LEARNING GUIDE # 02

Module Title: - Assist with Policy Development

for Client Support
Module code: ICT HNS4 02 1110
SYMBOLS

These symbols are located at the left margin of the module. These illustrate the actions that
should be taken or resource to be used at a particular stage in the module.
LOGO INFORMATION UNIT Database Administration level IV
SHEET MODULE Assisting with Policy Development

LO Learning Self-Check
Outcome

Answer Key
Resources

Reading Assessment
Activity

Remember/Tips
Use Computer

Practice Task Safety

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 LO
At the end of the module the learner will be able to:
1. Review change requests
2. Modify system according to requested changes
3. Train on the use of modified system

Assisting with Policy Development

1. Change request

A change request is a document containing a call for an adjustment of a system; it is of great

importance in the change management process.

A change request is declarative, i.e. it states what needs to be accomplished, but leaves out how
the change should be carried out. Important elements of a change request are an ID, the customer
(ID), the deadline (if applicable), an indication whether the change is required or optional, the
change type (often chosen from a domain-specific ontology) and a change abstract, which is a
piece of narrative (Keller, 2005). An example of a change request can be found in Figure 1 on
the right.

Change requests typically originate from one of five sources:

(i) problem reports that identify bugs that must be fixed, which forms the most common
source,
(ii) system enhancement requests from users,
(iii) Events in the development of other systems,
(iv) changes in underlying structure and or standards (e.g. in software development this could
be a new operating system), and

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 (v) Demands from senior management (Dennis, Wixom &Tegarden, 2002). Additionally, in
Project Management, change requests may also originate from an unclear understanding
of the goals and the objectives of the project.

Change requests have many different names, which essentially describe the same concept:

 Engineering Change (EC) by Huang and Mak (1999);

 Engineering Change Request (ECR) at Aero (Helms, 2002);
 Engineering Change Order (ECO) by Loch and Terwiesch (1999) and Pikosz and
Malmqvist (1998). Engineering Change Order is a separate step after ECR. After ECR is
approved by Engineering Department then an ECO is made for making the change;
 Change Notice at Chemical (Helms, 2002);
 Action Request (AR) at ABB Robotics AB (Kajko-Mattson, 1999);
 Request For Change (RFC) by Rajlich (1999); RFC is also a common term in ITIL
(Keller, 2005) and PRINCE2 (Onna&Koning, 2003);
 Change Request (CR) is, among others, used by Lam (1998), Mäkäräinen (2000), Dennis,
et al. (2002), Crnkovic, Asklund and Persson-Dahlqvist (2003) and at ABB Automation
Products AB (Kajko-Mattsson, 1999).
 Operational Change Request (OCR)

Receiving and documented request

Anyone can make a request for information, including members of the public, journalists,
lawyers, businesses, charities and other organizations. An information request can also be made
to any part of a public authority. You may have a designated information requests team to whom
the public can make their requests. However, members of the public will often address their
requests to staff they already have contact with, or who seem to know most about the subject of
their request.

When you receive a request you have a legal responsibility to identify that a request has been
made and handle it accordingly. So staffs who receive customer correspondence should be
particularly alert to identifying potential requests.

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You should also be aware of other legislation covering access to information, including the Data
Protection Act 1998, Environmental Information Regulations 2004, and sector specific
legislation that may apply to your authority, such as the Access to Health Records Act, the Local
Government Acts, and the Education (Pupil Information) Regulations.

What makes a request valid?

