MCCC Training Plan

MCCC Training Plan

MCCC Training Plan for GRM

Updated March 20, 2008

Presented by:

Document History

Document Title / MCCC Training Plan
Author / Wendy Kaehler - Manatron, Inc.
To Be Approved By / MCCC Steering Committee / Manatron Project Manager
Comments / This document provides the Training Plan for the MCCC Project.
File Name / MCCC Training Plan.DOC
REVISION HISTORY
Rev / Section / Type / Date / Author / Remarks
1.0 / All / Initial / 7/27/07 / Wendy Kaehler / Initial draft
1.1 / Training Plan Schedule / Rev / 8/20/07 / Wendy Kaehler / Added schedule
1.2 / Rev / 8/22/07 / Wendy Kaehler / Added note regarding 3rd party vendor tools for multi-media training
1.3 / Sub / 8/23/07 / Wendy Kaehler / Estimate hours provided to MCCC
1.04 / Logistic and Tech Reqmts (new)
Course Descriptions / Sub / 8/24/07 / Wendy Kaehler / Added section requirements, course descriptions and roster sections.
1.05 / All / Sub / 9/5/07 / Wendy Kaehler / Added descriptions, narrative, graphics and sections.
2.0 / All / Rev / 9/20/07 / Wendy Kaehler / New format
2.01 / Roster / Rev / 11/8/07 / Wendy Kaehler / Roster area expanded to include Security
2.02 / Cyclical Events / Rev / 12/12/07 / Wendy Kaehler / Added MH billing to June
2.03 / Cyclical Events / Rev / 1/8/08 / Wendy Kaehler / Added CAMA import to December
2.04 / Prelim/JIT / Rev / 1/16/08 / Wendy Kaehler / Added GIS & Admin Data Export to JIT
2.05 / Schedule / Rev / 2/5/08 / Wendy Kaehler / Moved Tax Accounting training from Prelim/JIT to Follow-up and removed from Validation Set-up training
2.06 / Methodology
Logistics and Tech Rqmts / Rev / 2/19/08 / Wendy Kaehler / Prelim training is remotely administered
Redacted the individual PC requirements for classroom training in Logistics and Tech Rqmts
2.07 / Schedule / Rev / 3/20/08 / Wendy Kaehler / Changed section icons; corrected misspelling

Table of Contents

MCCC Training Plan for GRM 1

Document History 2

Table of Contents 3

Introduction 3

Methodology 3

Training Delivery and Formats 3

ConneXion Website 3

Software Releases and Updates 3

Training Scope and Objectives 3

Training Plan 3

Participants 3

Training Staff 3

Students 3

Roster 3

Logistical and Technical Requirements 3

On-site Training 3

Live Web-based Training 3

Reviewing Recorded Web-based Training files 3

On-line Tutorial Training 3

Schedule 3

County Set-up Validation – 6 weeks before live 3

Preliminary and Just-in-Time (Daily tasks) – 5 weeks prior and the week prior to going live 3

Follow-up Training – post going live 3

Cyclical Events – calendar specific training over 2 years 3

Other Training Resources 3

Ad hoc Report Training 3

Third Party Training 3

Tax Users Group of Manatron (TUGOM) 3

Appendix A – Microsoft Live Meeting Specifications 3

Introduction

The MCCC Training Plan identifies the necessary resources and methods to be employed in administering GRM application training through the course of the project to all the counties involved. It provides the project with a clear view of the breadth and scope of the training, the methods by which it is to be administered and the schedule and resources required to meet those ends.

Methodology

Manatron recognizes that training may be administered through different methods employing various media and that the best retention of material occurs through seeing, hearing and performing. The primary methods of delivery will be self study materials and small group sessions.

Self Study materials include recorded web sessions, user manuals, on-line help and on-line tutorials, which provide users access to immediately available resources on how to use the GRM tool most effectively and appropriately.

Small Group informal training occurs throughout the MCCC project starting during the implementation phase and continuing after going live, as users gather in central locations to learn how to set up and use the application.

