Consultancy at the Department of Health

In common with all public sector organisations, the Department of Health is working towards fulfilment of the Government's modernisation agenda, and as part of this work has been reviewing its approach to learning in line with its e-Business Strategy.

The Department has identified e-learning as potentially a major element in the formulation of a new learning strategy that will support staff in a quickly changing environment. The Department needed to analyse how its current situation might contribute towards the creation of an e-learning environment, and asked Parity Training to conduct the required study.

Parity provided learning consultants over a twenty-day period to research and write a report with the following objectives:

• Identify services that could form part of an e-learning environment
• Identify any priority areas for moving to an e-learning environment and any potential 'quick wins' for e-learning services
• Indicate likely implementation costs for both priority areas and 'quick wins'
• Assess any impact on the Department's IT infrastructure
• Present options and recommendations based on costs, benefits and issues.

After receiving the report, Linda Wishart, Head of Information Management and sponsor of the study, said: