PLAN-IT ACADEMY TOOLKIT REVIEW

PLAN-IT ACADEMY TOOLKIT REVIEW

[Insert Your Name]

[Insert Your Academy]

[Insert Your City, Country]

[Insert Date]

PLAN-IT Toolkit ReviewTable of Contents

• Introduction/Instructions• My comments & suggestions on the Workforce

Development Program Toolkit• My comments & suggestions on the Gender

Program Toolkit• My comments & suggestions on the Sustainability

Program Toolkit• Toolkit “Testing”

PLAN-IT Toolkit Review OVERALL INSTRUCTIONS

• Thank you for your willingness to participate in the PLAN-IT Toolkit Review Process, as well as the PLAN-IT Sustainability Workshop to be held in Kampala, Uganda, October 4-7, 2004.

• Each participant has been asked to provide his/her feedback on 3 toolkits prior to attending this event.

• Please use this presentation as a guide to lead you through the process of reviewing and testing the PLAN-IT Toolkits.

• Some slides of this presentation should be used as a guide to lead you through this review process. Other slides will ask you to fill in your own feedback (areas in blue).

• Please feel free to add additional slides and feedback (however, at a minimum, make sure to answer all of the questions/input areas asked on this presentation).

• If you feel that additional materials/tools (from your own Academy) could be added to any of the 3 toolkits, please send that material to Annette Kerlin ([email protected]).

• This Powerpoint document must be turned in no later than September 17, 2004 as a prerequisite to attending the event in Uganda.

PLAN-ITWORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM TOOLKIT REVIEW

The PLAN-IT Workforce Development Program Toolkit is a series of documents, tools, and techniques designed to assist Cisco Networking Academies in building workforce development programs and linking their graduates to the private sector for jobs. The WDP Toolkit includes: “10 Steps to Create a Workforce Development Program;” a sample proposal for budget from the host institution; materials to introduce the Workforce Development Program to private sector partners; materials for students, such as interview preparation and resume examples; and materials for Academies, such as marketing posters and a sample Memorandum of Understanding.

My Academy’s Workforce Development Goals

[Please write a paragraph (or bullet points) of your Academy’s goals in the area of Workforce Development. Please include why it is important to your Academy to have a Workforce Development Program in place.]

Examples of additional goals could include: X% of CCNA 4 students employed after graduation, or partnering with X # of companies, or holding X # of career fairs.

Workforce Development Toolkit Review

INSTRUCTIONS• Now that you have indicated your Academy’s goals, please read

through the entire Workforce Development Program Toolkit before completing this section of the presentation.

• Take the time to think about each document/tool that you are reading. Ask yourself the questions: How useful is this tool to my Academy to achieve our goals? What would make it more useful or easier for me to use these tools and achieve success in the area of Workforce Development? What might make these tools more relevant to my country/Academy/students?



• How does this toolkit assist your Academy to achieve its goals?

[Insert Answer Here]

• Why is a Workforce Development Program important to your Academy?


• What is the very first step you would take (first tool you would use) in building a Workforce Development Program at your Academy?


WDP Toolkit Review Questions

WDP Toolkit Review QuestionsWhich three documents from the

Workforce Development Program Toolkit do you find most useful and why?

• [Name of Useful Tool/Document: Why useful?]

• [Name of Useful Tool/Document : Why useful?]


Which three documents from the Workforce Development Program Toolkit would you use the least and why?

• [Name of Least Useful Tool/Document : Why not useful?]



• What would your Institution’s Administration find the most interesting/helpful in the area of Workforce Development Programs/ Employment Tools?


• What would instructors at your Academy find the most helpful in the area of Workforce Development Programs/Employment Tools?


• What would students at your Academy find the most helpful in the area of Workforce Development Programs/Employment Tools?



• Based upon the suggestions in the toolkit, how long do you estimate it would take you to have a Workforce Development Program running at your Academy (or if you already have one, how long did it take you)?


• What does not make sense to you about the WDP toolkit? Which tools did you not understand? What would you change about this toolkit?


• What is the best format/delivery method for these tools? Would you prefer them on CD? Online/Website? Word Documents? Online Module?


• If you could add a new tool/document to this toolkit, what would it be?

[Insert Answer Here—Please Describe]


PLAN-ITGENDER PROGRAM

TOOLKIT REVIEW

The PLAN-IT Gender Program Toolkit provides a "how to" recruit and retain females in the Cisco Networking Academy Program, designed primarily for instructors, administrators, and Academy Main Contacts. This toolkit contains recruitment and retention strategies; sample recruitment flyers and multi-media announcements; correspondence to industry partners; links to online resources, videos, and posters; sample agendas for Females in IT events; strategies for outreach to parents, school administrators, and community leaders; and other useful materials.

My Academy’s Gender Program Goals

[Please write a paragraph (or bullet points) of your Academy’s goals in the area of Gender in the Academy Program. Please include why it is important to your Academy to have a Gender Program in place.]

Examples of additional goals could include: X% of Academy Program students are female, or X % of employed CCNA 4 grads are female, or providing X # of scholarships.

Gender Program Toolkit Review INSTRUCTIONS

• Now that you have indicated your Academy’s goals, please read through the entire Gender Program Toolkit before completing this section of the presentation.

• Take the time to think about each document/tool that you are reading. Ask yourself the questions: How useful is this tool to my Academy to achieve our goals? What would make it more useful or easier for me to use these tools and achieve success in the area of Gender? What might make these tools more relevant to my country/Academy/students?





• Why is a Gender Program important to your Academy?


• What is the very first step you would take (first tool you would use) in building a Gender Program at your Academy?


