Islamic Relief Pakistantraining Policy

Islamic Relief – PakistanTraining Policy

Islamic Relief – Pakistan

Training Policy

Contents:

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Introduction:

Islamic Relief strives to assist employees in increasing the effectiveness of their performance in current assignments as well as to encourage employees to obtain skills, knowledge, and abilities which enhance their opportunities for career advancement within Islamic Relief.Islamic Relief Pakistan gives the due importance to trainings as far as career of its employees are concerned. Human Resource department is committed to provide services that ensure a fair, equitable, and quality working and learning environment for employees. It seeks resources needed to enhance employees’ knowledge, skills, and abilities so they may better support the mission of Islamic Relief. And to do so, Islamic Relief Pakistan will support its employees in getting various trainings from renowned institutions and skilled trainers from Pakistan and abroad.

Philosophy:

Islamic Relief Pakistan strongly believes that employee trainings are not an expense but an investment and through regular trainings employees’ capacity can be built to meet the requirements and to get the desired performance out of an employee. New technologies are being introduced every now and then, new researches are being made, and consequently new needs are being felt by people working at different levels to get latest skills and to learn new methodologies for their relevant job. This makes trainings on regular basis the need of the time. Other positive outcomes include increasing employees’ morale and motivation towards their job and organization, increase efficiency of work which results ultimately in financial gain, make employee ready for change, brings innovation in employees’ work, reduce turn over, and finally helps in building a positive image of the organization within itself and in the market.

Definitions:

Trainings:

Islamic Relief Pakistan defines training in following words:

“A planned and systematic effort to modify or develop knowledge / skill / attitude through learning experience,the training program should be available to achieve effective performance in an activity or range of activities. Its purpose, in the work situation, should be to enable an individual to acquire abilities in order that he or she can perform adequately a given task or job that’s why we will consider training as more job-oriented activity not person-oriented.”

Employee development programmes shall be classified as 1) assignment-related, 2) career-related, and 3) educational-enrichment-related, based on the judgment of the Project / Department / Division Manager in consultation with the Human Resources / Personnel Manager.

Assignment-related programmes:

Assignment-related programmes are those directly related to the work assignments or conditions of the employee's current assignment. For example, supervisory training is an assignment-related programme for an employee whose current assignment includes supervisory responsibility. Another example would be technical training to acquire skills to perform a specific task or assignment.

Career-related programmes:

Career-related programmes are those related to the development of skills, knowledge, and other qualifications that prepare an employee for other Islamic Relief assignments for which the employee, in the judgment of the project / department / division manager, has some reasonable chance of attainment. Project / department / division manager are encouraged to consult the Human Resources Manager in making this judgment. For example, supervisory training is a career-related programme for an employee whose current position does not include supervisory responsibilities but who is interested in competing for future Islamic Relief job openings that require supervisory ability. Another example would be taking formal, academic courses to develop or renew technical skills.

Educational-enrichment programmes:

Educational-enrichment programmes are those related to an employee's educational or qualifications outside Islamic Relief. They are not related to Islamic Relief assignments for which an employee might, in the judgment of the Project / Department incharge, be an effective competitor and may bring comparative advantage to the organisation, for example, a qualification in HIV-AIDS or Islamic Banking.

Need Identification:

Through TNA Survey:

Training need will be identified from the TNA (Training needs analysis) exercise that will be conducted every year in January through TNA Forms (annex: a). HR department will gather the data from all the offices of IRP in January and will compile it in February and will share the TNA report and training plan for the rest of the year with managers and supervisors before 28th February and after getting their input the final training plan will be shared with all before the end of March.

Roles & Responsibilities:

During this process, providing the staff with necessary information and/or training about TNA procedure will be the responsibility of HR department while following the guidelines for filling and providing the filled forms back to HR department in time will be the responsibility of the line management. Also, supervisors will make sure that while identifying the need, priority will be given toassignment/job related trainings in this survey.

