Helsinki,
04/09/2009
ECHA TRAINING GUIDELINES
(Revised on the basis of the comments by the Staff Committee)
1
Introduction ............................................................................................................... 3
1. Admission to training courses................................................................................ 4
1.1 How to apply for training .................................................................................. 4
1.2. Criteria for assessing applications and eligibility for training courses .............. 5
1.3 Enrolment ........................................................................................................ 6
1.4. Appeals against rejection................................................................................ 6
2. Classification of training......................................................................................... 7
2.1. Mandatory and recommened training ............................................................. 7
2.2. Language training........................................................................................... 7
2.3. Away days and team building events.............................................................. 8
3. Training record and certification of attendance .................................................... 10
4. Annual Training Plan, Training Catalogue and Individual training plan ................ 11
5. Contribution towards costs .................................................................................. 12
5.1. Courses in the interest of the service............................................................ 12
5.2 Training courses of shared interest between the staff member and ECHA
attended on own initiative .................................................................................... 12
5.3 Courses primarily in the interest of the staff member ..................................... 13
6. Special training leave .......................................................................................... 13
6.1 Leave to attend a course in the interest of the service ................................... 13
6.2 Leave to attend a course of shared interest between the staff member and
ECHA attended on own initiative ......................................................................... 14
6.3 Courses primarily in the interest of the staff member ..................................... 15
7. Leave for examinations ....................................................................................... 15
8. Submission of applications and recording of special leave .................................. 16
9. Appeals against refusal of leave.......................................................................... 16
10. Failure to attend a course after enrolment ......................................................... 16
11. Objectives and evaluation of courses ................................................................ 16
ANNEX 1: Process and work flow …………………………………………… .18
ANNEX 2: Proposal for away-day/team building .............................................. 19
2
Introduction
The purpose of these guidelines is to consolidate and document existing
procedures and to establish new procedures for planning and organising
training for ECHA staff. In addition, the purpose is to serve as a guidance
document for ECHA staff and for those involved in the planning and
organisation of training in ECHA.
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1. Admission to training courses
Only courses designed to ensure the acquisition, improvement or updating of
competencies, occupational skills or to promote career development shall be
considered as training courses.
1.1 How to apply for training
1. Applications for training courses shall be made on the form” Training –
application” which is available in the intranet.
A training application is needed if the training concerns more than one unit or
directorate. A training application needs to be filled in by the participant if it
concerns external training organised outside ECHA. A list of attendance is
sufficient if the training concerns only one unit.
2. All training applications shall be duly filled in by staff member with
necessary information and justification to apply for a particular training. It is
important to indicate clearly in the training application if the training is related
to competences to be developed as identified during the objective setting and
performance appraisal and how the training is related to the current tasks.
If participation in training involves travel, a mission order has to be prepared
by the staff member and approved separately.
3. The training application must be signed by the immediate superior before
submission to unit R2, Training and Development Team for technical
assessment and approval (budgetary and technical feasibility, availability of
places in case the number of participants is limited, contractual requirements
etc.).
4. Applications must reach Unit R2, Training and Development Team
preferably 6 weeks before the final enrolment date for courses.
5. The approved and signed training application submitted to the training and
development team constitutes a commitment on the part of the staff member
to participate in the training concerned. In approving the training application,
the immediate supervisor should take into account the staff member’s work
load and create favourable conditions to enable them to participate in the
training.
6. Application for external courses not organised by ECHA should be
accompanied by relevant information, in particular detailed programme
indicating the duration, venue and time of the course
4
7. It should be noted that there are two different applications for language
training:
- application for training in the second language or third language for
promotion
- application for training in other languages
1.2. Criteria for assessing applications and eligibility for
training courses
1. The basic criteria for assessing the training application are that the training
application is duly filled in and signed by the superior and submitted on time.
2. In addition the training application will be assessed on the basis of the
following criteria:
- priority will be given to training applications which correspond to the
competences to be developed as identified in the job objectives or in
the performance appraisal. This should be clearly indicated in the
application.
