Introduction
Appleton Greene Certified Learning Providers are exceptionally intuitive people. Academically, they will have achieved a business-related degree and preferably a business-related Master degree. Commercially, they will already have had good business experience, either in a consulting or management capacity and they will also have an independent nature. They will have a strong desire to succeed and will be prepared to work hard in order to achieve their goals. They will be confident in their own abilities and will primarily see themselves as a people person, a trainer, mentor, or consultant and will recognize that what they personally find most rewarding is empowering, motivating and knowledge sharing. They will also be perfectionists in terms of the quality of their work and what they do. Most of all, they are entrepreneurs who will recognize that by productizing what they do, they are able to provide a much more tangible service offering to their clients and can earn a considerably higher income personally as a result. This is because their clients’ key performance indicators will relate specifically to the training products provided, rather than charging for their time, advice, or opinions. In many cases, Appleton Greene Learning Providers will have already consulted independently and will have learned the hard way that in order to succeed, they will need to productize what they offer their clients, in order to ensure that their business is viable over a sustainable period of time. In some cases, Appleton Greene Learning Providers will have never consulted before, but will have obtained enough managerial experience to recognize that they are more intuitive, innovative and ambitious than their peers. Ultimately there will be a strong personal desire and common goal to be in control of their own destiny, to achieve a better work-life balance and to free themselves from the restraints of traditional employment.
Business Opportunity
The Appleton Greene Certified Learning Provider (CLP) program is not an employment opportunity. It is a business opportunity specifically designed for independent entrepreneurs who see themselves primarily as a trainer, mentor, or consultant. It represents an opportunity for a select number of candidates to develop their own unique corporate training program, based upon their own personal skills and experience and then achieve clients and a sustainable business through their professional association with Appleton Greene. Appleton Greene evaluates and selects a maximum of 50 Learning Providers worldwide in each calendar year and applications are currently being considered for the forthcoming year. Appleton Greene is primarily a corporate training provider, specializing in the provision of both standard and bespoke programs to client companies which focus upon business process improvement. We have an extensive portfolio of corporate programs available to clients, which are developed and implemented by hundreds of Appleton Greene Certified Learning Providers. These programs incorporate participation from a wide variety of Appleton Greene Accredited Consultants, who each bring their own individual experience relating to the specific business and service skills which they have, the industry sectors they have worked within and the geographical locations where they have commercial knowledge. If additional expert knowledge is required then our Learning Providers have access to an international network of Appleton Greene Accredited Consultants, with a variety of different industry sector experience and geographical experience, located within most major cities worldwide. If you have a broad idea about the type of training program that you would ideally like to develop, then Appleton Greene has the experience, processes and resources to enable you to develop it and to establish your program within its own clearly defined niche market.
Programs
Appleton Greene uses standard and bespoke corporate training programs as vessels to transfer business process improvement knowledge into the heart of our clients’ organizations. Each individual program focuses upon the implementation of a specific business process, which enables clients to easily quantify their return on investment. There are hundreds of established Appleton Greene corporate training products now available to clients within customer services, e-business, finance, globalization, human resources, information technology, legal, management, marketing and production. It does not matter whether a client’s employees are located within one office, or an unlimited number of international offices, we can still bring them together to learn and implement specific business processes collectively. Our approach to global localization enables us to provide clients with a truly international service with that all important personal touch. Appleton Greene corporate training programs can be provided virtually or locally and they are all unique in that they individually focus upon a specific business function. All (CLP) programs are implemented over a sustainable period of time, usually between 1-4 years, incorporating 12-48 monthly workshops and professional support is consistently provided during this time by qualified learning providers and where appropriate, by Accredited Consultants. This is because all (CLP) programs are process-driven and are used as vehicles to implement a tangible business process. The (CLP) program provides entrepreneurial consultants and managers with the opportunity to productize what they know in the form of a corporate training program. It enables the right candidates to develop their own unique Appleton Greene corporate training program, based upon their own personal skills and experience and then promote their program through the Appleton Greene global client network, using the Appleton Greene corporate brand. The benefit of doing this should be obvious to anyone who has consulted or managed in an executive capacity for a period of 5-10 years. They will already have developed a clear understanding about precisely what they are good at and what they are not good at. They will also have a clear understanding about what sets them apart from their peers, not in terms of why they may be better than their peers, but just why they may be different. It is this differentiation that we want to develop into what we call a Unique Program Proposition (UPP). Once we have established this, we can begin to productize your knowledge in such a way as it will be perceived as a tangible service offering in the form of an Appleton Greene standard or bespoke corporate program. All that you need is a clear understanding about what you would like to develop and the hunger and personal commitment required to develop it. Appleton Greene has the business and training processes, resources and support required to establish your corporate training program within a clearly identified niche market.
Support Available
There are seven internal professors and tutors responsible for the Appleton Greene Certified Learning Provider (CLP) program and we encourage you to communicate with them as much as possible. In all cases tutorial support is provided online because we can then keep a record of all communications to ensure that tutorial support remains consistent. You would also be forwarding your work to the tutorial support unit for evaluation and assessment. You will receive individual feedback on all of the work that you undertake on a one-to-one basis, together with specific recommendations for anything that may need to be changed in order to achieve a pass with merit or a pass with distinction and you then have as many opportunities as you may need to re-submit project studies until they meet with the required standard. Consequently the only reason that you should really fail (CLP) is if you do not do the work. It makes no difference to us whether a student takes 6 months or 4 years to complete the program, what matters is that in all cases the same quality standard will have been achieved.
Support Process
Please forward all of your future emails to the designated (CLP) Tutorial Support Unit email address that has been provided and please do not duplicate or copy your emails to other AGC email accounts as this will just cause unnecessary administration. Please note that emails are always answered as quickly as possible but you will need to allow a period of up to 20 business days for responses to general tutorial support emails during busy periods because emails are answered strictly within the order in which they are received. You will also need to allow a period of up to 30 business days for the evaluation and assessment of project studies. This does not include weekends or public holidays. Please therefore kindly allow for this within your time planning. All communications are managed online via email because it enables tutorial service support managers to review other communications which have been received before responding and it ensures that there is a copy of all communications retained on file for future reference. All communications will be stored within your personal (CLP) study file here at Appleton Greene throughout your designated study period. If you need any assistance or clarification at any time, please do not hesitate to contact us by forwarding an email and remember that we are here to help. If you have any questions, please list and number your questions succinctly and you can then be sure of receiving specific answers to each and every query.
Time Management
It takes approximately 832 hours to become a qualified Certified Learning Provider. This can be achieved by contributing from as little as 4 hours per week over 4 years, to 8 hours per day over 6 months, or anything in-between. Learning Providers can study from home or work at their own pace and are responsible for managing their own study plan. There are no formal examinations and Learning Providers are evaluated and assessed based upon their project study submissions, together with the quality of their corporate training program and supporting documents. They can contribute more time towards study, when they have the time to do so and can contribute less time when they are busy. A designated study period of 4 years is incorporated within the original tuition fee levied by Appleton greene. However, Study Period Extensions (SPE) can be granted at additional cost and these are subject to the discretion of the responsible (CLP) Professor and the (CLP) Program Director. All Learning Providers tend to be in full time employment while studying and the Certified Learning Provider (CLP) program is purposely designed to accommodate this, so there is plenty of flexibility in terms of time management. It makes no difference to us at Appleton Greene, whether individuals takes 6 months or 4 years in which to qualify as a Certified Learning Provider (CLP). What matters is that in all cases the same standard of quality will have been achieved with the standard and bespoke programs that have been developed.
Distance Learning Guide
The distance learning guide should be your first port of call when starting your training program. It will help you when you are planning how and when to study, how to create the right environment and how to establish the right frame of mind. If you can lay the foundations properly during the planning stage, then it will contribute to your enjoyment and productivity while training later. The guide helps to change your lifestyle in order to accommodate time for study and to cultivate good study habits. It helps you to chart your progress so that you can measure your performance and achieve your goals. It explains the tools that you will need for study and how to make them work. It also explains how to translate academic theory into practical reality. Spend some time now working through your distance learning guide and make sure that you have firm foundations in place so that you can make the most of your distance learning program. There is no requirement for you to attend training workshops or classes at Appleton Greene offices. The entire program is undertaken online, program course manuals and project studies are administered via the Appleton Greene web site and via email, so you are able to study at your own pace and in the comfort of your own home or office as long as you have a computer and access to the internet.
How To Study
The how to study guide provides students with a clear understanding of the Appleton Greene facilitation via distance learning training methods and enables students to obtain a clear overview of the training program content. It enables students to understand the step-by-step training methods used by Appleton Greene and how course manuals are integrated with project studies. It explains the research and development that is required and the need to provide evidence and references to support your statements. It also enables students to understand precisely what will be required of them in order to achieve a pass with merit and a pass with distinction for individual project studies and provides useful guidance on how to be innovative and creative when developing your Unique Program Proposition (UPP).
Tutorial Support
Tutorial support for the AGC Certified Learning Provider (CLP) program is provided online either through the Appleton Greene web site, or via email. All tutorial support requests are facilitated by a designated Program Administration Manager (PAM). They are responsible for deciding which professor or tutor is the most appropriate option relating to the support required and then the tutorial support request is forwarded onto them. Once the professor or tutor has completed the tutorial support request and answered any questions that have been asked, this communication is then returned to the student via email by the designated Program Administration Manager (PAM). This enables all tutorial support, between students, professors and tutors, to be facilitated by the designated Program Administration Manager (PAM) efficiently and securely through one central and secure email account. You will therefore need to allow a period of up to 20 business days for responses to general support queries and up to 30 business days for the evaluation and assessment of project studies, because all tutorial support requests are answered strictly within the order in which they are received. This does not include weekends or public holidays. You therefore need to put some thought into the management of your tutorial support procedure in order to ensure that your study plan is feasible and to obtain the maximum possible benefit from tutorial support during your period of study. Please also retain copies of your tutorial support emails for future reference. Please ensure that ALL of your tutorial support emails are set out using the format as suggested within your guide to tutorial support. Your tutorial support emails need to be referenced clearly to the specific part of the course manual or project study which you are working on at any given time. You also need to list and number any questions that you would like to ask, up to a maximum of five questions within each tutorial support email. Remember the more specific you can be with your questions the more specific your answers will be too and this will help you to avoid any unnecessary misunderstanding, misinterpretation, or duplication. The guide to tutorial support is intended to help you to understand how and when to use support in order to ensure that you get the most out of your training program. Appleton Greene training programs are designed to enable you to do things for yourself. They provide you with a structure or a framework and we use tutorial support to facilitate students while they practically implement what they learn. In other words, we are enabling students to do things for themselves. The benefits of distance learning via facilitation are considerable and are much more sustainable in the long-term than traditional short-term knowledge sharing programs. You should therefore learn how and when to use tutorial support so that you can maximize the benefits from your learning experience with Appleton Greene. Your tutorial support guide describes the purpose of each training function and how to use them and how to use tutorial support in relation to each aspect of the training program. It also provides useful tips and guidance with regard to best practice.
Summary
We hope that you will enjoy and benefit from undertaking the Appleton Greene Certified Learning Provider (CLP) program and if you need any further assistance or clarification with anything, please do not hesitate to contact your (CLP) Administration Manager by forwarding an email and they will gladly assist you in any way that they can. Thank you once again for your application and we sincerely wish you every success with the (CLP) program.
(CLP-P2) Workshop Development Process (WDP)
Introduction
Curriculum
Distance Learning
Tutorial Support
How to study
Workshop Development
Personal details
MOST Analysis & Introduction
Executive Summary
Support Documents
Course Manuals
Project Studies
Workshop Benefits
Process Application
Distance Learning
Introduction
Welcome to Appleton Greene and thank you for enrolling on one of our corporate training programs. You will be learning through our unique facilitation via distance-learning method, which will enable you to practically implement everything that you learn academically. The methods and materials used in your program have been designed and developed to ensure that you derive the maximum benefits and enjoyment possible. We hope that you find the program challenging and fun to do. However, if you have never been a distance-learner before, you may be experiencing some trepidation at the task before you. So we will get you started by giving you some basic information and guidance on how you can make the best use of the modules, how you should manage the materials and what you should be doing as you work through them. This guide is designed to point you in the right direction and help you to become an effective distance-learner. Take a few hours or so to study this guide and your guide to tutorial support for students, while making notes, before you start to study in earnest.
Study environment
You will need to locate a quiet and private place to study, preferably a room where you can easily be isolated from external disturbances or distractions. Make sure the room is well-lit and incorporates a relaxed, pleasant feel. If you can spoil yourself within your study environment, you will have much more of a chance to ensure that you are always in the right frame of mind when you do devote time to study. For example, a nice fire, the ability to play soft soothing background music, soft but effective lighting, perhaps a nice view if possible and a good size desk with a comfortable chair. Make sure that your family know when you are studying and understand your study rules. Your study environment is very important. The ideal situation, if at all possible, is to have a separate study, which can be devoted to you. If this is not possible then you will need to pay a lot more attention to developing and managing your study schedule, because it will affect other people as well as yourself. The better your study environment, the more productive you will be.
Study tools & rules
Try and make sure that your study tools are sufficient and in good working order. You will need to have access to a computer, scanner and printer, with access to the internet. You will need a very comfortable chair, which supports your lower back, and you will need a good filing system. It can be very frustrating if you are spending valuable study time trying to fix study tools that are unreliable, or unsuitable for the task. Make sure that your study tools are up to date. You will also need to consider some study rules. Some of these rules will apply to you and will be intended to help you to be more disciplined about when and how you study. This distance-learning guide will help you and after you have read it you can put some thought into what your study rules should be. You will also need to negotiate some study rules for your family, friends or anyone who lives with you. They too will need to be disciplined in order to ensure that they can support you while you study. It is important to ensure that your family and friends are an integral part of your study team. Having their support and encouragement can prove to be a crucial contribution to your successful completion of the program. Involve them in as much as you can.
Successful distance-learning
Distance-learners are freed from the necessity of attending regular classes or workshops, since they can study in their own way, at their own pace and for their own purposes. But unlike traditional internal training courses, it is the student’s responsibility, with a distance-learning program, to ensure that they manage their own study contribution. This requires strong self-discipline and self-motivation skills and there must be a clear will to succeed. Those students who are used to managing themselves, are good at managing others and who enjoy working in isolation, are more likely to be good distance-learners. It is also important to be aware of the main reasons why you are studying and of the main objectives that you are hoping to achieve as a result. You will need to remind yourself of these objectives at times when you need to motivate yourself. Never lose sight of your long-term goals and your short-term objectives. There is nobody available here to pamper you, or to look after you, or to spoon-feed you with information, so you will need to find ways to encourage and appreciate yourself while you are studying. Make sure that you chart your study progress, so that you can be sure of your achievements and re-evaluate your goals and objectives regularly.
Self-assessment
Appleton Greene training programs are in all cases post-graduate programs. Consequently, you should already have obtained a business-related degree and be an experienced learner. You should therefore already be aware of your study strengths and weaknesses. For example, which time of the day are you at your most productive? Are you a lark or an owl? What study methods do you respond to the most? Are you a consistent learner? How do you discipline yourself? How do you ensure that you enjoy yourself while studying? It is important to understand yourself as a learner and so some self-assessment early on will be necessary if you are to apply yourself correctly. Perform a SWOT analysis on yourself as a student. List your internal strengths and weaknesses as a student and your external opportunities and threats. This will help you later on when you are creating a study plan. You can then incorporate features within your study plan that can ensure that you are playing to your strengths, while compensating for your weaknesses. You can also ensure that you make the most of your opportunities, while avoiding the potential threats to your success.
