6.1 General organisation of trainings

6.1.1 Where to begin: the definition of objectives and target groups

The planning process of each training should begin with the definition of the target group. Its size, knowledge base and experience level vary for every training. The definition of a target group is closely related to e.g. the resources available, the specificity of a subject area and the national, regional or international scope of the training (see §6.1.2 and §6.1.3). A target group can be broad or specific. The former gives the opportunity to reach, educate and connect more people, but also presupposes a higher content complexity expected by a diverse group of attendees. The latter focuses on a smaller group with more or less similar background and experience and gives a possibility to address specific community needs. The definition of a target group is therefore important not only for the training content, but also for the definition of objectives and for a coherent and proper communication means (e.g. invitation, FAQ’s, documentation).

A second vital component in the planning process is the development of objectives. The following two questions offer a good starting point:

• What are the needs of the participants and/or the subject area of the training?

• What should participants know or be able to do after the training?

Each training should have at least one objective. As in most cases there will be multiple goals and results, the implementation of SMART goals can be useful for their elaborate definition. A SMART goal is:

• Specific: A goal needs to be specific in order to be effective. For example: what has to be accomplished or learned by the end of the training? The response could be “At the end of the training the attendee will be able to distinguish different types of identifiers.”

• Measurable: A goal needs to be measurable, so that it can be tracked to observe the progress. For example: how much learning growth is expected, and what does this mean exactly? As learning speed and developing new skills is highly individual this should include different variations of learning growth depending on the context. The trainer could e.g. be the one to determine if the trainee reached a specific objective.

• Achievable: A goal needs to be realistically achievable. It is not helpful to have an unreasonable goal that cannot be reached. If goals are not set by the trainers but on a higher management level, the former should communicate directly what is feasible and what is not. In many cases this parameter is dependent on the available resources (see §6.1.2).

• Relevant: A goal should be relevant in the sense that it should align with the values and long-term objectives, so that everyone knows what they are aiming at.

• Time-bound: A goal is time-bound when it is measurable, so that it is clear until when the goal should be accomplished. This also gives the possibility to analyse and interpret the results if a goal is not completely achieved until the deadline. It needs to be taken into account that the learning pace is individual and therefore might vary across trainees. Thus time-bound and measurable aspects of a SMART goal go in hand with each .

6.1.2 How to continue: the evaluation of resources

After the definition of objectives and the target groups, the organisational aspects come into focus. The amount of e.g. financial, human and time resources fundamentally influence the length, scope and extent of a training. Therefore, the next step is the analysis of the individual resources provided for the planning, the organisation, and evaluation of the training. The following questions come into the foreground:

• How much personnel can be involved?

• How much money can be spent for the training (e.g. costs for trainers, catering, location)?

• How much time is left for the planning of the training? Is there a fixed date for the training?

The results of this analysis shape the further planning process. If the timespan for planning is limited, the organisers have to focus on the most important points:

• date and duration of the training

• setting and format of the training

• main topic(s) and agenda

• programme

If there is enough time available for elaborate planning, a short survey can be conducted during the registration that asks the participants about their expectations and experience level. This helps the participants to reflect beforehand on their own ideas and expertise, thereby creating a commitment towards the event and providing valuable insights for the planners. The content of the training might also be adapted according to the results of the registration survey.

With enough financial resources the duration of the training can be extended, more experts can be invited to give input and share their expertise. Furthermore the registration fee can be removed. The resources thus essentially determine the training modes - it is vital to analyse them so that no surprises occur during the process and no unfulfilled expectations appear in the end.

6.1.3 Further aspects: deciding the details of the training

The available resources determine further aspects of the training. The following list displays some of the most important questions which have to be clarified:

• length of the training (one day, two days, longer)

• setting and format of the training (in presence or online)

• restricted or open number of participants

• scope of participants (national, regional, international group)

• number and choice of trainers/instructors (payed or community-recruited)

• registration fee

• registration process/tool

• survey on experience and expectations beforehand [optional]

• preparation of the agenda (see §6.2)

• preparation of the programme (e.g. methods, formats, event series) (see §6.2)

• catering (for coffee break, lunch, dinner) [optional]

• accompanying programme (free or paid) [optional]

• documentation and evaluation

Each of these organisational aspects can be planned in a compact or a detailed way. The Checklist for training planning summarises all mentioned aspects (see §6.1.5).

6.1.4 Where to end: preparation of training materials and outcomes documentation

After defining the training path, clarifying further details and creating a program (see §6.2 below) the last step in the planning process is the preparation of training materials and the documentation, and dissemination of outcomes. The presentations can be shared with the participants beforehand, so that the training attendees have a chance to consult them. This works best when the materials have a rather theoretical focus, which are combined with practical sessions during the training. In addition, they can be published on platforms such as Zenodo, enabling knowledge dissemination and reusability for the audiences who cannot attend the training or are interested in organising similar upskillings events.

6.1.5 Checklist for training planning

The following Check-list can be used for the planning of a training. It includes all of the aforementioned details and can be customised to individual needs and requirements.

Suggested to do’s for the planning of a training	Achieved ?
Where to begin: the definition of objectives, outcomes and target groups
Definition of target groups
Definition of objectives
How to continue: the evaluation of resources
Analysis of financial resources
Analysis of time resources
Analysis of human resources
Decision on personnel involved in the planning and organisation of the training
Further aspects: deciding on details of the training
Definition of the overall topic
Definition of the timeframe (duration)
Setting the date
Setting the place (in-person, online)
Booking the location (if applicable)
Setting the number of participants
Decision on a registration fee
Setting the agenda (subtopics)
Decision on in-kind or external trainers
Dispatch of inquiries for trainers
Decision on registration process (e.g. email, special tool)
Setting up the registration tool (if applicable)
Decision on a survey
Setting up the survey (if applicable)
Definition of the programme (e.g. workshops, presentations, event series)
Decision on and organisation of catering, social programme and similar (if applicable)
Dispatch of invite and call for registration for participants
Dispatch of the survey (if applicable)
Finalising the programme (e.g. structure, formats, trainers)
Setting up the operational plan for personnel
Obtaining nameplates for participants (if applicable)
Where to end: preparation of training materials and outcomes documentation
Preparation of organisational documents (e.g. attendance lists)
Preparation of presentation template (if applicable)
Sharing presentation templates with trainers and presenters (if applicable)
Sharing presentations with participants before the training (if applicable)
Printing required documents and materials (if applicable)
Sharing training materials with participants after the training
Publishing training materials and/or outcomes online (if applicable)

Table 21: Check-list for training planning