How a government agency, HWR and Catalyst redefined training with open source innovation

Managing assessments and collating results to demonstrate learning is critical for many organisations and government agencies alike to ensure their employees receive thorough, effective on-the-job training (OJT.) Traditionally, these assessments were conducted manually, requiring significant time and effort to compile and evaluate results.

Recognising the need for a streamlined digital solution, one government agency partnered with Catalyst, an IT consulting and development company specialising in the Tōtara Talent Experience Platform (TXP). Together, they collaborated with transport company H.W. Richardson Group (HWR) to enhance an existing Tōtara plugin which would better benefit companies with the same needs.

One government agency in particular had been managing thousands of OJT assessments manually. This process involved cumbersome paperwork, delayed data collection, and limited insights into individual learner progress. By digitising assessments and automating administrative tasks, they aimed to create a more efficient and transparent training experience for officers and employees alike.

HWR had a similar issue. Historically, they had manually processed thousands of assessments by hand.

Both the government agency and HWR were using Tōtara and both wanted to enhance learner experience and gain deeper insights into their progress. After colleagues from the two organisations met at a Tōtara User Group, the two companies decided to team up and solve their joint problems with one solution through the power of open source custom development.

The redesigned OJT plugin introduced several critical features that benefited the government agency and HWR, including:

• Streamlined assessment scheduling: Administrators can now set recurring qualifications, update assessment dates, and receive notifications for upcoming evaluations.
• Flexible assessment formats: Trainers can choose from multiple evaluation methods, including text fields, checklists, and scaled assessments.
• Enhanced learner insights: Trainees can track their progress in real-time, with personalised reports offering granular details on performance.
• Seamless reporting & exporting: Administrators can generate detailed reports in CSV format, making data analysis more efficient.
• User-friendly interface: A modernised design enhances accessibility and usability for both digital and printed formats.
• Visual assessment cues: Red-Amber-Green (RAG) status indicators help administrators quickly identify overdue or upcoming assessments.

Since implementing the enhanced OJT plugin, THE government agency successfully transitioned its driving training assessments to a fully digital format, significantly reducing administrative overhead. According to Ann-Marie Pickles who worked on the project, “The time saved is a huge benefit to our day-to-day operations, and the collaborative approach made this transition smooth and effective.” The success of this initiative has led our agency to explore expanding the use of the OJT plugin across other training programs.