To be valid under the Act, the request must:

 Be in writing. This could be a letter or email. Requests can also be made via the web, or
even on social networking sites such as Facebook or Twitter if your public authority uses
these;
 Include the requester’s real name. The Act treats all requesters alike, so you should not
normally seek to verify the requester’s identity. However, you may decide to check their
identity if it is clear they are using a pseudonym or if there are legitimate grounds for
refusing their request and you suspect they are trying to avoid this happening, for
example because their request is vexatious or repeated. Remember that a request can be
made in the name of an organization, or by one person on behalf of another, such as a
solicitor on behalf of a client;
 Include an address for correspondence. This need not be the person’s residential or
work address – it can be any address at which you can write to them, including a postal
address or email address;
 Describe the information requested. Any genuine attempt to describe the information
will be enough to trigger the Act, even if the description is unclear, or you think it is too
broad or unreasonable in some way. The Act covers information not documents, so a
requester does not have to ask for a specific document (although they may do so). They
can, for example, ask about a specific topic and expect you to gather the relevant
information to answer their enquiry. Or they might describe other features of the
information (eg author, date or type of document).

This is not a hard test to satisfy. Almost anything in writing which asks for information will
count as a request under the Act. The Act contains other provisions to deal with requests which
are too broad, unclear or unreasonable.

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Even if a request is not valid under the Freedom of Information Act, this does not necessarily
mean you can ignore it. Requests for ‘environmental information’, for example, can be made
verbally. You also have an obligation to provide advice and assistance to requesters. Where
somebody seems to be requesting information but has failed to make a valid freedom of
information request, you should draw their attention to their rights under the Act and tell them
how to make a valid request.

Can a question be a valid request?

Yes, a question can be a valid request for information. It is important to be aware of this so that
you can identify requests and send them promptly to the correct person.

Example:

“Please send me all the information you have about the application for a 24-hour license at the
Midnight Bar.”

“Re. Midnight Bar license application. Please explain, why have you decided to approve this
application?”

Both are valid requests for information about the reasons for the decision.

Under the Act, if you have information in your records that answers the question you should
provide it in response to the request. You are not required to answer a question if you do not
already have the relevant information in recorded form.

In practice this can be a difficult area for public authorities. Many of those who ask questions
just want a simple answer, not all the recorded information you hold. It can be frustrating for
applicants to receive a formal response under the Act stating that you hold no recorded
information, when this doesn’t answer their simple question. However, requesters do have a right
to all the relevant recorded information you hold, and some may be equally frustrated if you take
a less formal approach and fail to provide recorded information.

The best way round this is usually to speak to the applicant, explain to them how the Act works,
and find out what they want. You should also remember that even though the Act requires you to

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provide recorded information, this doesn’t prevent you providing answers or explanations as
well, as a matter of normal customer service.

The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) recognizes that some public authorities may
initially respond to questions informally, but we will expect you to consider your obligations
under the Act as soon as it becomes clear that the applicant is dissatisfied with this approach.
Ultimately, if there is a complaint to the ICO, the Commissioner will make his decision based on
whether recorded information is held and has been provided.

What should we do when we receive a request?

First, read the request carefully and make sure you know what is being asked for. You must not
simply give the requester information you think may be helpful; you must consider all the
information that falls within the scope of the request, so identify this first. Always consider
contacting the applicant to check that you have understood their request correctly.

You should read a request objectively. Do not get diverted by the tone of the language the
requester has used, your previous experience of them (unless they explicitly refer you to this) or
what you think they would be most interested in.

What if we are unsure what’s being asked for?

Requests are often ambiguous, with many potential interpretations, or no clear meaning at all. If
you can’t answer the request because you are not sure what is being requested, you must contact
the requester as soon as possible for clarification.

You do not have to deal with the request until you have received whatever clarification you
reasonably need. However, you must consider whether you can give the requester advice and
assistance to enable them to clarify or rephrase their request. For example, you could explain
what options may be available to them and ask whether any of these would adequately answer
their request.

Example:

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“You have asked for all expenses claims submitted by Mrs Jones and dates of all meetings
attended by Mrs Jones in June, July or August last year.

This could mean:

1. all expenses claims Mrs Jones ever submitted, plus dates of meetings she attended in
June, July and August; or
2. All expenses claims Mrs Jones submitted in June, July or August, and dates of meetings
she attended in the same months. Please let us know which you mean.”