Accepting responsibility as a student
Training programs invariably require a significant investment, both in terms of what they cost and in the time that you need to contribute to study and the responsibility for successful completion of training programs rests entirely with the student. This is never more apparent than when a student is learning via distance-learning. Accepting responsibility as a student is an important step towards ensuring that you can successfully complete your training program. It is easy to instantly blame other people or factors when things go wrong. But the fact of the matter is that if a failure is your failure, then you have the power to do something about it, it is entirely in your own hands. If it is always someone else’s failure, then you are powerless to do anything about it. All students study in entirely different ways, this is because we are all individuals and what is right for one student, is not necessarily right for another. In order to succeed, you will have to accept personal responsibility for finding a way to plan, implement and manage a personal study plan that works for you. If you do not succeed, you only have yourself to blame.
Planning
By far the most critical contribution to stress, is the feeling of not being in control. In the absence of planning we tend to be reactive and can stumble from pillar to post in the hope that things will turn out fine in the end. Invariably they don’t! In order to be in control, we need to have firm ideas about how and when we want to do things. We also need to consider as many possible eventualities as we can, so that we are prepared for them when they happen. Prescriptive Change, is far easier to manage and control, than Emergent Change. The same is true with distance-learning. It is much easier and much more enjoyable, if you feel that you are in control and that things are going to plan. Even when things do go wrong, you are prepared for them and can act accordingly without any unnecessary stress. It is important therefore that you do take time to plan your studies properly.
Management
Once you have developed a clear study plan, it is of equal importance to ensure that you manage the implementation of it. Most of us usually enjoy planning, but it is usually during implementation when things go wrong. Targets are not met and we do not understand why. Sometimes we do not even know if targets are being met. It is not enough for us to conclude that the study plan just failed. If it is failing, you will need to understand what you can do about it. Similarly if your study plan is succeeding, it is still important to understand why, so that you can improve upon your success. You therefore need to have guidelines for self-assessment so that you can be consistent with performance improvement throughout the program. If you manage things correctly, then your performance should constantly improve throughout the program.
Study objectives & tasks
The first place to start is developing your program objectives. These should feature your reasons for undertaking the training program in order of priority. Keep them succinct and to the point in order to avoid confusion. Do not just write the first things that come into your head because they are likely to be too similar to each other. Make a list of possible departmental headings, such as: Customer Service; E-business; Finance; Globalization; Human Resources; Technology; Legal; Management; Marketing and Production. Then brainstorm for ideas by listing as many things that you want to achieve under each heading and later re-arrange these things in order of priority. Finally, select the top item from each department heading and choose these as your program objectives. Try and restrict yourself to five because it will enable you to focus clearly. It is likely that the other things that you listed will be achieved if each of the top objectives are achieved. If this does not prove to be the case, then simply work through the process again.
Study forecast
As a guide, the Appleton Greene Certified Learning Provider (CLP) program should take between six months and 4 years to complete, depending upon your availability and current commitments. The reason why there is such a variance in time estimates is because every student is an individual, with differing productivity levels and different commitments. These differentiation's are then exaggerated by the fact that this is a distance-learning program, which incorporates the practical integration of academic theory as an as a part of the training program. Consequently all of the project studies are real, which means that important decisions and compromises need to be made. You will want to get things right and will need to be patient with your expectations in order to ensure that they are. We would always recommend that you are prudent with your own task and time forecasts, but you still need to develop them and have a clear indication of what are realistic expectations in your case.
With reference to your time planning: consider the time that you can realistically dedicate towards study with the program every week; calculate how long it should take you to complete the program, using the guidelines featured here; then break the program down into logical modules and allocate a suitable proportion of time to each of them, these will be your milestones; you can create a time plan by using a spreadsheet on your computer, or a personal organizer such as MS Outlook, you could also use a financial forecasting software; break your time forecasts down into manageable chunks of time, the more specific you can be, the more productive and accurate your time management will be; finally, use formulas where possible to do your time calculations for you, because this will help later on when your forecasts need to change in line with actual performance.
With reference to your task planning: refer to your list of tasks that need to be undertaken in order to achieve your program objectives; with reference to your time plan, calculate when each task should be implemented; remember that you are not estimating when your objectives will be achieved, but when you will need to focus upon implementing the corresponding tasks; you also need to ensure that each task is implemented in conjunction with the associated training modules which are relevant; then break each single task down into a list of specific to do’s, say approximately ten to do’s for each task and enter these into your study plan; once again you could use MS Outlook to incorporate both your time and task planning and this could constitute your study plan; you could also use a project management software like MS Project. You should now have a clear and realistic forecast detailing when you can expect to be able to do something about undertaking the tasks to achieve your program objectives.
Performance management
It is one thing to develop your study forecast, it is quite another to monitor your progress. Ultimately it is less important whether you achieve your original study forecast and more important that you update it so that it constantly remains realistic in line with your performance. As you begin to work through the program, you will begin to have more of an idea about your own personal performance and productivity levels as a distance-learner. Once you have completed your first study module, you should re-evaluate your study forecast for both time and tasks, so that they reflect your actual performance level achieved. In order to achieve this you must first time yourself while training by using an alarm clock. Set the alarm for hourly intervals and make a note of how far you have come within that time. You can then make a note of your actual performance on your study plan and then compare your performance against your forecast. Then consider the reasons that have contributed towards your performance level, whether they are positive or negative and make a considered adjustment to your future forecasts as a result. Given time, you should start achieving your forecasts regularly.
With reference to time management: time yourself while you are studying and make a note of the actual time taken in your study plan; consider your successes with time-efficiency and the reasons for the success in each case and take this into consideration when reviewing future time planning; consider your failures with time-efficiency and the reasons for the failures in each case and take this into consideration when reviewing future time planning; re-evaluate your study forecast in relation to time planning for the remainder of your training program to ensure that you continue to be realistic about your time expectations. You need to be consistent with your time management, otherwise you will never complete your studies. This will either be because you are not contributing enough time to your studies, or you will become less efficient with the time that you do allocate to your studies. Remember, if you are not in control of your studies, they can just become yet another cause of stress for you.
With reference to your task management: time yourself while you are studying and make a note of the actual tasks that you have undertaken in your study plan; consider your successes with task-efficiency and the reasons for the success in each case; take this into consideration when reviewing future task planning; consider your failures with task-efficiency and the reasons for the failures in each case and take this into consideration when reviewing future task planning; re-evaluate your study forecast in relation to task planning for the remainder of your training program to ensure that you continue to be realistic about your task expectations. You need to be consistent with your task management, otherwise you will never know whether you are achieving your program objectives or not.
Keeping in touch
You will have access to qualified and experienced professors and tutors who are responsible for providing tutorial support for your particular training program. So don’t be shy about letting them know how you are getting on. We keep electronic records of all tutorial support emails so that professors and tutors can review previous correspondence before considering an individual response. It also means that there is a record of all communications between you and your professors and tutors and this helps to avoid any unnecessary duplication, misunderstanding, or misinterpretation. If you have a problem relating to the program, share it with them via email. It is likely that they have come across the same problem before and are usually able to make helpful suggestions and steer you in the right direction. To learn more about when and how to use tutorial support, please refer to the Tutorial Support section of this student information guide. This will help you to ensure that you are making the most of tutorial support that is available to you and will ultimately contribute towards your success and enjoyment with your training program.
Other students and clients
Appleton Greene has the capacity to train approximately 50 students annually with the Certified Learning Provider (CLP) program. It is our corporate policy not to contact existing students or clients unless it is concerning their own personal studies or client activity. It is therefore prohibited for students to forward any unsolicited communications to other students or clients in an attempt to obtain unauthorized support or assistance of any kind and this would effectively place you in breach of your terms and conditions of enrollment with Appleton Greene. Formal complaints received from other students about unsolicited communications may therefore result in your program being terminated. The policy is there to protect existing students and clients from what would be a constant deluge of inquiries from other students undertaking training programs and prevents students from using other students for motivational and tutorial support while undertaking programs. The Appleton Greene Tutorial Support Unit is there for this purpose and they are authorized and contracted to provide this service to you. Other students and clients are not. However, we do understand that it is useful for you to be able to see what other students think about your program and it is also useful to see what clients think about the various Certified Learning Providers that have been employed by them too. It is for this reason that we publish our testimonials from students and clients online and we would encourage you to take time to peruse through these when you have time to do so.
Work colleagues and family
You should certainly discuss your program study progress with your colleagues, client partners and your family. Appleton Greene training programs are very practical. They require you to seek information from other people, to plan, develop and implement processes with other people and to achieve feedback from other people in relation to viability and productivity. You will therefore have plenty of opportunities to test your ideas and enlist the views of others. People tend to be sympathetic towards distance-learners, so don’t bottle it all up in yourself. Get out there and share it! It is also likely that your family and colleagues are going to benefit from your labors with the program, so they are likely to be much more interested in being involved than you might think. Be bold about delegating work to those who might benefit themselves. This is a great way to achieve understanding and commitment from people who you may later rely upon for process implementation. Share your experiences with your friends and family.
Making it relevant
The key to successful learning is to make it relevant to your own individual circumstances. At all times you should be trying to make bridges between the content of the program and your own situation. Whether you achieve this through quiet reflection or through interactive discussion with your colleagues, client partners or your family, remember that it is the most important and rewarding aspect of translating your studies into real self-improvement. You should be clear about how you want the program to benefit you. This involves setting clear study objectives in relation to the content of the course in terms of understanding, concepts, completing research or reviewing activities and relating the content of the modules to your own situation. Your objectives may understandably change as you work through the program, in which case you should enter the revised objectives on your study plan so that you have a permanent reminder of what you are trying to achieve, when and why.
Distance-learning check-list
Prepare your study environment, your study tools and rules.
Undertake detailed self-assessment in terms of your ability as a learner.
Create a format for your study plan.
Consider your study objectives and tasks.
Create a study forecast.
Assess your study performance.
Re-evaluate your study forecast.
Be consistent when managing your study plan.
Use the authorized Appleton Greene Tutorial Support Unit for tutorial support, not other students or clients.
Make sure you keep in touch with those around you.
Tutorial Support
Programs
Appleton Greene uses standard and bespoke corporate training programs as vessels to transfer business process improvement knowledge into the heart of our clients’ organizations. Each individual program focuses upon the implementation of a specific business process, which enables clients to easily quantify their return on investment. There are hundreds of established Appleton Greene corporate training products now available to clients within customer services, e-business, finance, globalization, human resources, information technology, legal, management, marketing and production. It does not matter whether a client’s employees are located within one office, or an unlimited number of international offices, we can still bring them together to learn and implement specific business processes collectively. Our approach to global localization enables us to provide clients with a truly international service with that all important personal touch. Appleton Greene corporate training programs can be provided virtually or locally and they are all unique in that they individually focus upon a specific business function. They are implemented over a sustainable period of time and professional support is consistently provided by qualified learning providers and specialist consultants. The (CLP) program provides entrepreneurial consultants and managers with the opportunity to productize what they know in the form of a corporate training program. It enables the right candidates to develop their own unique Appleton Greene corporate training program, based upon their own personal skills and experience and then promote their program through the Appleton Greene global client network, using the Appleton Greene corporate brand. The benefit of doing this should be obvious to anyone who has consulted or managed in an executive capacity for a period of 5-10 years. They will already have developed a clear understanding about precisely what they are good at and what they are not good at. They will also have a clear understanding about what sets them apart from their peers, not in terms of why they may be better than their peers, but just why they may be different. It is this differentiation that we want to develop into what we call a Unique Program Proposition (UPP). Once we have established this, we can begin to productize your knowledge in such a way as it will be perceived as a tangible service offering in the form of an Appleton Greene standard or bespoke corporate program. All that you need is a clear understanding about what you would like to develop and the hunger and personal commitment required to develop it. Appleton Greene has the business and training processes, resources and support required to establish your corporate training program within a clearly identified niche market.
Support Available
There are seven internal professors and tutors responsible for the Appleton Greene Certified Learning Provider (CLP) program and we encourage you to communicate with them as much as possible. In all cases tutorial support is provided online because we can then keep a record of all communications to ensure that tutorial support remains consistent. You would also be forwarding your work to the tutorial support unit for evaluation and assessment. You will receive individual feedback on all of the work that you undertake on a one-to-one basis, together with specific recommendations for anything that may need to be changed in order to achieve a pass with merit or a pass with distinction and you then have as many opportunities as you may need to re-submit project studies until they meet with the required standard. Consequently the only reason that you should really fail (CLP) is if you do not do the work. It makes no difference to us whether a student takes 6 months or 4 years to complete the program, what matters is that in all cases the same quality standard will have been achieved.
Support Process
Please forward all of your future emails to the designated (CLP) Tutorial Support Unit email address that has been provided and please do not duplicate or copy your emails to other AGC email accounts as this will just cause unnecessary administration. Please note that emails are always answered as quickly as possible but you will need to allow a period of up to 20 business days for responses to general tutorial support emails during busy periods, because emails are answered strictly within the order in which they are received. You will also need to allow a period of up to 30 business days for the evaluation and assessment of project studies. This does not include weekends or public holidays. Please therefore kindly allow for this within your time planning. All communications are managed online via email because it enables tutorial service support managers to review other communications which have been received before responding and it ensures that there is a copy of all communications retained on file for future reference. All communications will be stored within your personal (CLP) study file here at Appleton Greene throughout your designated study period. If you need any assistance or clarification at any time, please do not hesitate to contact us by forwarding an email and remember that we are here to help. If you have any questions, please list and number your questions succinctly and you can then be sure of receiving specific answers to each and every query.
Time Management
It takes approximately 832 hours to become a qualified Certified Learning Provider. This can be achieved by contributing from as little as 4 hours per week over 4 years, to 8 hours per day over 6 months, or anything in-between. Learning Providers can study from home or work at their own pace and are responsible for managing their own study plan. There are no formal examinations and Learning Providers are evaluated and assessed based upon their project study submissions, together with the quality of their corporate training program and supporting documents. They can contribute more time towards study, when they have the time to do so and can contribute less time when they are busy. All Learning Providers tend to be in full time employment while studying and the Certified Learning Provider (CLP) program is purposely designed to accommodate this, so there is plenty of flexibility in terms of time management. It makes no difference to us at Appleton Greene, whether individuals takes 6 months or 4 years in which to qualify as a Certified Learning Provider (CLP). What matters is that in all cases the same standard of quality will have been achieved with the standard and bespoke programs that have been developed.
Distance Learning Guide
The distance learning guide should be your first port of call when starting your training program. It will help you when you are planning how and when to study, how to create the right environment and how to establish the right frame of mind. If you can lay the foundations properly during the planning stage, then it will contribute to your enjoyment and productivity while training later. The guide helps to change your lifestyle in order to accommodate time for study and to cultivate good study habits. It helps you to chart your progress so that you can measure your performance and achieve your goals. It explains the tools that you will need for study and how to make them work. It also explains how to translate academic theory into practical reality. Spend some time now working through your distance learning guide and make sure that you have firm foundations in place so that you can make the most of your distance learning program. There is no requirement for you to attend training workshops or classes at Appleton Greene offices. The entire program is undertaken online, program course manuals and project studies are administered via the Appleton Greene web site and via email, so you are able to study at your own pace and in the comfort of your own home or office as long as you have a computer and access to the internet.
How To Study
The how to study guide provides students with a clear understanding of the Appleton Greene facilitation via distance learning training methods and enables students to obtain a clear overview of the training program content. It enables students to understand the step-by-step training methods used by Appleton Greene and how course manuals are integrated with project studies. It explains the research and development that is required and the need to provide evidence and references to support your statements. It also enables students to understand precisely what will be required of them in order to achieve a pass with merit and a pass with distinction for individual project studies and provides useful guidance on how to be innovative and creative when developing your Unique Program Proposition (UPP).
Tutorial Support
Tutorial support for the Appleton Greene Certified Learning Provider (CLP) program is provided online either through the Appleton Greene web site, or via email. All tutorial support requests are facilitated by a designated Program Administration Manager (PAM). They are responsible for deciding which professor or tutor is the most appropriate option relating to the support required and then the tutorial support request is forwarded onto them. Once the professor or tutor has completed the tutorial support request and answered any questions that have been asked, this communication is then returned to the student via email by the designated Program Administration Manager (PAM). This enables all tutorial support, between students, professors and tutors, to be facilitated by the designated Program Administration Manager (PAM) efficiently and securely through the email account. You will therefore need to allow a period of up to 20 business days for responses to general support queries and up to 30 business days for the evaluation and assessment of project studies, because all tutorial support requests are answered strictly within the order in which they are received. This does not include weekends or public holidays. Consequently you need to put some thought into the management of your tutorial support procedure in order to ensure that your study plan is feasible and to obtain the maximum possible benefit from tutorial support during your period of study. Please retain copies of your tutorial support emails for future reference. Please ensure that ALL of your tutorial support emails are set out using the format as suggested within your guide to tutorial support. Your tutorial support emails need to be referenced clearly to the specific part of the course manual or project study which you are working on at any given time. You also need to list and number any questions that you would like to ask, up to a maximum of five questions within each tutorial support email. Remember the more specific you can be with your questions the more specific your answers will be too and this will help you to avoid any unnecessary misunderstanding, misinterpretation, or duplication. The guide to tutorial support is intended to help you to understand how and when to use support in order to ensure that you get the most out of your training program. Appleton Greene training programs are designed to enable you to do things for yourself. They provide you with a structure or a framework and we use tutorial support to facilitate students while they practically implement what they learn. In other words, we are enabling students to do things for themselves. The benefits of distance learning via facilitation are considerable and are much more sustainable in the long-term than traditional short-term knowledge sharing programs. Consequently you should learn how and when to use tutorial support so that you can maximize the benefits from your learning experience with Appleton Greene. This guide describes the purpose of each training function and how to use them and how to use tutorial support in relation to each aspect of the training program. It also provides useful tips and guidance with regard to best practice.
Tutorial Support Tips
Students are often unsure about how and when to use tutorial support with Appleton Greene. This Tip List will help you to understand more about how to achieve the most from using tutorial support. Refer to it regularly to ensure that you are continuing to use the service properly. Tutorial support is critical to the success of your training experience, but it is important to understand when and how to use it in order to maximize the benefit that you receive. It is no coincidence that those students who succeed are those that learn how to be positive, proactive and productive when using tutorial support.
Be positive and friendly with your tutorial support emails
Remember that if you forward an email to the tutorial support unit, you are dealing with real people. “Do unto others as you would expect others to do unto you”. If you are positive, complimentary and generally friendly in your emails, you will generate a similar response in return. This will be more enjoyable, productive and rewarding for you in the long-term.
Think about the impression that you want to create
Every time that you communicate, you create an impression, which can be either positive or negative, so put some thought into the impression that you want to create. Remember that copies of all tutorial support emails are stored electronically and tutors will always refer to prior correspondence before responding to any current emails. Over a period of time, a general opinion will be arrived at in relation to your character, attitude and ability. Try to manage your own frustrations, mood swings and temperament professionally, without involving the tutorial support team. Demonstrating frustration or a lack of patience is a weakness and will be interpreted as such. The good thing about communicating in writing, is that you will have the time to consider your content carefully, you can review it and proof-read it before sending your email to Appleton Greene and this should help you to communicate more professionally, consistently and to avoid any unnecessary knee-jerk reactions to individual situations as and when they may arise. Please also remember that the CLP Tutorial Support Unit will not just be responsible for evaluating and assessing the quality of your work, they will also be responsible for providing recommendations to other learning providers and to client contacts within the Appleton Greene global client network, so do be in control of your own emotions and try to create a good impression.
Remember that quality is preferred to quantity
Please remember that when you send an email to the tutorial support team, you are not using Twitter or Text Messaging. Try not to forward an email every time that you have a thought. This will not prove to be productive either for you or for the tutorial support team. Take time to prepare your communications properly, as if you were writing a professional letter to a business colleague and make a list of queries that you are likely to have and then incorporate them within one email, say once every month, so that the tutorial support team can understand more about context, application and your methodology for study. Get yourself into a consistent routine with your tutorial support requests and use the tutorial support template provided with ALL of your emails. The (CLP) Tutorial Support Unit will not spoon-feed you with information. They need to be able to evaluate and assess your tutorial support requests carefully and professionally.
Be specific about your questions in order to receive specific answers
Try not to write essays by thinking as you are writing tutorial support emails. The tutorial support unit can be unclear about what in fact you are asking, or what you are looking to achieve. Be specific about asking questions that you want answers to. Number your questions. You will then receive specific answers to each and every question. This is the main purpose of tutorial support via email.
Keep a record of your tutorial support emails
It is important that you keep a record of all tutorial support emails that are forwarded to you. You can then refer to them when necessary and it avoids any unnecessary duplication, misunderstanding, or misinterpretation.
Individual training workshops or telephone support

Please be advised that Appleton Greene does not provide separate or individual tutorial support meetings, workshops, or provide telephone support for individual students. Appleton Greene is an equal opportunities learning and service provider and we are therefore understandably bound to treat all students equally. We cannot therefore broker special financial or study arrangements with individual students regardless of the circumstances. All tutorial support is provided online and this enables Appleton Greene to keep a record of all communications between students, professors and tutors on file for future reference, in accordance with our quality management procedure and your terms and conditions of enrollment. All tutorial support is provided online via email because it enables us to have time to consider support content carefully, it ensures that you receive a considered and detailed response to your queries. You can number questions that you would like to ask, which relate to things that you do not understand or where clarification may be required. You can then be sure of receiving specific answers to each individual query. You will also then have a record of these communications and of all tutorial support, which has been provided to you. This makes tutorial support administration more productive by avoiding any unnecessary duplication, misunderstanding, or misinterpretation.
Tutorial Support Email Format
You should use this tutorial support format if you need to request clarification or assistance while studying with your training program. Please note that ALL of your tutorial support request emails should use the same format. You should therefore set up a standard email template, which you can then use as and when you need to. Emails that are forwarded to Appleton Greene, which do not use the following format, may be rejected and returned to you by the (CLP) Program Administration Manager. A detailed response will then be forwarded to you via email usually within 20 business days of receipt for general support queries and 30 business days for the evaluation and assessment of project studies. This does not include weekends or public holidays. Your tutorial support request, together with the corresponding TSU reply, will then be saved and stored within your electronic TSU file at Appleton Greene for future reference.
Subject line of your email
Please insert: Appleton Greene (CLP) Tutorial Support Request: (Your Full Name) (Date), within the subject line of your email.
Main body of your email
Please insert:
1. Appleton Greene Certified Learning Provider (CLP) Tutorial Support Request
2. Your Full Name
3. Date of TS request
4. Preferred email address
5. Backup email address
6. Course manual page name or number (reference)
7. Project study page name or number (reference)
Subject of enquiry
Please insert a maximum of 50 words (please be succinct)
Briefly outline the subject matter of your inquiry, or what your questions relate to.
Question 1
Maximum of 50 words (please be succinct)
Question 2
Maximum of 50 words (please be succinct)
Question 3
Maximum of 50 words (please be succinct)
Question 4
Maximum of 50 words (please be succinct)
Question 5
Maximum of 50 words (please be succinct)
Please note that a maximum of 5 questions is permitted with each individual tutorial support request email.
Procedure
* List the questions that you want to ask first, then re-arrange them in order of priority. Make sure that you reference them, where necessary, to the course manuals or project studies.
* Make sure that you are specific about your questions and number them. Try to plan the content within your emails to make sure that it is relevant.
* Make sure that your tutorial support emails are set out correctly, using the Tutorial Support Email Format provided here.
* Save a copy of your email and incorporate the date sent after the subject title. Keep your tutorial support emails within the same file and in date order for easy reference.
* Allow up to 20 business days for a response to general tutorial support emails and up to 30 business days for the evaluation and assessment of project studies, because detailed individual responses will be made in all cases and tutorial support emails are answered strictly within the order in which they are received.
* Emails can and do get lost. So if you have not received a reply within the appropriate time, forward another copy or a reminder to the tutorial support unit to be sure that it has been received but do not forward reminders unless the appropriate time has elapsed.
