Training plan and budget

One goal for the literacy program mentioned in Step 3 was to have “staff trained in recognizing and working with low literacy clients.”

An action plan similar to the example in Step 3 needs to be prepared for training. A person should be named to be responsible for drawing up the plan and working out the objectives of the training. Staff should be involved as much as possible in order to feel part of the process, not just the passive recipients. Once the objectives are clear, then the rest

• of the action plan can be filled in:person responsible for each objective
• time frame for completion
• expected outcomes
• any budget requirements

Where the training will take place

The next decision will be whether the training takes place at the tribunal offices or at off-site courses or seminars.

The availability of appropriate trainers, the size and layout of the tribunal offices, and the budget will help decide this.

There is a large and growing list of firms and groups that offer plain language training. These sessions can be customized to your particular situation or your staff and adjudicators can attend a general workshop or seminar. (See the Resources section for some suggestions.)

Evaluation

You can evaluate the training by examining how it has changed the staff and tribunal members’ treatment of clients. Some of the benchmarks can come from the objectives of the training plan.

Clients can be surveyed about the whole hearing process and asked whether

• they understood the whole tribunal process and when things should be done and why;