- application matches with the content of the staff member’s individual
training plan
- applicant belongs to the specified target group
- relevance to the staff member’s job and tasks
- special admission requirements e.g. cost (including travel and
accommodation expenses)
- Eligibility by staff category:
o Temporary agents, contract agents may attend all types of
training courses.
o Statutory staff will have priority to participate if a limited number
of places are available.
o Seconded national experts (SNEs) shall be entitled to attend
training courses organised by ECHA, if the interest of ECHA
warrant it. The reasonable interests of the SNE in attending, in
particular in the light of the SNEs professional career following
secondment, shall be considered when a decision is taken on
whether to permit attendance (art 24 – Training. Rules on the
secondment of national experts to the European Chemicals
Agency, Decision ED/15/2008)
o With the exception of courses aimed at induction, integration
and information of a general nature, external staff (interims,
consultants and staff of contractors) and trainees may only
participate in training events:
i. which do not involve additional costs;
ii. which are of specific relevance to the tasks to which they
have been assigned;
iii. language training is not available to these groups.
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o Exceptions to the above rule may be granted for training that is
required to enable external staff to use equipment, applications,
processes or procedures internal to ECHA or essential to the
tasks to which they have been assigned and where ECHA is
unable to find external staff with the necessary prior
qualifications.
3. If the course is fully booked a staff member shall be placed in the waiting
list for the next course.
4. Unless there are special reasons, training application may be rejected if the
applicant has already attended an identical or equivalent course.
5. Applications for external training courses (courses organised outside ECHA
and involving a mission) may be rejected if equivalent courses can be
organised internally.
1.3 Enrolment
1. For training courses arranged by ECHA and published internally and
targeted to ECHA staff, the enrolment will be completed by Training and
Development Team.
2. For individual external training courses, i.e. conference, seminar and
workshop participation, language courses outside ECHA, long-term training,
the application shall be completed by Training and Development Team
(creation of purchase order) in conjunction with the staff member (course
registration after confirmation by Training and Development Team that a
purchase order has been issued).
3. In all cases enrolment is subject to Training and Development Team’s
technical approval (regarding budget availability, consistency of access to
training) and Training and Development Team will confirm the approval to the
staff member once the funds for the training have been reserved.
1.4. Refusal and review
1. Any application refused must be substantiated and the staff member must
be informed in writing of the grounds for the refusal.
2. Where a request is refused the staff member may request a review from
the Executive Director who will take the final decision. A copy of the request
must be sent to the Head of Unit and the Head of Human Resources and
Facilities.
3. The applicant and persons listed in the previous point shall be informed of
the Executive Director’s decision.
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4. This review is without prejudice to the appeal procedures provided for
under the Staff Regulations of Officials and the Conditions of Employment of
Other Servants.
2. Classification of training
2.1. Mandatory and recommended training
The following training areas will be classified as mandatory:
1. Induction training for newcomers (including HR issues, ECHA-REACH and
EU knowledge for those not familiar with the EU),
2. Management training for newly appointed heads of units if their prior
management training has not been not recognized (e.g. First Steps in
Managing People),
3. Training related to specific roles (e.g. selection interviewing for members of
selection panels or ABAC for authorising officers)
4. Training related to corporate/organisational development targeted either to
all staff or to specific target groups (e.g. SharePoint, quality awareness,
security and safety training).
The following training areas will be classified as recommended
Operational training related job and tasks as defined in the job description and
training to match the competences to be developed as identified in the job
objectives or during the performance appraisal will be classified as
recommended training.
2.2. Language training
The objective of language training is to enable the staff to attain a working
knowledge of other EU languages. As from 01/01/2009 the level of knowledge
considered as ability to work in a given language is set at B2, based on the
Common European Framework of Reference for Languages. B2 level
corresponds to the level 6 of the Inter-Institutional language courses offered
by the European Commission. Starting a language course at ECHA implies a
commitment on the part of the staff member to continue studying the
language until (s)he attains this level.
The Agency is obliged to provide language training for the third language
because sufficient knowledge of the third language is a requirement for
promotion. Article 45(2) of the Staff Regulations stipulates that "Officials shall
be required to demonstrate before their first promotion after recruitment the
ability to work in a third language among those referred to in Article 314 of the
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EC treaty." This Article applies to Temporary Agents and Contract Agents
Function Group IV by analogy.
The third language must be different from the two languages chosen or
identified for the competition or selection procedure on the basis of which the
temporary agent was recruited. In principle, staff members may choose the
third language from among the 23 EU official languages. Taking into account
the budget and other available resources, ECHA will make an effort to
accommodate as broadly as possible staff members’ language training
requests for the official languages of the European Union.
Staff members are asked to consider carefully when selecting the language
and the language course they want to attend in order to reach a working
knowledge of that language. As a rule, regardless of the language, once
selected, the language should not be changed.
However, should a staff member wish to change language, she/he may do so
before the third lesson at the latest if there are places available in an ongoing
course at the corresponding level in the new language. From the third lesson
onwards, staff members wishing to change language will have wait for the
next session to start.
Staff members may change language only once in any 3- year period except
where they start a new language after having attained level B2 in the
language they are studying.
2.3. Away days and team building events
Purpose
The overall purpose of away-days and team building events is to support
organisational development and to increase unity, cohesion and commitment
among the staff within Units, Directorates or Management. In general such
events can be classified into two types: 1) teambuilding events: activities in
which the focus is on the interaction among the members of a group with the
aim of enhancing its ability to work together effectively or 2) away-days:
activities in a different setting from the usual work environment that focus on
developing knowledge, skills or ideas, on improving coordination and working
methods or on planning activities together rather than the teambuilding itself.
Target groups and participation
Away-days and team building events are available for the following target
groups
- units
- directorates
- management
Because of the number of teams in the Agency and for budgetary reasons the
organisation and implementation of team building/away-days is limited to
units, directorates and management. If duly justified and approved thematic
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networks may organise an away-day directly relating to the theme, work and
functioning of the network.
Normally, all members of the target group should be included in such events.
Where external staff (interims, consultants) are an integral part of the team,
they can also be included in the event, though their participation may need to
be financed from a different budget line than the training budget for normal
staff. Please consult the Training and Development team on this.
Target groups are requested to take into account that there might be a need
to ensure the continuity of the service during the event.
Frequency
Unless duly justified (e.g. due to organisational changes) team building and
away-days may be organised once a year per Unit, Directorate and thematic
network. ECHA management seminars will be organised twice a year.
Costs
The costs for these events will be covered from training budget for ECHA
staff1. As a general rule, the total costs (i.e. hire of room, travel,
accommodation, external facilitators and lunch and refreshments etc.) should
not exceed 250 Euros per participants unless duly justified and approved.
Overnight stay
As a general rule away days/team building events should not last for more
than one day with a full programme. Overnight stay with accommodation is
only acceptable in duly justified cases (e.g. that the relevant programme
continues the next day). At least half of the programme should be directly
related to work (e.g. related to the planning of activities, development of
working methods, organisational changes issues of quality, standards,
integrity etc).
When planning the duration and timing of the event, directorate/units should
bear in mind that some staff members may not be able to participate outside
office hours (e.g. family reasons). As a general rule, participation in the
programme outside office hours should be voluntary.
Planning and preparation When planning the away day/team building event the Unit/Directorate is
asked to fill in the appropriate form and send it to the training and
development team (See: Annex Proposal for team building). The
Unit/Directorate should pay particular attention to the purpose and specific
aims of the event.
Good preparation is fundamental to the success of training/team-building
actions and you should plan at least 6-8 weeks ahead, especially if an
external facilitator is required. All requests for away-day/team-building actions
1
Except were there are a significant number of external staff (see Participants above).
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need to be approved by the Head/s of Unit/Director concerned before
resources from the training budget can be committed.
The Training and Development team will assist in the planning the content,
but a detailed programme stating clearly the purpose and aims of the event
should be finalised by the relevant unit/directorate/network. The detailed
programme must be annexed to the purchase order.
Steps for the organisation of away days/team building event
1. Discuss first within your Unit/Directorate and define the purpose and
focus, date, the need for an external venue and external facilitator and
the number of participants. You may consult the Training and
Development Team at this point already to discuss what is available.
Please inform Training and Development team as early as possible
about your ideas. No contact should be taken with external facilitators
or venue without prior confirmation from the training and development
team that the necessary budget is available
2. Training and Development checks the budget availability.
3. Units/Directorate fills in the proposal for a team building and submits
that to Training and Development Team with a list of participants (see
Annex).