Example:

“You have asked for a copy of our risk assessment policy. We do not have a specific policy
relating to risk assessment. However, the following policies include an element of risk
assessment:

* Health and Safety at Work policy

* Corporate Risk Strategy

* Security Manual

Please let us know whether you would be interested in any of these documents or what risk
assessment information you are interested in seeing.”

The time for compliance will not begin until you have received the necessary clarification to
allow you to answer the request.

What happens if we don’t have the information?

The Act only covers recorded information you hold. When compiling a response to a request for
information, you may have to draw from multiple sources of information you hold, but you don’t
have to make up an answer or find out information from elsewhere if you don’t already have the
relevant information in recorded form.

Before you decide that you don’t hold any recorded information, you should make sure that you
have carried out adequate and properly directed searches, and that you have convincing reasons
for concluding that no recorded information is held. If an applicant complains to the ICO that
you haven’t identified all the information you hold, we will consider the scope, quality and
thoroughness of your searches and test the strength of your reasoning and conclusions.

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If you don’t have the information the requester has asked for, you can comply with the request
by telling them this, in writing. If you know that the information is held by another public
authority, you could transfer the request to them or advise the requester to redirect their request.

Gathering of system data

Data collection is any process of preparing and collecting data, for example, as part of a process
improvement or similar project. The purpose of data collection is to obtain information to keep
on record, to make decisions about important issues, or to pass information on to others. Data are
primarily collected to provide information regarding a specific topic.

Data collection usually takes place early on in an improvement project, and is often formalized
through a data collection plan which often contains the following activity.

 Pre collection activity — agree on goals, target data, definitions, methods

 Collection — data collection
 Present Findings — usually involves some form of sorting analysis and/or presentation.

Prior to any data collection, pre-collection activity is one of the most crucial steps in the process.
It is often discovered too late that the value of their interview information is discounted as a
consequence of poor sampling of both questions and informants and poor elicitation techniques.
After pre-collection activity is fully completed, data collection in the field, whether by
interviewing or other methods, can be carried out in a structured, systematic and scientific way.

A formal data collection process is necessary as it ensures that data gathered are both defined and
accurate and that subsequent decisions based on arguments embodied in the findings are valid.
The process provides both a baseline from which to measure and in certain cases a target on what
to improve.

Other main types of collection include census, sample survey, and administrative by-product and
each with their respective advantages and disadvantages. A census refers to data collection about
everyone or everything in a group or statistical population and has advantages, such as accuracy
and detail and disadvantages, such as cost and time. A sampling is a data collection method that
includes only part of the total population and has advantages, such as cost and time and
disadvantages, such as accuracy and detail. Administrative by-product data are collected as a
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byproduct of an organization's day-to-day operations and has advantages, such as accuracy, time
simplicity and disadvantages, such as no flexibility and lack of control.

Organize relevant information

Our day-to-day professional and social lives rarely demand that we create detailed architectures
of what we know and how those structures of information are linked. Yet without a solid and
logical organizational foundation, your web site will not function well even if your basic content
is accurate, attractive, and well written.

There are five basic steps in organizing your information:

 Inventory your content: What do you have already? What do you need?
 Establish a hierarchical outline of your content and create a controlled vocabulary so the
major content, site structure, and navigation elements are always identified consistently;
 Chunking: Divide your content into logical units with a consistent modular structure;
 Draw diagrams that show the site structure and rough outlines of pages with a list of core
navigation links; and
 Analyze your system by testing the organization interactively with real users; revise as
needed.
2. system modification
Identify Best Solution

For this step think about each option and pick/decide which option is the best for you. Think
about what might happen if you do this.

