[IPAC-List] Distance Learning/Facetiming Assessors

[Reindl, Kevin]

Hi Rick!

I like the use of technology in assessments...in fact, without technology, assessment would quickly become extinct in today's world. However, as one of your former coworkers (as well as one of your volunteer assessors later on), the value I gained (besides a chance to travel to New Orleans), was the opportunity to network with others in the public sector doing similar work in other jurisdictions. You should not underestimate the value that your assessors get out of making connections on a personal and professional level with one another. In all honesty, it may be very difficult to get that level of participation from other jurisdictions if you take away those less tangible benefits. I attend a couple of small consortium meetings in person every year, and from time to time, we talk about doing it virtually to minimize the travel costs. However, we continue to meet in person year after year for these same reasons.

First thing I would do is send out a quick survey to your past participants to gauge their attitudes/opinions...i.e., ask them directly whether they would volunteer if it meant no travel and no in-person networking. If costs MUST be cut, you may need to make the change, but you may also end up with other costs down the road if you cannot get assessors (e.g., outsourcing to paid professional assessors)

Good luck my friend!

Kevin Reindl
Pacific Gas & Electric
Human Resources
HR Strategy & Organizational Effectiveness
245 Market Street, N2J
San Francisco, CA 94105
Office: 415-973-7013
Mobile: 619-322-3368
k1rq at pge.com<mailto:k1rq at pge.com>



From: IPAC-List [mailto:ipac-list-bounces at ipacweb.org] On Behalf Of Richard R. Carter
Sent: Thursday, October 30, 2014 3:28 PM
To: 'IPAC-List' (ipac-list at ipacweb.org)
Subject: [IPAC-List] Distance Learning/Facetiming Assessors

I have a few of questions for the collective wisdom of this group.

We in New Orleans, like many jurisdictions, currently fly in volunteer police and fire professionals to score assessment center exercises.  This testing plays a large role in determining promotions in NOPD and NOFD.  We work folks hard for a week and pick up the tab for the hotel, airfare and incidentals.

The Chief of our Fire Department would like for us to explore using technology to control costs.  Specifically, his suggestion to avoid the hotel and airfare expenses by having assessors interact only through technology (go to meeting, skype, facetime, something along those lines).

First, is anyone else currently doing anything like this?  If so, what issues or concerns were faced? Even if you don't currently do this, feel free to opine with potential issues that those considering this choice may face.

Also, what sort of cooperation should be expected from other jurisdictions should we go down this path?
That is, would folks volunteer to stay where they are and work for us for a week?

TIA
Rick Carter
Personnel Administrator - Test Development & Validation
New Orleans Civil Service



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