PerformanceThana

NeedsGhunaim
Analysis
RAC INTERNATIONAL
The purpose of this document is to give an overview of the performance needs analysis
thana@ghunaim.org
and a formal approval of the initial proposed solutions on behalf of RAC Champlain
college

Champlain College
2
TABLE OF CONTENT

Contents
Table of Content........................................................................................................................................................................... 2

About this Document............................................................................................................................................................ 3

Overview................................................................................................................................................................................... 3

About Champlain College................................................................................................................................................ 3

RAC Services....................................................................................................................................................................... 3

The Client Request............................................................................................................................................................ 4

Description of the problem............................................................................................................................................. 4

Current and ideal performance Analysis 6 boxes model......................................................................................7

Six boxes model:................................................................................................................................................................ 7

Points of Concern.............................................................................................................................................................. 9

Constraints............................................................................................................................................................................ 9
Gaps and Recommendations............................................................................................................................................. 10

Evaluation........................................................................................................................................................................... 12

Reaction.............................................................................................................................................................................. 12
Learning.............................................................................................................................................................................. 12
Application.......................................................................................................................................................................... 13
Impact................................................................................................................................................................................. 13
Appendix A: Data collection....................................................................................................................................................... 14
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ABOUT THIS DOCUMENT

HPT Course Concordia project team is pleased to submit this proposal for services to
support the Recognition of Acquired Competencies (RAC) services offered by the
Champlain College in achieving its goals of expanding its services to reach potential
candidates locally and internationally by giving an access to the online resources and
online learning support and post-implementation support for its new Program RAC
International.

OVERVIEW

At 14.6%, Quebec has the highest immigrant unemployment rate in Canada.

The unemployment rate in Quebec of those with no degree, certificate or
diploma was 20.5 %. Champlain College introduced the RAC (Recognition of
Acquired Competencies) services to help adults who have work experience
to be recognized for their knowledge and skills. In an attempt to, Champlain
college is considering to expand the program and include immigrants before
they arrive to Canada.( Boudarbat, 2010)

About Champlain College

Champlain College Saint-Lambert is a public College in Saint-Lambert, Quebec, Canada. It

is a campus of Champlain Regional College, and primarily serves the South Shore of
Montreal. Like the other campuses of Champlain Regional College, the Saint-Lambert
campus is an English-language public post-secondary institution that offers both pre-
university and career programs.

RAC is for adults who have significant experience in a specific field and wish to see their
skills and competencies officially recognized by the Ministre de lducation et de
lEnseignement suprieur of Quebec.( http://www.champlainrac.com/about/)

RAC Services

The recognition of acquired competencies (RAC) in vocational and technical training is a

process that allows adults to obtain official recognition for competencies acquired on the
job or through real-life experience in relation to a program of study. Recognition is recorded
 4 in an official document (e.g. a report card or diploma) It shortens adults time at school,
helps them obtain needed prerequisites, facilitates a career change, improves their
qualifications, and increases the chance of getting/keeping a job.

RAC awards an Attestation dtudes Collegiales (AEC) or a Diplme dtudes collgiales

(DEC), both of which are recognized by the Ministre de lducation et de lEnseignement
suprieur The RAC process provides candidates with the opportunity to demonstrate their
skills and competencies through varied evaluations, such as interviews, portfolios, projects,
workplace demonstrations, etc.

The Client Request

RAC is considering to expand its services to immigrants and candidates that have
difficulties attending the clusters physically in an attempt to increase its enrollment rate.
This project has been split into two parts, choosing an appropriate Learning management
system (LMS) and transferring classroom seminars and activities to an online format, we
are focusing on the later part. Orzugul Kamalova, Techno pedagogical Advisor, requested
the design of a model on RAC service - DEC (Diplome tudes collegial) ITNM (Information
Technology Network Management) available online for any potential candidates who would
like to have access to the online resources. The client requested us to perform the
following tasks:

Conduct a needs analysis following the ADDIE model (If RAC can be offered online
one-on- one)

Prepare a project plan with the time, budget, human and technical resources, and
deliverables

Design the prototype including online evaluations for at least 2 first competencies

Testing the prototype with at least 2 testers- candidates (candidates will be hired)

Report back with the recommendations

Description of the problem

ITNM was introduced by Champlains RAC program in 2015. So far the average enrollment
rate is one cohort of 25 candidates per year and the target is two cohorts. The program
5 suffers from an average of 25% dropout rate. This includes both semi-active and fully
withdrawn candidates and the program wants to bring it down to 8%.