Things to remember

 Think about the possible consequences of your solution, including who else will be
affected
 Make sure that your selected solution will produce the desired results

Things to avoid

 Selecting the easiest solution because it is the easiest

 Not thinking about the consequences of the plan and solution

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Develop recommendations

Evaluations often make recommendations about how a program can be improved, how the risk
of program failure can be reduced or whether a program should continue. However, not all
evaluations include recommendations. It is important to clarify whether recommendations are
expected when developing the evaluation brief, terms of reference or scope of work.

If recommendations are developed on the basis of the evaluation findings, processes which
involve stakeholders in developing and/or reviewing them will contribute to the use of the
evaluation findings. The individual or group who has control of the evaluation – a manager or
evaluation steering committee – should be consulted when developing recommendations as their
support will probably be very important in order to ensure that the evaluation findings are
disseminated and used.

Planning solutions

This is important to develop for solving any problem, and key for keeping the process on track
and finding the solution in the shortest amount of time. For our example, the plan is
straightforward—though maybe not simple—as a car is a fairly complex piece of machinery. The
plan will be to break the issue down into smaller problems that are more easily solved, until we
are left with the actual cause of the problem.

3. preparation of training
Introduction

Training is the acquisition of knowledge, skills, and competencies as a result of the teaching of
vocational or practical skills and knowledge that relate to specific useful competencies. Training
has specific goals of improving one's capability, capacity, and performance. It forms the core of
apprenticeships and provides the backbone of content at institutes of technology (also known as
technical colleges or polytechnics). In addition to the basic training required for a trade,
occupation or profession, observers of the labor-market [who?] recognize as of 2008 the need to
continue training beyond initial qualifications: to maintain, upgrade and update skills throughout

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working life. People within many professions and occupations may refer to this sort of training
as professional development.

Types of training

1. Physical training

Physical training concentrates on mechanistic goals: training-programs in this area develop

specific skills or muscles, often with a view of peaking at a particular time. Some physical
training programs focus on raising overall physical fitness.

In military use, training means gaining the physical ability to perform and survive in combat, and
learning the many skills needed in a time of war. These include how to use a variety of weapons,
outdoor survival skills, and how to survive captured by the enemy, among many others. See
military education and training.

For psychological or physiological reasons, people who believe it may be beneficial to them can
choose to practice relaxation training, or autogenic training, in an attempt to increase their ability
to relax or deal with stress.[1] While some studies have indicated relaxation training is useful for
some medical conditions, autogenic training has limited results or has been the result of few
studies.

2. Job Training and Development

Some commentators use a similar term for workplace learning to improve performance: "training
and development". There are also additional services available online for those who wish to
receive training above and beyond that which is offered by their employers. Some examples of
these services include career counseling, skill assessment, and supportive services. One can
generally categorize such training as on-the-job or off-the-job:

On-the-job training takes place in a normal working situation, using the actual tools, equipment,
documents or materials that trainees will use when fully trained. On-the-job training has a
general reputation as most effective for vocational work.

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Off-the-job training takes place away from normal work situations — implying that the
employee does not count as a directly productive worker while such training takes place. Off-
the-job training has the advantage that it allows people to get away from work and concentrate
more thoroughly on the training itself. This type of training has proven more effective in
inculcating concepts and ideas.

A more recent development in job training is the On the Job Training Plan, or OJT Plan.
According to the United States Department of the Interior, a proper OJT plan should include: An
overview of the subjects to be covered, the number of hours the training is expected to take, an
estimated completion date, and a method by which the training will be evaluated.[3]

3. Religion and spirituality

In religious and spiritual use, training may refer to the purification of the mind, heart,
understanding and actions to obtain a variety of spiritual goals such as (for example) closeness to
God or freedom from suffering. Note for example the institutionalized spiritual training of
Threefold Training in Buddhism, Meditation in Hinduism or discipleship in Christianity. These
aspects of training can be short term or last a lifetime, depending on the context of the training
and which religious group it is a part of.