For Technical and Administration students, most of this training will be conducted in an on-the-job-training format and not always in a classroom setting. Frequently this training will occur as the Manatron Implementation Staff is working concurrently with the MCCC staff on application setups and tables to support the data requirements and user interface. Most of this training is a one-time occurrence to set up the application and most of these activities will not be repeated once completed. Training on Security will be provided in a classroom setting.

Training Delivery and Formats

Due to the number of locations and the aggressive deployment schedule for the MCCC project, utilizing today’s technology to administer training provides an essential and feasible solution to meet the training need. The methods Manatron will use to deploy training to MCCC users include:

§  live training sessions, which comprise of in-person instruction, on-the-job training and web sessions. This type of instruction provides interaction between students and instructors.

§  recorded sessions, which include recorded web-session and on-line tutorials. The recorded web sessions consist of the live sessions, recorded and some pre-recorded training sessions. These recordings incorporate action and sound. On-line tutorials are computer-based training files featuring action with the option of text or sound.

§  documentation, which encompasses user manuals and on-line help, that provide written instruction on the use of GRM.

The table below lists the training sessions expected to be delivered for each county being implemented. It shows that seven weeks and prior to “going live,” (i.e., working in production), self study materials, such as recorded web sessions, on-line tutorials and user manuals will be available to all users. Six weeks prior to production, County set-up validation training occurs for the domain experts. Domain experts are the power users of the county who fully understand their area and business impacts of decisions. Five weeks prior to production, domain experts receive preliminary training on the just-in-time training subjects. Just-in-time training occurs for all users the week prior to going live, and training continues during the week the counties move to production and the following week for all users as well.

When / What / Audience / Format
T – 7+ / Self Study / All Users / Recorded Web Sessions
On-line Tutorials
User Manuals
On-line help
General system information / IT / Implementation Guide
On the Job Training
Deploy Software Upgrades / IT / Recorded Web Session
Deployment Guide
T – 6 / County Set-up Validation / Domain Experts / Live Web Sessions
T – 5 / Preliminary Training / Domain Experts / Live Web Sessions
T – 1 / Just-In-Time Training / All Users / Facilitated Classroom
Live
L + 1 / Follow-up Training / All Users / Live Web Sessions
Facilitated Classroom
Recorded Web Sessions
On-line Tutorials
User Manuals
On-line help
Cyclical / Cyclical Event Training / All Users / Live Web Sessions

Table 1: Training timeline overview

Live training, will be provided in several formats, the most conventional form being formal classroom sessions, but this format also includes web-based training sessions and informal on-the-job-training with the Manatron subject matter experts through the course of the project. Obvious benefits to this type of training include the personal attention and hands-on experience users receive.

Facilitated classroom training involves users gathering at a central training location and being instructed in-person within a group setting. The Just-in-Time training and much of the post go-live Follow-up training will be administered this way. At times, Manatron will have an on-site support person present in the classroom while the actual instructor leads the class remotely.

Each of the county groups will have a central-site training location designated that can accommodate up to 12 users and one instructor at a time. The instructor’s PC will be projected for the users to view during the session. The instructor will set the stage of the activities being covered by using selected MCCC produced Business Scenarios. These scenarios will guide the training and navigation through the GRM workflow and processes required to perform the scenario.

Prior to the session, the attendees will be informed as to what sections of the user manual to print and bring with them to the class. Users may use these documents to make notes for themselves as the training progresses.

Administering formal classroom training requires logistical preparation, travel arrangements for central-site trainings and is subject to classroom size limitations. For these reasons and the magnitude of the MCCC project, Manatron proposes using discretion for which types of training are administered in this manner.

As an alternative, Manatron will leverage web-based training which allows users at various sites, including their own desks, to log into a web session for a group participation session that can be recorded for future reference. This method simplifies the logistical issues while it maintains the interactive benefits of in-person training and provides the added benefit of providing a future review reference through the recording feature. Note: Web training requires Windows Media Player to exist on the client PC.