Due to restrictions from the ministry, no time limit can be set for a candidates program
completion; it has been noted that due to lack of restrictions, candidates prioritize other
activities over the completion of the program and chose to delay completing clusters they
were assigned to fill their knowledge gaps.

Although the program does offer some of its resources online, it was noted that it misses
interactivity and flexibility. By transferring the current classroom seminars and activities into
a more interactive and flexible format giving the current candidates the opportunity to
complete the program requirements and allowing immigrants the opportunity to prepare for
the program and speed up its completion upon their arrival. Recent changes in immigration
laws will restrict the program from offering the complete program online and international
candidates should be physically present in Quebec. It will be appropriate to limit online
evaluation to candidates residing in Quebec and only provide access to the evaluations for
international students once they move to Quebec.

In addition to the hope of making the program available for candidates that cannot be
physically present, the program hopes to help the Candidates joining the program at any
stage as a result of the ongoing interviewing process that is conducted year around,
offering them a mean of catching up with the rest of the group.

Performance Objectives

After conducting our analysis, it was determined that the objectives that should be met after
the completion of the program are: of the course are:

Business Needs Objectives

Preference Candidates 80% of candidates use online resources

need
preference of use of
online recourses

Learning need Quality of content and 100% of candidates attending online

evaluation improves
Clusters delivered
online and in class
both achieve the
same outcomes
seminars achieve the same learning
outcomes as those attending in class
100% of the content developed is
updated by CS to be delivered online as
well as in class
6

Performance Online resources 75% of resources are used by current

are utilized by candidates
Need
Content specialists, 100% of communication, assignment
current candidates submission, and academic updates is
and prospective done through LMS
candidates

Increase the enrolment rate by 100%

Business need Increase in
(one entire cohort) one year after the
enrollment in the
project implementation
ITNM program
Decrease the dropout rate from 25% to
increase in
8% in the academic year following the
candidate retention
project implementation
100% of candidates complete the
program within a maximum period of 1
year
7

CURRENT AND IDEAL PERFORMANCE ANALYSIS 6 BOXES MODEL

Six boxes model:

A comprehensive needs analysis has been conducted on behalf of RAC services Champlain college to help better identify and
understand current practices that should be adjusted in order to adapt the new online format. The outcome of the analysis was
based on input from different members of the RAC services team, current candidates and research documents. The assessment
process followed the 6 Boxes Model, adapted by Carl Binder from the Behavioral Engineering Model. This model was selected
for its comprehensive coverage of both the individual and the environmental aspects of the current practices.

the table below summarizes our findings.

Factors that
affect
Performance Current Ideal
While the expectations for enrolled candidates is to
1. Expectations All candidates are fully enrolled and
and Feedback be fully active in the program, many candidates committed to the program by being able to
arent. this is mainly due to work, family or time access the course material online.
restrictions. Candidates become semi-active and The program requirements are clearly
fall behind defined on the website, providing
The website does not detail the time it will take to
prospective candidates with a clear idea of
complete each competency, or that the candidate what to expect and how long it may need
will not be exempted from the general to complete competencies required to
competencies obtain a DEC
8

2. Tools and Given the amount of time dedicated to improving
Resources the program and the work load, the RAC advisor
finds that their time is limited because of the
multiple services that they are in charge of.
Multiple ways of communications are used to reach
out to students. These include: skype, email, in
person, etc.
No learning management system is being used.
Currently excel or WordPress are used
Online resources are basic with minimal interaction.
RAC advisors are responsible for one
Service only.
Have a dedicated simulation to be used for
training and evaluation available in the
RAC service.
Find the best LMS and use it to support the
online training material.
All resources, seminars and activities are
available online.

3. Consequences There are many restrictions set by the government All registered candidates are fully active
and Incentives that creates a flexible environment for the within the restrictions set by the ministry.
candidates, making it easy for them to become
semi-active or withdraw from the program all
together making it harder for the content specialists
and RAC advisors to maintain the desired retention
rate of fully active candidates.
Based on the request of some candidates, an
internship opportunity can be arranged

4. Skills and Due to the part-time nature of the content
Knowledge specialists, arranging pedagogical training that can
accommodate their schedules is very challenging
Some of the team members has minimal to no
experience in delivering online courses.
All content specialists attend regular
pedagogical training
All content specialists are proficient with
online delivery of material.

5. Selection and The Placement procedures for prospective Given the rigorous hiring and placement
Assignment candidates are very thorough. Only those that meet criteria and procedures, this box is not a
9

(capacity) the requirements are allowed to register in the RAC factor

program
The hiring process is very rigorous, Professionals
that meet strict criteria are only considered
6. Motives and Current Candidates are discouraged by the Current candidates complete all
Preference general competencies and think that it is required general competencies on time
(attitude) unnecessary, resulting in them skipping some
seminars/ activities

Points of Concern
Based on the current and ideal analysis we were able to identify the following gaps that should be addressed and
recommendations of how the can be addressed

Constraints
While developing the recommendations the following constraints were taken into consideration.

Constraint Details Implications

Immigration Immigration set new Candidates will not be able to be

laws policies that will enrolled in the program officially and will
restrict the not be able to conduct the evaluation of
evaluation process the clusters
to candidates
physically residing in
Canada
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Candidates The selling point of Candidates will have to be physically

access to the RAC services present in order to get access to
facilities offered by facilities.
Champlain College
is the well-equipped
facilities. The
program wants to
provide access to
the same facilities to
all candidates
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Gaps and Recommendations
Factors that affect
performance Gap
Expectation and Feedback Online accessibility to the material is
lacking interactivity and design.
Candidates extreme time limits which
causes them to miss classes and
become semi-active
Job placement is not defined
Candidates cannot guarantee
finding a new job
Tools and resources Work load is heavy on the RAC
advisors, which may affect the quality of
their work on the long run
Communication is not done in a
standard way, which may lead to
confusion and misunderstanding as well
as lost information
Practical activities offsite are not
available to candidates.
Recommendations
Transfer the classroom seminars
and classroom activities into online
format that is flexible and
interactive.
Create a structured internship
program that will act as an
incentive for prospective
candidates, giving them an
opportunity to gain Canadian
experience as well as a clearer
idea of the job market and
placement rates
Update the website to reflect
information in a clearer, more
detailed manner
RAC advisor should be dedicated
to one service only. S/He will
oversee the logistics of both online
and in-person services provided
and keep track of updates, training
and retention needs
Implement new Learning
Management System (LMS) that
will be used as a mean of
communication, resource center,
profile monitoring for both
candidates and the program.
12
Consequences and incentives
Skills and knowledge
Selection and assignment
Motives and preferences
No defined consequences of skipping
clusters or sessions
Accessibility to routine pedagogical
training.
Inadequate knowledge of online
delivery of courses
none
Candidates are not motivated to
complete general competencies as
they do not find it relevant to the
Use simulations for students that
do not have access, specifically
international prospective
candidates
Make agreements with colleges/
facilities within Canada to allow
candidates to access their labs for
practice and evaluation
Negotiate with the ministry the
ability to set time limits for program
completion
Negotiate financial penalties that
candidates will have to pay if they
do not show for a course they
registered for
Set an expiration date for the
validity of the validation interview
or competencies completed.
Offering mandatory pedagogical
training online with a yearly
assessment to measure if they are
matching the programs key
performance indicators (KPI)
Provide content specialists training
for delivering online courses and
instructions
none
Offer an alternative competency
that candidate can complete based
to their preference. This
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program competency must meet the

objective of the original
competency
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Evaluation
Evaluation is a process that critically examines a program. It involves collecting and analysing
information about a projects activities, characteristics, and outcomes. Its purpose is to make
judgments about a project, to improve its effectiveness, and/or to inform programming
decisions (Patton, 1987)

Reaction
The objective of this evaluation is to evaluate how candidates, prospective candidates,
Content specialists react to the introduction of the online clusters and resources. IT is
important that participants find the online courses useful and engaging. This will be done by a
fairly straightforward survey that will allow us to understand better how everyone involved.
The aim is to get an 85% satisfaction rate.