4. Parochial schools

Parochial schools are a fairly widespread institution in the United States. A parochial school is a
primary or secondary school supervised by a religious organization, especially a Roman Catholic
day school affiliated with a parish or a holy order. As of 2004, out of the approximately 50
million children who were enrolled in American grade schools, 4.2 million children attend a
church-affiliated school, which is approximately 1 in 12 students. Within the Christian religion,
for example, one can attend a church-affiliated college with the intent of getting a degree in a
field associated with religious studies. Some people may also attend church-affiliated colleges in
pursuit of a non-religious degree, and typically do it just to deepen their understanding of the
specific religion that the school is associated with. The largest non-public school system in the
United States, the Catholic school system, operates 5,744 elementary schools and 1,206
secondary schools.

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5. Artificial-intelligence feedback

Researchers have developed training-methods for artificial-intelligence devices as well.

Evolutionary algorithms, including genetic programming and other methods of machine learning,
use a system of feedback based on "fitness functions" to allow computer programs to determine
how well an entity performs a task. The methods construct a series of programs, known as a
“population” of programs, and then automatically test them for "fitness", observing how well
they perform the intended task. The system automatically generates new programs based on
members of the population that perform the best. These new members replace programs that
perform the worst. The procedure repeats until the achievement of optimum performance. In
robotics, such a system can continue to run in real-time after initial training, allowing robots to
adapt to new situations and to changes in themselves, for example, due to wear or damage.
Researchers have also developed robots that can appear to mimic simple human behavior as a
starting point for training.

Prepare a training session

The success of any educational activity, or an activity that requires a fluent and positive flow of
information and opinions between people, be it a workshop, training, round table discussion or
conference, depends on many factors and includes various elements that supplement and
strengthen the common effect. It is unlikely that anyone could say what the ideal recipe for
training is. Indeed, this will vary according to a range of factors such as the personality of the
trainer, his or her knowledge and practical experience, how prepared the students are, their desire
to learn and their need to apply obtained knowledge and skills in practice, as well as the situation
in which the training takes place.

Nevertheless, good preparation and careful planning of the training session is always necessary.
It significantly reduces the nervousness of the trainer, and helps the trainer to pay special
attention to each participant and to quickly find solutions to any unforeseen situations.

 During the preparatory stage, the trainer should pay attention to the following:
 Evaluating the level of knowledge and needs of future training participants
 Setting aims and objectives;

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  Developing the programme, its logic and schedule of work
 Selecting methods
 Preparing handouts
 Organizational matters (such as the venue, equipment, food for participants, etc.).

How to Prepare the Perfect Employee Training

If you want to train employees and get results, you need to do more than hire a trainer with a
decent reputation. You need to prepare for training with the same organization you put into
onsite leadership. Training employees can be an expensive proposition — so you want to make
sure it’s worth every penny. Training with the brain in mind should be well-organized and well-
practiced. Whether you hire an outside trainer or someone in-house does the job, preparation
makes all of the difference.

Choosing — and fitting — the training content

The content determines the amount of time necessary for the training. “Spray and pray” trainings
— in which participants are given more information than their brains can handle and then sent on
their way to apply it — are brain-antagonistic and ineffective. The brain needs time to connect
new information to known information.

Training content may be predetermined by a needs assessment. This assessment may be

informal, or you may have your leadership team create a needs assessment or survey for every
employee to fill out. Here are some general questions you might include in a needs assessment:

 In which areas are you interested in further training?

 Select the most convenient day and time for your for training.
 Which method of training do you prefer? (List options such as online training, on-the-job
training, and so on.)

Selecting the trainer

If you hire an outside trainer, be certain that the trainer you hire knows your content and
understands your business needs. Interview the trainer and be certain you’re getting what you

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want. The trainer who says she can offer a training that meets the needs of each of the multiple
intelligences should be able to offer you an outline of what she can do to meet those needs.

Following are some suggestions for choosing a trainer:

 Ask for credentials and references.

