Resources for the global digital safety training community.
Planning Your Training Event
Credits Last Updated 2016-03
This multi-part resource details the basics of the event planning process, built from the documented experience of several experienced trainers - among these steps are gathering inputs, analyzing these inputs, and their subsequent impact on the design, preparation and orientation of a training event.
Introduction
This multi-part resource details the basics of the event planning process, built from the documented experience of several experienced trainers - among these steps are gathering inputs, analyzing these inputs, and their subsequent impact on the design, preparation and orientation of a training event.
The larger, rough process of planning of a digital safety training or workshop includes inputs, their analysis, and the subsequent design, preparation and orientation. Planning itself will actually span the life of the event, continue through the closing of the event, and culminate with a “hand-off” for continuity planning (i.e. follow-up and evaluation stages). We are painfully aware that the number of factors and elements which go into event planning are numerous, complex, and variable.
Generally speaking, the following several steps comprise the basics necessary to take into account when planning for an event. Planning an event also includes Planning Your Event Agenda, designing training sessions according to the needs and requirements determined beforehand, and adjusting the agenda and training sessions as new information emerges.
Step 0 - The Go or Don’t Go Decision
It is best to think of event planning as starting with the decision whether or not to go ahead with the event. You must first decide whether or not conducting a training is advisable based on initial information.
Step 1 - Initial Contact and Assessing Need
For trainers, two important aspects of the training planning process are safely establishing initial contact with participants, and the means through which you plan to gather the data points needed from them for the design of an agenda.
Step 2 - Context and Risk Analysis
This resource addresses how you can gather data to contextualize the risk factors involved in a training. These findings will enhance and clarify understanding of the operational realities involved, and are highly relevant to the design and execution of the event.
Step 3 - Analysis and Design Considerations
The findings that emerge from an initial risk analysis will surface a basic idea of what the most important needs of participants are, with regard to digital safety - this step covers the further considerations involved when beginning to put together a draft training plan.
Step 4 - Communications and Content Planning
Given what you now know about the operating environment, what will be the most appropriate means of communicating with participants before and after the training?
Step 5 - Orientation and Preparation
Often, an event such as a training is geared towards participants within a specific context. Orientation and preparation steps for trainers are essential, in order to be ready for last-minute changes to your agenda, or even to handle an emergency situation.