Gender Toolkit Review Questions

Gender Toolkit Review QuestionsWhich three documents from the

Gender Program Toolkit do you find most useful and why?




Which three documents from the Gender Program Toolkit would you use the least and why?




• What would your Institution’s Administration find the most interesting/helpful in the area of Gender Programs/Tools?


• What would instructors at your Academy find the most helpful in the area of Gender Programs/Tools?


• What would students at your Academy find the most helpful in the area of Gender Programs/Tools?



• Based upon the suggestions in the toolkit, how long do you estimate it would take you to have a Gender Program running at your Academy (or if you already have one, how long did it take you)?


• What does not make sense to you about the Gender Program toolkit? Which tools did you not understand? What would you change about this toolkit?







PLAN-ITSUSTAINABILITY TOOLKIT REVIEW

The PLAN-IT Sustainability Toolkit is a series of planning tools and techniques designed to assist Cisco Networking Academies in building and operating sustaining educational institutions. The core of the PLAN-IT Sustainability Toolkit consists of an industry-standard business planning tool called BizPlanBuilder, which has been specifically adapted to the operational requirements of a Cisco Networking Academy, including sample academy sustainability plans and financial templates.

My Academy’s Sustainability Goals

[Please write a paragraph (or bullet points) of your Academy’s goals in the area of Sustainability. Please include why it is important to your Academy to have a Sustainability Plan in place.]

Examples of additional goals could include: achieving cost recovery, balancing a budget, training more instructors, receiving institutional support, etc.

Sustainability Toolkit Review INSTRUCTIONS

• Now that you have indicated your Academy’s goals, please read through the entire Sustainability Toolkit before completing this section of the presentation.

• Take the time to think about each document/tool that you are reading. Ask yourself the questions: How useful is this tool to my Academy to achieve our goals? What would make it more useful or easier for me to use these tools and achieve success in the area of Sustainability? What might make these tools more relevant to my country/Academy/students?





• Why is a Sustainability Plan important to your Academy?


• What is the very first step you would take (first tool you would use) in building a Sustainability Plan for your Academy?


Sustainability Toolkit Review Questions

Sustainability Toolkit Review QuestionsWhich three documents from the

Sustainability Toolkit do you find most useful and why?




Which three documents from the Sustainability Toolkit would you use the least and why?




• What would your Institution’s Administration find the most interesting/helpful in the area of Sustainability Plans/Tools?


• What would instructors at your Academy find the most helpful in the area of Sustainability Plans/Tools?


• What would students at your Academy find the most helpful in the area of Sustainability Plans/Tools?



• Based upon the suggestions in the toolkit, how long do you estimate it would take you to have a Sustainability Plan running at your Academy (or if you already have one, how long did it take you)?


• What does not make sense to you about the Sustainability toolkit? Which tools did you not understand? What would you change about this toolkit?







PLAN-ITTOOLKIT TESTING

Now that you are familiar with the tools, we would like for you to test at least one of them !

PLAN-IT ToolkitTESTING INSTRUCTIONS

• As a part of the feedback process, we would like you to test at least one of the tools from a toolkit.

• Select a tool from either the Workforce Development Program Toolkit, the Gender Program Toolkit, or the Sustainability Toolkit to apply to your Academy’s situation. For example, perhaps you would like to select the “Draft Workforce Development Program Proposal” from the Workforce Development Toolkit. In this exercise, we would like you to modify this program proposal to fit your Academy. Alternatively you could create a Gender Plan for your Academy (Gender Toolkit) or insert your Academy’s budget into the financial sustainability calculator (Sustainability Toolkit) for your Academy. You could even follow the guidelines given and hold a Gender Event at your Academy as a part of the testing process.

• Once you have created this new document/used this tool/held this event, please email your version (or summary) along with this presentation to Annette Kerlin ([email protected]).

• Furthermore, please answer the following questions (next slide) about this process.

mailto:[email protected]




TESTING Toolkit Review

I modified the [insert tool/event name] tool/event from the [insert toolkit name] toolkit to fit my own Academy’s situation.

• Was this process helpful to you? Why or why not?


• How long did this process take you?


• Did you follow any of the instructions or create an event based upon the information in the toolkit? What did you do? How did you do this? How was it successful? How did it fail?


Please discuss the “testing” process that you conducted for a particular tool.

TESTING Toolkit Review

• When you presented this tool/event to your fellow Academy members, how did they react?


• Did you share this tool/event with your Administration? How did he/she/they react? Why?


Please discuss the “testing” process that you conducted for a particular tool.

Summary of Impressions—Good & Bad

Strengths• [Please describe one function (or

expand on one idea) of the toolkits that you found helpful and that you liked]

• [Please describe one function (or expand on one idea) of the toolkits that you found helpful and that you liked]

• [Please describe one function (or expand on one idea) of the toolkits that you found helpful and that you liked]

Please list the top 3 strengths and top 3 weaknesses you discovered when evaluating all 3 PLAN-IT Toolkits

Weaknesses• [Please describe one function (or

expand on one idea) of the toolkits that you think could be improved, and why]

• [Please describe one function (or expand on one idea) of the toolkits that you think could be improved, and why]

• [Please describe one function (or expand on one idea) of the toolkits that you think could be improved, and why]

CONGRATULATIONS!

• YOU HAVE COMPLETED THE PLAN-IT TOOLKIT REVIEW & TESTING EXERCISES!

• Please send this completed Powerpoint document to Annette Kerlin at ([email protected]).

• We will select the best presentations/best feedback to be highlighted at the PLAN-IT SUSTAINABILITY WORKSHOP, Kampala, Uganda, 2004.