Performance Appraisals:

Performance appraisal of last year will also help in identifying the training need for any employee. When a performance appraisal indicates that performance improvement is needed in a certain specific area then it will be included in the future trainings. Similarly if any one completes the probation in mid of the year, s/he will have to submit TNA form immediately after receiving letter of successful completion of probation.

Roles & Responsibilities:

During this process, providing the staff with necessary information and/or training on IRP’s performance appraisal system will be the responsibility of HR department while following the guidelines and providing the filled SPA forms to HR department in time will be the responsibility of line management.

Supervisor’s Request:

Supervisor of any eligible employee can request for certain training for that employee (through training request form – annex: b) which will then be approved by the section head. Such trainingcan be of any type as defined in section 6 of this document.
Roles & Responsibilities:

This is a direct method of identifying training for any person therefore justifying the need of such training will be the responsibility of the supervisor suggesting the training. Similarly at the end of the training arranging the presentation of same training for other relevant staff in the office by the trainee will be the responsibility of the employee and his/her supervisor. HR department will be responsible to ensure the relevancy of the training and its contents to the assignment/job of the employee.

Personal Request:

Any eligible employee (as defined in section 6) can request for training through training request form. (annex: b) This training could be assignment related, career related or educational programme with the approval of his/her supervisor and section head.

Roles & Responsibilities:

During this process ensuring the need and relevancy of the training and training contents will be the responsibility of supervisor and section head. And also that employee will be available in the training dates. Employee will be responsible for will giving the presentation on same training to his/her colleagues on completion of the training.

New System/Technology:

When a department in IRP will launch a new system or new technology for day to day procedures of the department, training will be arranged for the same department on new system/Technology. Trainings on ethics and other Behavioural trainings will also fall in this category.

Roles & Responsibilities:

During this process the head of department will be responsible for requesting the HR department for the arrangement of the training. Ensuring the availability of all staff on the mutually defined dates will be the responsibility of the head of the department while arranging resource person and making other logistic arrangements will be the responsibility of HR department.

Training Plan:

At the end of March of every year HR department will share a training plan for the rest of the year with all the staff which will be based upon the training need analysis survey of the organization. This plan will define the training(s) for each month. Important points regarding this plan are as follow:

1. The training plan will be tentative and is subject to change depending upon availability of all resources and time, or if the majority of the participants are not available on given dates. In such a situation training can be postponed or shifted to next suitable dates. But all of the trainings will be conducted in the same year for which plan will be developed.
2. In case of overlapping of time duration and/or the contents of training in plan and a training that has been requested by an employee or a supervisor, the training in plan will be given preference only with exception for TOT trainings offered by any institute.
3. Arranging and conducting trainings will be the responsibility of HR department that HR will fulfill in coordination with relevant departments.
4. Nominations for the trainings of plan will be extracted from the TNA survey results.
5. Anyone who has not submitted the TNA survey forms or has joined IRP after the survey can request for any training in plan through “Personal request” procedure. Or if s/he has joined IRP in middle of year and/or his/her probation ends in mid of year s/he can submit TNA form immediately after successful completion of probation.
6. The venue for the trainings of plan will be decided by HR department on the basis of suitability of majority of participants and/or availability of necessary resources for the training.
7. Any training that is not in the plan but is being requested by most of the employees and /or supervisors can be included in the plan at any point of time in year depending upon feasibility.

Types of Trainings:

Following are the types and details of training programmes that Islamic Relief Pakistan will offer to its employees.

1. In-house Training Programme (Using expertise available in IRP)
2. In-house Training Programme (Through outsourcing the expertise)
3. Trainings announced by HRD/HID institutes
4. International Trainings by IRHQ
5. International Seminars & Workshops
6. Short Term Educational Courses
7. Long Term Educational Programmes

1 – In-house Training Programme (Using Expertise available in IRP)

When a general need of a particular training will be raised for a specific training by greater number of employees, Islamic Relief Pakistan will try to arrange an in-house training to address that need. Because in-house trainings are more customizedand cost effectiveness.

Eligibility:

All the employees of Islamic Relief Pakistan, who have signed any type of employmentcontract, are eligible to attend such training.