* When you receive a reply, save it immediately featuring the date of receipt after the subject heading for easy reference. In most cases the tutorial support unit replies to your questions individually, so you will have a record of the questions that you asked as well as the answers offered. With project studies however, separate emails are usually forwarded by the tutorial support unit, so do keep a record of your own original emails as well.
* Remember to be positive and friendly in your emails. You are dealing with real people who will respond to the same things that you respond to.
* Try not to repeat questions that have already been asked in previous emails. If this happens the tutorial support unit will probably just refer you to the appropriate answers that have already been provided within previous emails.
* If you lose your tutorial support email records you can write to Appleton Greene to receive a copy of your tutorial support file, but a separate administration charge may be levied for this service.
How To Study
Getting started
Your tutorial support unit can help you to plan a task list for getting started so that you can be clear about your direction and your priorities in relation to your training program. It is also a good way to introduce yourself to the tutorial support team.
Planning your study environment
Your study conditions are of great importance and will have a direct effect on how much you enjoy your training program. Consider how much space you will have, whether it is comfortable and private and whether you are likely to be disturbed. The study tools and facilities at your disposal are also important to the success of your distance-learning experience. Your tutorial support unit can help with useful tips and guidance, regardless of your starting position. It is important to get this right before you start working on your training program.
Planning your program objectives
It is important that you have a clear list of study objectives, in order of priority, before you start working on your training program. Your tutorial support unit can offer assistance here to ensure that your study objectives have been afforded due consideration and priority.
Planning how and when to study
Distance-learners are freed from the necessity of attending regular classes, since they can study in their own way, at their own pace and for their own purposes. This approach is designed to let you study efficiently away from the traditional classroom environment. It is important however, that you plan how and when to study, so that you are making the most of your natural attributes, strengths and opportunities. Your tutorial support unit can offer assistance and useful tips to ensure that you are playing to your strengths.
Planning your study tasks
You should have a clear understanding of the study tasks that you should be undertaking and the priority associated with each task. These tasks should also be integrated with your program objectives. The distance learning guide and the guide to tutorial support for students should help you here, but if you need any clarification or assistance, please contact your tutorial support unit.
Planning your time
You will need to allocate specific times during your calendar when you intend to study if you are to have a realistic chance of completing your program on time. You are responsible for planning and managing your own study time, so it is important that you are successful with this. Your tutorial support unit can help you with this if your time plan is not working.
Keeping in touch
Consistency is the key here. If you communicate too frequently in short bursts, or too infrequently with no pattern, then your management ability with your studies will be questioned, both by you and by your tutorial support unit. It is obvious when a student is in control and when one is not and this will depend how able you are at sticking with your study plan. Inconsistency invariably leads to in-completion.
Charting your progress
Your tutorial support team can help you to chart your own study progress. Refer to your distance learning guide for further details.
Making it work
To succeed, all that you will need to do is apply yourself to undertaking your training program and interpreting it correctly. Success or failure lies in your hands and your hands alone, so be sure that you have a strategy for making it work. Your tutorial support unit can guide you through the process of program planning, development and implementation.
Reading methods
Interpretation is often unique to the individual but it can be improved and even quantified by implementing consistent interpretation methods. Interpretation can be affected by outside interference such as family members, TV, or the Internet, or simply by other thoughts which are demanding priority in our minds. One thing that can improve our productivity is using recognized reading methods. This helps us to focus and to be more structured when reading information for reasons of importance, rather than relaxation.
Speed reading
When reading through course manuals for the first time, subconsciously set your reading speed to be just fast enough that you cannot dwell on individual words or tables. With practice, you should be able to read an A4 sheet of paper in one minute. You will not achieve much in the way of a detailed understanding, but your brain will retain a useful overview. This overview will be important later on and will enable you to keep individual issues in perspective with a more generic picture because speed reading appeals to the memory part of the brain. Do not worry about what you do or do not remember at this stage.
Content reading
Once you have speed read everything, you can then start work in earnest. You now need to read a particular section of your course manual thoroughly, by making detailed notes while you read. This process is called Content Reading and it will help to consolidate your understanding and interpretation of the information that has been provided.
Making structured notes on the course manuals
When you are content reading, you should be making detailed notes, which are both structured and informative. Make these notes in a MS Word document on your computer, because you can then amend and update these as and when you deem it to be necessary. List your notes under three headings: 1. Interpretation - 2.Questions - 3. Tasks. The purpose of the 1st section is to clarify your interpretation by writing it down. The purpose of the 2nd section is to list any questions that the issue raises for you. The purpose of the 3rd section is to list any tasks that you should undertake as a result. Anyone who has graduated with a business-related degree should already be familiar with this process.
Organizing structured notes separately
You should then transfer your notes to a separate study notebook, preferably one that enables easy referencing, such as a MS Word Document, a MS Excel Spreadsheet, a MS Access Database, or a personal organizer on your cell phone. Transferring your notes allows you to have the opportunity of cross-checking and verifying them, which assists considerably with understanding and interpretation. You will also find that the better you are at doing this, the more chance you will have of ensuring that you achieve your study objectives.
Question your understanding
Do challenge your understanding. Explain things to yourself in your own words by writing things down.
Clarifying your understanding
If you are at all unsure, forward an email to your tutorial support unit and they will help to clarify your understanding.
Question your interpretation
Do challenge your interpretation. Qualify your interpretation by writing it down.
Clarifying your interpretation
If you are at all unsure, forward an email to your tutorial support unit and they will help to clarify your interpretation.
Qualification Requirements

The student will need to successfully complete (CLP-P1) Client Information Hub (CIH), (CLP-P2) Program Workshop Development (PWD), for each individual monthly workshop, incorporating a minimum of 12 monthly workshops and a maximum of 48 monthly workshops and finally (CLP-P3) Business Development, achieving a pass with merit or distinction in each case, in order to qualify as a Certified Learning Provider (CLP) All monthly workshops need to be tried and tested with live clients and a Program Client Evaluation (PCE) needs to be received from at least 1 client for each monthly workshop, achieving a pass with merit or distinction. These project studies can be completed in your own time and at your own pace and in the comfort of your own home or office. There are no formal examinations, assessment is based upon the successful completion of the project studies. They are called project studies because, unlike case studies, these projects are not theoretical, they incorporate real program processes that need to be properly researched and developed. The project studies assist us in measuring your understanding and interpretation of the training program and enable us to assess qualification merits. All of the project studies are based entirely upon the content within the training program and they enable you to integrate what you have learnt into your corporate training practice.
Certified Learning Provider (CLP-P2) Workshop Development Process (WDP) – Grading Contribution
Project Study - Grading Contribution
Workshop Curriculum - 05%
Distance Learning Guide - 05%
Tutorial Support Guide - 05%
How To Study Guide - 05%
Workshop Development - 00%
MOST Analysis & Introduction - 15%
Executive Summary - 10%
Course Manuals - 25%
Project studies - 25%
Workshop Benefits - 05%
TOTAL GRADING - 100%
Qualification grades
A mark of 90% = Pass with Distinction.
A mark of 75% = Pass with Merit.
A mark of less than 75% = Fail.
If you fail to achieve a mark of 75% with a project study, you will receive detailed feedback from the Tutorial Support Unit, together with a list of tasks which you will need to complete, in order to ensure that your project study meets with the minimum quality standard that is required by Appleton Greene. You can then re-submit your project study for further evaluation and assessment. Indeed you can re-submit as many drafts of your project studies as you need to, until such a time as they eventually meet with the required standard by Appleton Greene, so you need not worry about this, it is all part of the learning process.
When marking project studies, Appleton Greene is looking for sufficient evidence of the following:
Pass with merit
A satisfactory level of (CLP) program understanding
A satisfactory level of (CLP) program interpretation
A satisfactory level of project study content presentation
A satisfactory level of Unique Program Proposition (UPP) quality
A satisfactory level of the practical integration of (CLP) academic theory
Pass with distinction
An exceptional level of (CLP) program understanding
An exceptional level of (CLP) program interpretation
An exceptional level of project study content presentation
An exceptional level of Unique Program Proposition (UPP) quality
An exceptional level of the practical integration of (CLP) academic theory
Workshop Development
Introduction
While developing your Client Information Hub (CIH), you will have created a curriculum for your entire corporate training program. This will incorporate 12 monthly workshops, for a 1 year program, 24 monthly workshops, for a 2 year program, 36 monthly workshops, for a 3 year program, or 48 monthly workshops, for a 4 year program. For each monthly workshop, you will have identified a workshop title, incorporating 2 words only, together with a summary description of the workshop objective.