 Interview the trainer — preferably in person — and try to get a feel for the type of
presenter he is.
 Ask for outlines of the material.
 Check to see whether the trainer provides follow-up for the training in the form of
updates, coaching, or informal gatherings.

Choosing the setting for your training

The most effective trainings occur off-site in a room that lacks distractions. When trainings are
given onsite, trainees are torn between concentrating on the new information and work they need
to get done. Onsite trainings also include more interruptions.

If the room has always been set up theater-style, or perhaps trainees always sit around a
conference table, you can try other formats. Consider these:

 Round tables make trainees more likely to interact with each other. When the participants
sit only halfway around the table, they have clear sightlines to the trainer and training
materials, as well.
 U-shaped designs offer visibility if participants don’t sit on both sides of the tables.
 Diagonal table set ups allow for visibility, interaction, and participation.
 Many trainers prefer round table arrangements for participation and movement
possibilities. If the room doesn’t have windows, moods and attitudes may take a bad turn
because they lack feel-good brain chemicals, like serotonin, whose release is affected by
sunlight. If the training room is short on sunlight, be sure the training includes some short
“road trips” to areas with natural light.

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Self-Check 1

 Answer the questions on the following questionnaire; provide the answer sheet to your
trainer.

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  Check your answers by looking at the feedback sheets; ask for the assistance of the
trainer whenever necessary.
Satisfactory
Questions
Response
 The trainee should answer the following questions YES NO

Short answer questions

1. List the five sources Change requests:

2. What makes a request valid?
3. What are the five basic steps in organizing your information?

 The trainee’s underpinning knowledge was

[ ] Satisfactory [ ] Not satisfactory

 Feedback to Trainee:

Trainee’s Signature: Date:

Instructor’s Signature: Date:

Answer Key
1.
 problem reports that identify bugs that must be fixed, which forms the most
common source,
 system enhancement requests from users,
 Events in the development of other systems,

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  changes in underlying structure and or standards (e.g. in software
development this could be a new operating system), and
 Demands from senior management

2.

To be valid under the Act, the request must:

 Be in writing. This could be a letter or email. Requests can also be made via the web, or
even on social networking sites such as Facebook or Twitter if your public authority uses
these;
 Include the requester’s real name. The Act treats all requesters alike, so you should not
normally seek to verify the requester’s identity. However, you may decide to check their
identity if it is clear they are using a pseudonym or if there are legitimate grounds for
refusing their request and you suspect they are trying to avoid this happening, for
example because their request is vexatious or repeated. Remember that a request can be
made in the name of an organization, or by one person on behalf of another, such as a
solicitor on behalf of a client;
 Include an address for correspondence. This need not be the person’s residential or
work address – it can be any address at which you can write to them, including a postal
address or email address;
 Describe the information requested. Any genuine attempt to describe the information will
be enough to trigger the Act, even if the description is unclear, or you think it is too broad
or unreasonable in some way. The Act covers information not documents, so a requester
does not have to ask for a specific document (although they may do so). They can, for
example, ask about a specific topic and expect you to gather the relevant information to
answer their enquiry. Or they might describe other features of the information (eg author,
date or type of document).

3.
 Inventory your content: What do you have already? What do you need?

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  Establish a hierarchical outline of your content and create a controlled vocabulary so the
major content, site structure, and navigation elements are always identified consistently;
 Chunking: Divide your content into logical units with a consistent modular structure;
 Draw diagrams that show the site structure and rough outlines of pages with a list of core
navigation links; and
 Analyze your system by testing the organization interactively with real users; revise as
needed.

Performance Criteria

Satisfactory
Assessment Criteria
Response
The trainee will be assessed through the following criteria: YES NO
 Answered all the interview questions clearly
 Performed all activities accordingly
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  Followed all instructions in the activities

Trainees’ Performance is:

[ ] Satisfactory [ ] Not Satisfactory

Feedback to Trainee:

Trainee’s Signature: Date:

Instructor’s Signature: Date:

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