4. Training and Development Team will assist in identifying external
venues and external facilitators (if applicable) based on the information
provided.
5. Training and Development Team will contact the venue and external
facilitators to ask for a detailed written financial proposal.
6. Units/Directorates should draft a programme for the away day/team
building.
7. Training and Development Team will make the purchase order with
relevant documents included the agenda/programme and list of
participants provided by the services requesting an away-day/team
building event.
8. Training and Development Team will inform when the purchase order
has been approved.
Follow up and evaluation
Units/Directorates interested in organising a teambuilding or learning events
are reminded that they should have a clear idea of the objectives to fulfil, the
outcome and/or the output of the event, the follow up, and how the impact of
the event will be measured (evaluation). Team-building is most useful if it is
part of a process with structured follow-up after the event as well as good
preparation beforehand.
3. Training record and certification of attendance
An individual training record shall be kept for each staff member. This record
includes all training activities applied and attended. Participation in a training
course shall be noted on the staff member’s training record. A staff member
may request a certificate gained to be filed in his/her personal file.
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R2 Unit and Training and Development Team will issue certification of
attendance upon request. Certificate of attendance and participation can only
be issued on those training sessions of which there is record and proof and
which have been fully completed by the staff member. For this purpose the
staff member is requested to sign the list of attendance for each training
session. These lists of attendances are kept in the training records managed
by the Training and Development Team in Unit R2.
4. Annual Training Plan, Training Catalogue and
Individual training plan
Annual training plan
An annual training plan for the coming year will be developed and drafted by
the end of the year by the Training and Development Team based on the
priorities set by the management and taking into account the identified needs
and budgetary resources available
Training catalogue
Taking into account the needs identified and priorities defined by the
management a specific ECHA training catalogue will be compiled by the
Training and Development Team. This catalogue will include training sessions
planned in the Agency by different operational units as well as training related
to improvement of general professional skills implemented in the Agency.
The catalogue will be compiled through the training correspondent’s network
from each unit. Training correspondents are asked to fill in a special training
format used for collecting information about training in throughout the Agency
and send it to the Training and Development team.
Staff members are asked to consult this training catalogue to identify and
apply for courses that match their development needs.
Individual training plan
Once competences to be developed have been identified and performance
appraisal completed individual training plans for each staff member will be
developed by the Training and Development Team.
Individual training plan includes the training courses needed to meet the
development objectives as defined in the objective setting and performance
appraisal. Individual training plan will be prepared and evaluated annually
based on the needs identified during the objective setting and performance
appraisal
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5. Contribution towards costs
5.1. Courses in the interest of the service
ECHAs aim is to become the centre of expertise on issues relating to the
safety of industrial chemicals and to apply most modern administrative
practices and staff policies. Therefore ECHA needs staff who is recognized
experts in different topics relevant to chemicals safety and public
administration.
Courses in the interest of the service applies to all courses organised by
ECHA, published in the ECHA training catalogue or Commission training
catalogue and short term courses (e.g. workshops, conferences or seminars)
except intensive language courses. External courses, seminars and
conferences that are recognised as contributing to ECHA’s expertise
development shall be considered to be in the interest of the service.
1. Subject to the availability of funds, course enrolment, inscription,
registration, travel expenses and other expenses for courses, including
examination and certification fees, shall be paid if the training is in direct
relationship to the scope of activities of the staff member, it forms part of
his/her development objectives or it is recognised as contributing to ECHA’s
expertise development at the time when the training request is made. These
courses are paid from the ECHA training budget. This budget item covers also
costs for training missions (travel, accommodation and per diem) for the staff
member participating in training organised outside of ECHA.
2. Applications shall be made on the form “Training – application” including full
details of the course/conference programme together with cost, dates, times
and any possible requirements for travel. If travel is required, a mission order
has to be prepared by the individual staff member. All travel should be made
by the most economical means.
3. ECHA will refund the costs of language test for third language for promotion
up to 200 Euros.
