Imagine that you are a consultant asked to assist FoodCare—a social service organization–by drafting a workplace
learning plan to address employee issues in their company. FoodCare provides food assistance at community locations
throughout NYC and has over 200 employees. You are told that FoodCare is facing many challenges because of massive
changes at work due to the COVID pandemic. Here is what you have been told:
• Because FoodCare provides in-person services and goods, some employees in the organization
have been reporting to the office and work on-site.
have been reporting to the office and work on-site.
• Most employees work remotely. Computers and other equipment have been provided to
employees who work remotely.
employees who work remotely.
• A subset of remote employees have been informed that they must prepare to transition back to
on-site work in the near future. They have not been given details of when this will occur or how it
will roll out. (e.g., how their physical work stations might be different, what the protocols in the
office for social distancing or office cleaning will be, etc.). Supervisors have hinted that some of
the returning employees may be asked to perform new and different duties once they return to
the office. Many in this group are extremely stressed and have voiced this to their managers.
on-site work in the near future. They have not been given details of when this will occur or how it
will roll out. (e.g., how their physical work stations might be different, what the protocols in the
office for social distancing or office cleaning will be, etc.). Supervisors have hinted that some of
the returning employees may be asked to perform new and different duties once they return to
the office. Many in this group are extremely stressed and have voiced this to their managers.
• All employees hold meetings remotely using a variety of videoconference applications. Although
everyone seems to know how to enter virtual meetings, there is a good deal of confusion about
conduct at remote meetings regarding things like: expectations for how staff should participate,
how managers should supervise in the virtual space, and about how recordings of zoom sessions
are stored and disseminated, etc.
everyone seems to know how to enter virtual meetings, there is a good deal of confusion about
conduct at remote meetings regarding things like: expectations for how staff should participate,
how managers should supervise in the virtual space, and about how recordings of zoom sessions
are stored and disseminated, etc.
• FoodCare would like to gather data about vaccination status of employees yet HR leaders are not
up to speed on what is the best system to sensitively, legally, and reliably get this information.
up to speed on what is the best system to sensitively, legally, and reliably get this information.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Your job in the paper is to come up with a preliminary workplace learning plan to address two (2) of the issues. As you
can probably see, FoodCare is dealing with many difficulties at varying levels of the organization. We want you to zero
in on two (2) learning gaps to focus on in your plan. Sorting through the multiple challenges to zero in on a couple of
issues is actually a first important piece of your work in this assignment.
This paper should be based on our coursework and course materials over the semester. Additional guides/samples are
also available on the course site. Incorporating outside readings and peer-reviewed research is not required. We
believe you have enough tools on the course site to think through and put together a first-rate plan. That said, it is
crucial that you cite all materials you use in APA format—including materials from our course.
Here are the issues to cover/questions to answer in the plan:
can probably see, FoodCare is dealing with many difficulties at varying levels of the organization. We want you to zero
in on two (2) learning gaps to focus on in your plan. Sorting through the multiple challenges to zero in on a couple of
issues is actually a first important piece of your work in this assignment.
This paper should be based on our coursework and course materials over the semester. Additional guides/samples are
also available on the course site. Incorporating outside readings and peer-reviewed research is not required. We
believe you have enough tools on the course site to think through and put together a first-rate plan. That said, it is
crucial that you cite all materials you use in APA format—including materials from our course.
Here are the issues to cover/questions to answer in the plan:
1. What are the issues you will consider first and why?
a. What are the relevant questions about the a) organization, b) the employees, c) the current
challenges/situation, d) resources in the organization, and e) the organizational context (mission,
learning culture, attitudes towards learning) that you should try to understand better before doing
anything else?
a. What are the relevant questions about the a) organization, b) the employees, c) the current
challenges/situation, d) resources in the organization, and e) the organizational context (mission,
learning culture, attitudes towards learning) that you should try to understand better before doing
anything else?
2. What kind of learning needs assessment or analysis might you do?
a. How would you propose to carry out this assessment? What methods would you use to find out about
the learning needs of staff members? Whose learning needs would you try to assess?
a. How would you propose to carry out this assessment? What methods would you use to find out about
the learning needs of staff members? Whose learning needs would you try to assess?
3. How will you differentiate between what is a training or learning issue at FoodCare versus what is an issue that
calls a solution apart from learning? How can you determine which issues can be addressed through a training
or learning program and what are issues that cannot be solved by training?
a. Can you see this immediately from what you’ve already been told? Discuss.
b. Can you sort the issues into those that could be solved with training and those that need something
other than training? Discuss.
calls a solution apart from learning? How can you determine which issues can be addressed through a training
or learning program and what are issues that cannot be solved by training?
a. Can you see this immediately from what you’ve already been told? Discuss.
b. Can you sort the issues into those that could be solved with training and those that need something
other than training? Discuss.
4. What qualities about the organizational staff and their learning needs would you want and need to know more
about in designing a training or learning program?
a. What factors, for example, might be shaping their experiences, their motivation, or capacity to learn?
Discuss.
about in designing a training or learning program?
a. What factors, for example, might be shaping their experiences, their motivation, or capacity to learn?
Discuss.
5. What kinds of learning needs to be addressed? In other words, what needs to be learned?
a. Are the learning gaps in the area of knowledge, skills, attitude, awareness/ understanding? Discuss.
a. Are the learning gaps in the area of knowledge, skills, attitude, awareness/ understanding? Discuss.
6. What types of learning approaches, methods or strategies would you employ in your proposed program?
a. In other words, how would your program ‘teach’ or ‘train’ employees? What would this look like?
b. Which learning needs can be addressed by informal vs formal approaches?
c. Which learning needs require individual-level interventions and which require approaches to groups or
staff members as a whole?
a. In other words, how would your program ‘teach’ or ‘train’ employees? What would this look like?
b. Which learning needs can be addressed by informal vs formal approaches?
c. Which learning needs require individual-level interventions and which require approaches to groups or
staff members as a whole?
7. What goals or learning outcomes would you set for each type of learning program/strategy?
a. What do the learners need to do, know, understand, or be as a result of going through the learning
program?
a. What do the learners need to do, know, understand, or be as a result of going through the learning
program?
8. Overall, what aspects of the consultant role would you carry out in this planning process?
a. Are there any parts of this role that you enjoyed in this assignment? Are there any aspects of this role
that have been difficult or challenging for you as you carried out this assignment?
a. Are there any parts of this role that you enjoyed in this assignment? Are there any aspects of this role
that have been difficult or challenging for you as you carried out this assignment?