You now need to use this course manual to develop each monthly workshop in its entirety. Your first monthly workshop, should ideally be completed by you and evaluated, assessed and approved by Appleton Greene, as soon as possible after your first Email Marketing Campaign (EMC) and Google AdWords Campaign (GAC) have started. This is because prospective clients would probably want to review your first monthly Workshop Process, before they proceed with placing a service order. While your Client Information Hub (CIH) will adequately provide your prospective clients with an executive summary, service methodology, service mission, service objectives and a detailed curriculum for your corporate training program, the first workshop will enable your prospective clients to evaluate and assess the quality of your corporate training program and the business process that you plan on implementing within their organization. Indeed, it is worth bearing in mind that Certified Learning Providers (CLP) usually experience an 86% increase in service orders, as soon as the first monthly workshop is available for client review.
There are actually two processes that you need to develop for each individual client workshop. Firstly, you need to develop the business process that relates to your Unique Program Proposition (UPP), the one that will be implemented within your clients' organizations, as a result of implementing your program. Secondly, you need to develop the training process that you will use to facilitate the implementation of the business process.
Business Process
Every Appleton Greene corporate training program needs to be process-driven. The corporate training program also needs to incorporate the implementation of a tangible business process, within the client's organization, that specifically relates to your Unique Program Proposition (UPP).
You may not realize it, but your clients probably use dozens of processes every day. For example, they may go through the same steps each time they generate a report, resolve a customer complaint, contact a new client, or manufacture a new product. They have likely come across the results of inefficient processes, too. Unhappy customers, stressed colleagues, missed deadlines, and increased costs are just some of the problems that dysfunctional processes can create. That's why it's so important to improve processes when they are not working well. It is also important that your (UPP) incorporates the implementation of a tangible business process, because what would your clients otherwise be purchasing from you?
Processes can be formal or informal. Formal processes, also known as procedures, are documented, and have well-established steps. For example, your clients might have procedures for receiving and submitting invoices, or for establishing relationships with new clients. Formal processes are particularly important when there are safety-related, legal or financial reasons for following particular steps. Informal processes are more likely to be ones that you have created yourself, and you may not have written them down. For example, you might have your own set of steps for analyzing the client's existing process, relating to your (UPP), re-engineering this process, evaluating and assessing the resources that are available to the client, process communications, possibly using a stakeholder management approach and of course establishing process Key Performance Indicators (KPI).
There are a variety of methodologies available for process improvement. These include Six Sigma, Lean Management, Lean Six Sigma, Agile Management, Re-engineering, Total Quality Management, Just-In-Time, Kaizen, Hoshin Planning, Poka-Yoka, Design of Experiments, and Process Excellence. It is not the intention of (CLP) to provide in-depth training with regard to these business process methodologies. Indeed there may already be one of them that you are familiar with. If not, then you may need to do some research in order to identify a suitable business process for your (UPP), or design one that is unique to your (UPP). If you elect to do this, then you may want to copyright the process that you are using if it is unique to you.
These different kinds of processes have one thing in common: they're all designed to streamline the way that you and your clients work. When everyone follows a well-tested set of steps, there are fewer errors and delays, there is less duplicated effort, and staff and customers feel more satisfied.
The 6 Business Process Development Steps
Step 1 - Process Mapping
Once you've decided which process you want to improve, document each step using a Flowchart or a Swim Lane Diagram. These tools show the steps in the process visually. Swim lane diagrams are slightly more complex than flowcharts, but they're great for processes that involve several people or groups. It's important to explore each phase in detail, as some processes may contain sub-steps that you're not aware of. Consult people who use the process regularly to ensure that you don't overlook anything important.
Step 2 - Process Analysis
Use your flow chart or swim lane diagram to investigate the problems within the process. Consider the following questions: Where do team members or customers get frustrated? Which of these steps creates a bottleneck? Where do costs go up and/or quality go down? Which of these steps requires the most time, or causes the most delays? Consider using Root Cause Analysis, Cause and Effect Analysis. After all, if you only fix the symptoms, the problems will continue. Speak to the people who are affected by the process. What do they think is wrong with it? And what suggestions do they have for improving it? You can also research these procedures on the internet, in order to determine the most appropriate processes for your (UPP).
Step 3 - Process Redesign
You're now going to redesign the process to eliminate the problems you have identified. It's best to work with the people who are directly involved in the process. Their ideas may reveal new approaches, and, also, they're more likely to buy into change if they've been involved at an early stage. First, make sure that everyone understands what the process is meant to do. Then, explore how you can address the problems you identified in step 2. Note down everyone's ideas for change, regardless of the costs involved. Then, narrow your list of possible solutions by considering how your team's ideas would translate to a real-life context. Start by conducting an Impact Analysis to understand the full effects of your team's ideas. Then, carry out a Risk Analysis and a Failure Mode and Effects Analysis to spot possible risks and points of failure within your redesigned process. Depending on your organization's focus, you may also want to consider Customer Experience Mapping. These tests will help you to understand the full consequences of each proposed idea, and allow you to make the right decision for everyone.
Step 4 - Process Resources
You now need to secure the resources you need to implement the new process. List everything that you'll need to do this. This could include guidance from senior managers or from colleagues in other departments, such as IT or HR. Communicate with each of these groups, and make sure that they understand how this new process will benefit the organization as a whole. You may need to prepare a business case to demonstrate this.
Process Communications
It's likely that improving your business process will involve changing existing systems, teams, or processes. For example, you may need to acquire new software, hire a new team member, or organize training for colleagues. Rolling out your new process could be a project in itself, so plan and manage this carefully. Allocate time for dealing with teething troubles, and consider running a pilot first, to check for potential problems. Keep in mind that change is not always easy. People can be resistant to it, especially when it involves a process that they've been using for some time. You can use tools such as the Change Curve and Kotter's 8-Step Change Model to help overcome resistance to change.
Process Review (KPI)
Few things work perfectly, right from the start. So, after you roll out the new process, closely monitor how things are going in the weeks and months that follow, to ensure that the process is performing to expectations. This monitoring will also allow you to fix problems as they occur. Make it a priority to ask the people involved with the new process how it's working, and what – if any – frustrations they're experiencing. Adopt continuous improvement strategies such as
Kaizen. Small improvements made regularly will ensure that the process stays relevant and efficient. The important thing is to establish clear
Key Performance Indicators (KPI) with your client's stakeholders in order to monitor performance.
Key Points
A business process is a set of steps or tasks that you and your team use repeatedly to create a product or service, reach a specific goal, or provide value to a customer or supplier. When processes work well, they can significantly improve efficiency, productivity, and customer satisfaction. However, processes that don't work can cause frustration, delays, and financial loss. To improve a business process, follow these steps.
1. Process Mapping
2. Process Analysis
3. Process Re-design
4. Process Resources
5. Process Communications
6. Process Review & KPI
MOST Analysis & Introduction
MOST Analysis
M.O.S.T. analysis is a highly-structured method for providing targets to team members at every level of an organisation. Working from the top down, it ensures that you retain focus on the goals which matter most to your (UPP).
M=Mission
O=Objectives
S=Strategies
T=Tasks
You need to create a MOST analysis for your (UPP) in order to set out a clear mission and objectives. You then need to consider what strategies and tasks will need to be undertaken in order to achieve these objectives. This will provide your clients with a clear understanding of precisely what will be achieved by implementing your corporate training program and how it will be achieved.
The Mission should constitute a statement of intent in your own words. Objectives should be listed and there should be at least one strategy applied to each objective and at least one task to each strategy.