5.2 Training courses of shared interest between the staff
member and ECHA attended at own initiative
1. Subject to the availability of funds, ECHA may grant a contribution towards
courses attended at own initiative that are of shared interest between the staff
member and the Agency. All courses must relate to the job that the staff
member is occupying at the time when the application is made. The form
“Training – application” has to be handed in before the beginning of the
course or before each academic/calendar year including full details of the
course programme together with course cost and date. The number of special
leave days requested for the chosen period has to be indicated.
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2. The staff member will only be reimbursed after the course or the
academic/calendar year upon production of the passed examinations (or
certificate of attendance should there be no examination) related to the
relevant year.
ECHA pays to the staff member a contribution of 60% of
the course cost up to the maximum reimbursement per year which is €
1500. ECHA reserves the right to revise this ceiling.
3. No payment will be made towards travel or accommodation.
4. The Agency’s contribution shall be paid in Euros into the same account in
which the staff member’s salary is paid.
5. No partial refunds are made during the academic year. Reimbursement of
the course/academic year is made upon evidence of course payment and
successful course completion (original receipted bill or invoice stating all the
relevant elements of the course, confirmation of passed examination). The
original attendance certificate will be returned to the staff member if so
requested.
6. Should a university course be split into modules instead of academic years,
the university has to provide written evidence about how many modules
correspond to one academic year. The staff member can then be reimbursed
upon production of the passed examinations of the relevant academic year.
5.3 Courses primarily in the interest of the staff member
Subject to the availability of funds, in exceptional cases and duly justified by
the Head of Unit or Director ECHA may grant a contribution towards courses
attended at own initiatives that are primarily in the interest of the staff member
are eligible for reimbursement of 50% up to a maximum of € 500 per year.
6. Special training leave
Granting a special leave for training courses (other than language courses
e.g. courses in REACH related scientific fields) is a way to increase and
develop the scientific or technical capacity of staff.
6.1 Leave to attend a course in the interest of the service
Courses in the interest of the service
Time spent attending a training course in the interest of the service shall be
considered working time and shall not require special leave.
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Language training organised in ECHA
Participation in language courses organised in ECHA in order to fulfil the
requirements of Article 45 (2) of the Staff Regulations (third language for
promotion) will be considered as 100% working time and 50% of your
attendance will be considered as working time when participating in Finnish
lessons. This would apply also to all intensive language courses organised in
ECHA. Attending language training for the second language or advanced
English language training shall be considered as working time. Participation in
other language courses not linked to the third language requirement will not
be considered as working time.
6.2 Leave to attend a course of shared interest between the
staff member and ECHA attended on own initiative
Courses that constitute a shared interest are
- A: intensive language courses organised outside of ECHA,
- B. other training courses or courses that spread over one or more
years or through distance learning attended on own initiative and not
organised by ECHA which are not recognised as being in interest of
service or not directly contributing the expertise development.
Following the Commission rules and rules adopted by other agencies (EMEA)
if required the ECHA may grant a derogation from the flexitime rules to be
absent during core hours or a special leave up to 10 days per year for courses
attended at own initiative, which constitute a shared interest between the staff
member and the Agency. The rest is counted as annual leave.
A. Intensive language courses organised outside of ECHA
For intensive language courses organised outside of ECHA and attended at
own initiative lasting not more than twenty working days, special leave of up to
10 working days per year shall be granted on the following terms:
- unless an exception is made in duly substantiated cases that the
training is in the interest of service, courses must relate to the
improvement of skills in the second language or third language for
promotion as indicated by the staff member and support the reaching
of the sufficient level (B2 or equivalent) knowledge for 3rd language for
promotion or local languages Finnish or Swedish) or advanced English
language courses
- such courses may not be attended by staff who have no knowledge of
the language in question and the relevance of the course to the work of
the applicant must be attested by the relevant Head of Unit or Director;
- courses must be approved by Training and Development Team and
must be at a level appropriate to the needs of the applicant to support
the reaching of the sufficient level knowledge of the 3rd language;
- the courses must involve at least four hours’ of tuition per working day
for at least five days a week and last at least two weeks
- unless special reasons are put forward by the Unit concerned only one
period of special training leave shall be granted for any one during a
staff member’s career at the ECHA .
