OPINION: Coming to terms with an effective ICT Training program is becoming more of a challenge as new business opportunities emerge.

For most ICT professionals the technology/business alignment mantra has been heard and adopted; they understand that the major driver of shareholder value is the effective deployment of technology.

They understand that the ROI on technology is measured in the boardroom, not the computer room and that they must apply their ICT skills to add customers, revenue, and value to the enterprise.

Equally basic, but more often neglected, is the need to align personal employee goals and company goals--balancing investment in personal development as the progenitor of company development.

As the CIO role increasingly evolves into one of governance--taking ownership of projects to meet the business need--it's often easy to focus on meeting peer pressure at executive level at the expense of investing in human resource development at operational level.

When investment in both human and technical resources is financially constrained, it falls to the ICT professional to apply agile management skills to see that both deliver measurable return.

People need to remain enthusiastic about their work through the development of new personal skills; they can do more because they know more, so their value as employees appreciates.

As the enterprise develops greater operational strength through new strategies and processes supported by new technologies, it offers greater value to its employee stakeholders.

But these processes must move in step: go overboard with employee training to the point where people are developing their personal knowledge base at the expense of the enterprise and they'll become a short-term asset; drive the enterprise but neglect professional growth and they'll quit anyway.

ICT managers must demonstrate an effective ROI for the training investment they make, and choosing the right mix of human and technical skills and how to deliver them means applying the same risk management principles that underpin technology investments.

Managers also need to collaborate effectively with colleagues in human resources to define and supply the corporate need. If not, addressing the professional development needs of team members can be a challenge unless the organisation improves the way divisional and business units work together to set strategies.

So-called just-in-time training, where newly gained skills can be quickly applied, is useful; try to schedule training in sync with new technology additions. Also useful is refresher training if rollout schedules get delayed.

Figuring out how to deliver training calls for careful analysis of options. Higher-end skills are probably best learned offsite, delivered by training organisations accredited by the vendors concerned, road-mapped to recognised certification.

Vendor-delivered onsite training, particularly if included in new licensing contracts, gives individuals the chance to test application-specific problem-solving skills, and may also reveal operational difficulties early.

These are instructor-led methods and many prefer the interaction they offer. Bear in mind that when dozens, perhaps hundreds, of user candidates are involved after a major upgrade, the administration costs of such a program can eat significant holes in training budgets.

E-learning is getting mixed press with a recent Forrester Research study finding that 70 percent of people who started an e-learning course never finished it. Defenders of e-learning claim that drop-outs do so when they have learned what they need.

Others say the methodology is wrong and that putting text books online isn't teaching.

Teacher-centred pedagogical menu-driven training may be okay for children some detractors say, but makes little impact on adults taking it. Learner-centred, content acquisition that's task-oriented is the new buzz. Called androgogy, it's getting attention.

Whatever method you choose, training choices call for the same care as product purchases. Go to the effort to get it right-after all, the people you nurture by offering them skills will be around long after some CRM package is uninstalled. Or they should be.

Richard Hogg is National president of the Australian Computer Society (ACS). The ACS is the recognised association for Information Technology (IT) professionals, attracting a membership (over 16,000) from all levels of the IT industry and providing a wide range of services. A member of the Australian Council of Professions, the ACS is the guardian of professional ethics and standards in the IT industry, with a commitment to the wider community to ensure the beneficial use of IT.

Visit this page for other ACS articles published by ZDNet Australia.

Subscribe now to Australian Technology & Business magazine.

Copyright © 2009 CBS Interactive, a CBS Company. All Rights Reserved.
ZDNET is a registered service mark of CBS Interactive. ZDNET Logo is a service mark of CBS Interactive.