Learning
This part involves two aspects:

Knowledge acquisition from implemented online courses

Knowledge acquisition from training programs provides for and content specialists.

Knowledge acquisition from online courses: for online courses to be deemed effective,
candidates and prospective candidates should be able to achieve the exact requirements that
a candidate attending regular in-person seminar is expected. The learning outcomes are also
the same. Competency evaluations will be transferred into an online format where applicable.
Some evaluations will be adjusted so that they can be delivered online. Candidates within
Quebec will be allowed to register and conduct the evaluations and are expected to get a
minimum of 60% to be considered as successfully completed the competency. Prospective
candidates will be allowed to take sample evaluations online to assess the success of the
courses. To be deemed effective the passing grade will be set similar to the regular
evaluation, that is 60%.

Knowledge and skill acquisition from training program: If participants aren't gaining new
knowledge and learning new things then it's likely that the training is ineffective, either by the
information covered or the lack of participant engagement in the training process. The
purpose of the training is improving the pedagogical skills of the content specialists and the
online delivery skills of. Knowledge and skill acquisition can be assessed by creating an
assessment of the participants skill set and performance before and after a training program.
By doing so we can get a clear picture of performance and skill improvements you can directly
tie to the training program. Content specialists should be able to demonstrate their ability of
15adapting all the current seminars, activates and evaluation to suit the online delivery mode.
will have to complete a questionnaire after completing the training program. They should be
able to demonstrate their knowledge of how to deliver seminars and assist candidates online.

Application
Applying knowledge acquired through training and utilizing the new online and LMS as a part
of day-day activities in the RAC services is a key indicator of the success of the project.
Surveys will be conducted to track the application of the skills acquired and the use of the
online resources and LMS. To be deemed successful 75% of resources are used by current
candidates and 100% of communication, assignment submission, and academic updates is
done through LMS.

Impact
The overall success of the project can be measured by keeping track of the number of
candidates enrolled in the ITNM service, the number of the candidates that complete the
competencies they registered for, and the number of prospective candidates that are active
online. This can be easily done through a survey or a tracking software that will track the
number of active candidates.

Interviews will be conducted with candidates that dropped out or are semi-active to determine
areas that needs to be addressed in the current project.

The target is to increase the enrollment by and 1 cohort of 25 candidates and decrease the
dropout rate from 25% to 8%.
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APPENDIX A: DATA COLLECTION

Tool Details Information obtained

Interviews Orzugul Kamalova: Techo-Pedagogical General information about

Advisor, CERAC the program, business
need, Policies and ministry
rquirments

Tetyana Tsomko: RAC Advisor ITNM ITNM program structure,

program, RAC Champlain Hiring process, candidate
selection and placement,
current situation of the
course, enrollment rate
and retention, Financial
aspect

Daniel Cavalheiro: Content Specialist, RAC Evaluation strategy of

Champlain competencies, teaching
tools and resources,
enrollment rates and
retention, financial aspects

References Algonquin, (2015). Putting course outline into action: planning your
course delivery

Boudarbat, B. (2011), Labour market integration of immigrants in

Quebec: a comparison with Ontario and British Columbia, Le CIRANO.
Retrieved from: http://cirano.qc.ca/pdf/publication/2011RP-09.pdf

Carliner, S. (2015).Training Basics. ATD Press. VA. USA

Chevalier, R. (2002).Updating the Behavior Engineering Model.

Performance Improvement.

Di Maulo, S. 3 Dangerous Trends all Learning Leaders Face.

17
Malamed, C. (2012). No more spilled ink. Thelearningcach.com

Patton, M.Q. (1987). Qualitative Research Evaluation Methods.

Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publishers

Shank, P. (2010). Rapid e-Learning, the eLearning Guild

Stolovitch, H. (2004). Training aint Performance. ASTD Press. USA

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