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B. Other training courses or courses that spread over one or more years
or through distance learning attended at own initiative and not
organised by ECHA which are not recognised as being in interest of
services or which are not directly contributing the expertise
development.
Provided that they meet the admission and registration requirements, staff
members attending an authorized training course spread over one or more
years or through distance learning, e-learning, or correspondence and
provided that the course is of reasonable relevance to the staff member’s
current function, may be granted special leave for half the number of hours'
tuition up to a maximum of 10 working days (or the equivalent number of
hours) per academic or calendar year.
Leave for examinations (oral and written exams incl. thesis) is not included in
the maximum of 10 days special leave per year.
At the end of the training course/academic year, the staff member must
provide Training and Development Team with a certificate from the training
body concerned confirming the number of hours of attendance at the course
as well as with a confirmation of the passed exam.
For each year, a new application with confirmation of having passed the exam
has to be submitted to Training and Development Team at least one month
prior to the start of the course.
In exceptional cases, special leave for study and exams may be granted to
staff attending courses of shared interest between the staff member and the
ECHA without reimbursement of training cost by the ECHA. In this case a
form
“Staff
training
–
application”
including
full
details
of
the
course/conference programme, course dates indicating the number of special
leave days has to be submitted to Training and Development Team signed by
the immediate superior
and the Head of Unit.
6.3 Courses primarily in the interest of the staff member
Courses that are primarily in the interest of the staff member shall not be
considered as working time.
7. Leave for examinations
In addition staff shall be entitled to special examination leave of up to five
working days per year for the number of days they are required to be present
at the examination plus any travelling time needed unless the journey can be
undertaken at a weekend or on a public holiday.
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Written proof from the university has to be submitted stating date and time of
the exams in addition to the leave form.
Special leave will be granted to staff members who will take the official level
test for the third language for promotion. Special leaves will not be granted for
level tests in other languages.
8. Submission of applications and recording of special
leave
Applications for special training leave to attend courses or to sit an
examination shall be made on the usual leave form accompanied by the
relevant documents, e.g. invitation letter for the examination, confirmation of
seminars. These applications must specify the places, dates and times of the
courses or examinations. Special leave applications will be updated in
Centurio and FlexWin by the secretaries and HR/Individual rights team will
then verify and store the original special leave applications. Training and
Development team need to be informed about the special leave request.
Special leave shall not be finally granted until the applicant has submitted
within two months of the end of the course an original document or certified
copy to Training and Development Team showing that the courses have
actually been attended and that the examinations have actually been passed.
Failing this, the period of absence shall count as annual leave.
9. Refusal of leave and review
Should special training leave be refused, the member of staff concerned may
have recourse to the review procedure described in chapter
1.4.
10. Failure to attend a course after enrolment
Once the immediate superior has approved the training application,
attendance to the course is mandatory. A member of staff who has enrolled
for a training course but is unable to attend must immediately inform Training
and Development Team. A staff member will try to find a replacement to
attend the training course.
11. Objectives and evaluation of courses
In advance of any training course, when filling in the training application the
staff member together with the manager shall agree on the main
goals/expected results to be attained from the course. These goals/expected
results shall be included in the training application.
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After completing a training course, the staff member fills in the evaluation form
and shall submit an evaluation form to Training and Development Team right
after the course or at latest within a week.
As a minimum the impact of training on the performance of a staff member will
be assessed annually as part of the performance appraisal.
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Annex 1: Process and
workflow
General Training organised by the Agency:
Process and Workflow
Step 1
Training need identified by manager and staff member
Step 2
Application form filled in and signed by staff member
Step 3
Application approved and signed by Head of Unit
Step 4
Application form sent to Training and Development Team
in time
Step 5
Staff member booked for the training by Training and
Development Team
Step 6
Training takes place
Step 7
Staff member fills in and sends Evaluation Form to
Training and Development Team
Step 8
Training and Development Team updates training records
and pays training provider
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ANNEX 2: Proposal for away-day/team building
PROPOSAL FOR AWAY-DAY / TEAM-BUILDING ACTIVITY
Overall purpose
Specific aims
Target audience
Size
Venue
Time
Length
Logistics
Working methods
External facilitator
Dinner
Plan for follow up
/evaluation
Additional
comments
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