software.

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Last update: September 18, 2005