Manatron will use web-based training for providing training to large audiences and to audiences in scattered locations. The County Set-up Validation, Preliminary Domain Expert and Cyclical Event training will primarily be administered through this method. These classes are described in the Training and Scope section.

Prior to a web-based training session, the instructor will send an email with an agenda that includes instructions on participating in the session. If there area any materials other than the GRM user manuals, those will be sent as well. If the GRM user manuals are serving as the primary reference, the appropriate sections will be identified.

At the appropriate time of the session, users will call a toll-free number and log into a website session. (Counties may choose to gather participants into a conference room equipped with a speaker phone, projector and PC and view training as a group and projected.) A facilitator may open the call or the trainer may run the entire call. Users will see demonstrated actions by the trainer via the website connection and hear the instructions and explanations through the phone.

Recorded sessions will be the by-product of the live sessions, though Manatron may produce some independently as well. Candidates for this type of training are County Set-up Validation, Preliminary and Cyclical Event training and some of the Follow-up training topics.

Sample: Web-based Training

These recordings will be organized into an on-line reference library on the ConneXion website to which users may refer for self study and review. The recordings capture both the dialogue and the computer activity performed during the original training session. These files may be accessed and reviewed at any time and as many times as desired. Note: These recordings require Windows Media Player on the client in order to view.

On-line tutorials provide users with self-paced instruction on common activities within GRM, accessible at the user’s convenience. Providing this method of training simplifies logistics in administering training and provides training on-demand. Manatron plans to leverage this training approach in a limited manner initially, with the intent to increase it over time.

Initially these studies will be accessible from the ConneXion website and over time, will be available from within GRM. A user selects the topic he or she wants and a “movie” launches with action and sound, explaining the navigation, actions taken and reasons.

Self-study materials include the in-depth on-line help and user manuals in addition to the recorded web sessions and on-line tutorials. This material is available to all GRM users. The bulk of the Technical training only exists in this form.

ConneXion Website

The ConneXion website is Manatron’s customer service portal for training, documentation, software upgrades and announcements. The site is organized by customer and allows navigation to various directories so that our customers can keep current with our latest publications. We will post to the site all recorded web-based training and the on-line tutorials so that users may access them at their convenience

Sample: Manatron Customer ConneXion website screen shot

The Site Survey sent six months prior to going live has a section within it to capture the user so that ConneXion accounts may be established prior to the jurisdiction’s going live.

Once users have been established in ConneXion, Manatron will provide MCCC with the user’s login name and password. Users then should log into the ConneXion site (https://ConneXion.manatron.com) and enter their user name and password. The first time the user logs into the system, he or she will be prompted to provide further information. After supplying the requested information, the user may then proceed to the Tax tab to see all information and documentation relevant to GRM tax.

Software Releases and Updates

When a release or update to the software is published by Manatron, the ConneXion website is updated with the following:

§  the deployment files (only accessible to those with download permissions)

§  instructions on how to deploy the upgrade (only accessible to those with download permissions)

§  the latest training documentation

The Manatron Support team alerts all users for whom they have email addresses to the release through email.

Manatron plans to offer a single training session on GRM software upgrade deploys which will be recorded and posted on the ConneXion site for future reference.

Training Scope and Objectives

Since not every GRM user employs every area of the application, it is important to recognize those areas of the product that most users require for day-to-day activity from those which are specific to an individual’s specific role. Again, due to the scope of the MCCC project and the timeframes involved, Manatron will provide the following types of training:

·  County Set-up Validation training six weeks prior to going live on GRM with the domain experts

·  Preliminary training the week prior to going live for the county domain experts

·  Just-in-Time training the week prior to going live for all county GRM users

·  Follow-up training in the subsequent weeks after going live which will include both formal and informal training for all county GRM users, and,

·  Cyclical Events training during the first two years of the application roll-out for the appropriate domain users,