Roles & Responsibilities:

As far as need identification is concerned, the primary role will be of HR department, but the line management will play the secondary role by supporting the HR department by implementing the procedures defined by HR department for identifying those needs. Especially first level supervisors will take the lead and will nominate the participants for such training for which the training is directly linked to their day to day jobs/assignments.

Then comes the identification of internal resource person. For that, employees who think that they have desired expertise and/or experience in conducting certain trainings will register themselves through “trainer registration form” (annex: C). Then to identify a trainer for a specific training HR department will take the decision with close coordination of section head of the department for which the training is being conducted. And for this expected resource person(s) can be asked to submit the training material before hand.

2 – In-house Training Programme (Through outsourcing the expertise)

When a general need of a particular training will be raised for a specific training by greater number of employees, Islamic Relief Pakistan will try to arrange an in-house training to address that need. But if desired expertise is not available internally then HR department will search for the same outside the organization.

Eligibility:

All employees of Islamic Relief Pakistan, who have signed any type of employment contract, are eligible to attend such training.

Roles & Responsibilities:

As far as need identification is concerned, the primary role will be of HR department, but the line management will play the secondary role by supporting the HR department by implementing the procedures defined by HR department for identifying those needs. Especially first level supervisors will take the lead and will nominate the participants for such training for which the training is directly linked to their day to day jobs/assignments.

Then comes the identification of resource person. HR department will be responsible for identifying the resource person(s) or institute(s) for the training while the decision will be finalized after feedback from section head of the department for which the training is being conducted.

After finalizing the resource person or the institutea “Memorandum of Understanding” will be signed with it that will define the dates of training, remuneration, deadline for submission of training report, venue etc. This MOU will be signed by HR department from IR Pakistan’s side.

3 – Trainings Announced by HRD/HID Institutes:

When a specific training need is identified by a lesser number of employees i.e. less than ten, then their need will be addressed through professional trainings announced by different Human Resource Development/Human & Institutional Development institutes at different point of times in that year. International trainings also fall in this category.

Eligibility:

Employees who have signed one year contract (Full time employees) with Islamic Relief Pakistan, and have successfully completed their probation will be eligible for such training.Similarly the employee who is still in probation but has been given a one year contract after successful completion of a short term contract (minimum three months) will also be eligible for such training. And also, all the above mentioned employees will not be eligible if they have already attended two trainings of same type in the same year. For career-related programmes besides above mentioned conditions employee should also have at least one year experience with Islamic Relief Pakistan.

Roles & Responsibilities:

As far as need identification is concerned, the primary role will be of HR department, but the line management will play the secondary role by supporting the HR department by implementing the procedures defined by HR department for identifying those needs. Especially first level supervisors will take the lead and will nominate the participants for such training for which the training is directly linked to their day to day jobs/assignments. But if an employee wants to apply by himself for such training (through training request form – annex: a)at any point of time in the year, then his first level supervisor will make sure that he is eligible for this training and that this training and its contents will be beneficial for him/her. Also first level supervisor will forward the request only if he thinks that employee will be available on training dates and this will not affect his/her or unit’s work plan.

In case of international training, the request will be forwarded directly to country director after approval from first level supervisor and section head. In case of approval employee will have to sign a bond (annex: g) with IR Pakistan which will be of one year employment if total training expenses are between PKR 100,000/- to PKR 150,000/-, and a bond of two year employment if the total training expenses are more than PKR 150,000/-. And in case of breach of any of terms & conditions mentioned in the bond, the trainee will have to pay the penalty as determined by IRP management at the time of bond signing along with reimbursing all the expenses incurred for that training.

Getting visa and making traveling arrangements are the responsibilities that will be shared by employee, admin department and HR department. Where employee will provide all the required documents in time, HR will provide all the supporting documents and record while admin department will help employee in getting visa and air tickets.

4 - International trainings by IRHQ:

IRHQ announces trainings time to time for its field offices in different regions like Asia region, Middle East region, Europe region, Africa region, etc. and participants from all the field offices of that region represent their countries in these trainings. These trainings target a specific topic/ field of work.