Mission=Statement of intent
Objectives=List of things that need to be achieved if the mission is to succeed
Strategies=How you propose to achieve each objective
Tasks=The things that need to be undertaken in order to implement each strategy
Mission Statement
Write a Mission Statement for your workshop, in your own words, using a minimum of 500 words.
Mission Statement *
Objectives
List at least 10 objectives that will all need to be achieved, if your workshop mission is to succeed.
Objectives *
Strategies
List at least 1 strategy for each workshop objective listed above. Your strategies should explain precisely how you propose to achieve each objective listed.
Strategies *
Tasks
List at least 1 task for each strategy listed above. Your tasks should explain precisely what you will need to do in order to ensure that each strategy is implemented.
Tasks *
Introduction
Write a detailed introduction to your workshop, so that your clients and stakeholders will understand what they will be doing in advance of the workshop and what, if anything, they will need to do in order to prepare. This should incorporate: planning; development; implementation; management and review and should feature a minimum of 10,000 words. Once you have written this, you will need to create a professional video of you personally presenting this introduction.
Introduction - Planning
Please write the Planning section of your workshop Introduction here (minimum of 2,000 words).
Planning *
Introduction - Development
Please write the Development section of your workshop Introduction here (minimum of 2,000 words).
Development *
Introduction - Implementation
Please write the Implementation section of your workshop Introduction here (minimum of 2,000 words).
Implementation *
Introduction - Management
Please write the Management section of your workshop Introduction here (minimum of 2,000 words).
Management *
Introduction - Review
Please write the Review section of your workshop Introduction here (minimum of 2,000 words).
Review *
Executive Summary
The purpose of this section is to enable you to demonstrate your knowledge in relation to the subject matter of this training workshop. Your content must be provided in written descriptive form using clearly defined paragraphs and should not include any lists, bullet points, or numbered points. The content must also be written entirely in your own words. You can undertake research in order to generate your own ideas and content, but you cannot just copy and paste content which has been written by someone else. If your content is duplicated elsewhere on the internet, prior to publication, then it will be declined. You must also not use references as you would usually do with Wikipedia for example. You need to demonstrate that you are an expert on your corporate training program subject, not refer to someone else who is.
History
Describe in your own words, a personal analysis of the History relating to this particular workshop subject (Minimum 1,000 words). *
Current Position
Describe in your own words, a personal analysis of the Current Position relating to this particular workshop subject (Minimum 1,000 words). *
Future Outlook
Describe in your own words, a personal analysis of the Future Outlook relating to this particular workshop subject (Minimum 1,000 words). *
Support Documents
This section enables you to provide the content for your training program workshop support documents, namely: Workshop Curriculum; Distance Learning; Tutorial Support; How To Study and Preliminary Analysis. These documents will provide your clients with further information, which will enable them to get the most out of your training workshop. You may use the relevant sections of this training workshop as a point of reference, but you must not copy and paste content from within this guide. Your own training program content must be written in your own words.
Workshop Curriculum
Provide a detailed curriculum for this workshop in list format. (See the example provided within this workshop but to not copy or duplicate.) *
Distance Learning Guide
Explain in your own words (minimum of 1,000 words) precisely how your clients should undertake this workshop via distance-learning. (See the example provided within this workshop but to not copy or duplicate.) *
Tutorial Support Guide
Explain in your own words (minimum of 1,000 words) precisely what tutorial support you propose to provide and how your clients should use it. (See the example provided within this workshop but to not copy or duplicate.) *
How To Study Guide
Explain in your own words (minimum of 1,000 words) precisely how your clients should study this workshop. (See the example provided within this workshop but to not copy or duplicate.) *
Preliminary Analysis
Explain in your own words (minimum of 1,000 words) precisely what your clients should do in preparation for this particular workshop. (See the example provided within your (UPP-CIH) course manual but to not copy or duplicate.) *
Course Manuals
You can now create your course manuals and exercises for this particular workshop. This relates to the content that will be presented to your clients during the workshop and which they can retain after the workshop has been completed for future reference. This content should incorporate, but is not limited to: course manuals and exercises.
Course Manual - Process Mapping
Please provide the content for your Workshop's Course Manual relating to Process Mapping here (Minimum of 1,000 words). *
Exercises - Process Mapping
Please provide the content for your Workshop's Exercises relating to Process Mapping here (Minimum of 1,000 words). *
Course Manual - Process Analysis
Please provide the content for your Workshop's Course Manual relating to Process Analysis here (Minimum of 1,000 words). *
Exercises - Process Analysis
Please provide the content for your Workshop's Exercises relating to Process Analysis here (Minimum of 1,000 words). *
Course Manual - Process Re-design
Please provide the content for your Workshop's Course Manual relating to Process Re-design here (Minimum of 1,000 words). *
Exercises - Process Re-design
Please provide the content for your Workshop's Exercises relating to Process Re-design here (Minimum of 1,000 words). *
Course Manual - Process Resources
Please provide the content for your Workshop's Course Manual relating to Process Resources here (Minimum of 1,000 words). *
Exercises - Process Resources
Please provide the content for your Workshop's Exercises relating to Process Resources here (Minimum of 1,000 words). *
Course Manual - Process Communications
Please provide the content for your Workshop's Course Manual relating to Process Communications here (Minimum of 1,000 words). *
Exercises - Process Communications
Please provide the content for your Workshop's Exercises relating to Process Communications here (Minimum of 1,000 words). *
Course Manual - Process Review
Please provide the content for your Workshop's Course Manual relating to Process Review here (Minimum of 1,000 words). *
Exercises - Process Review
Please provide the content for your Workshop's Exercises relating to Process Review here (Minimum of 1,000 words). *
Project Study
You can now create your project study for this particular workshop. This relates to the work which your clients will need to undertake, after you have completed this workshop and before they undertake the next workshop. This will enable you to consolidate their understanding and interpretation of the course manuals for this workshop. It will also enable you to use your workshop and the project study to facilitate the implementation of your (UPP) business process.
Project Study (Part 1)- Process Mapping
Please provide the content for your Workshop's Project Study relating to your Process Mapping Course Manual here (Minimum of 1,000 words). *
Project Study (Part 2)- Process Analysis
Please provide the content for your Workshop's Project Study relating to your Process Analysis Course Manual here (Minimum of 1,000 words). *
Project Study (Part 3)- Process Re-design
Please provide the content for your Workshop's Project Study relating to your Process Re-design Course Manual here (Minimum of 1,000 words). *
Project Study (Part 4)- Process Resources
Please provide the content for your Workshop's Project Study relating to your Process Resources Course Manual here (Minimum of 1,000 words). *
Project Study (Part 5)- Process Communications
Please provide the content for your Workshop's Project Study relating to your Process Communications Course Manual here (Minimum of 1,000 words). *
Project Study (Part 6)- Process Review & KPI
Please provide the content for your Workshop's Project Study relating to your Process Review & KPI Course Manual here (Minimum of 1,000 words). *
What Happens Next
Once you have submitted this Workshop Development Process (WDP) to Appleton Greene it will be scheduled for review by the (CLP) Tutorial Support Unit. You will be informed whether your (WDP) has been approved via email usually within 30 business days after it has been received by Appleton Greene (not including weekends or public holidays).
Once this monthly Workshop Development Process (WDP) has been approved by Appleton Greene, achieving either a pass with merit or distinction, you will then be able to progress onto developing your next monthly Workshop Development Process (WDP). Appleton Greene will also publish your approved Workshop and will link this to your Client Information Hub (CIH), protected for security reasons by a user name and password, which you can then provide your clients as and when necessary. You can utilize any time that you may have available, while you are waiting for the evaluation and assessment of this (WDP), by undertaking some research into your next (WDP), in preparation for the next part of the (CLP) program.
If you have not already done so, it may also be prudent for you to ensure that you add the email address certifiedlearningproviders@appletongreene.com to your safe email user or white list for both the primary and backup email accounts that you have provided within this (WDP) form. This will ensure that you receive all Appleton Greene email communications safely, without them being inadvertently diverted to your spam email folder by your internet service provider.
Process Your Application
To process your application, please refer to the following security instructions.