Massachusetts
Department of Correction
Scope of Work:
In recent years, the
Massachusetts Department of Correction (MDOC) has worked hard and has
been successful in achieving its goal of certification from the
American Corrections Academy (ACA) of its training program. Achieving
this certification has required a significant and continuing
commitment of resources for employee training. For example, every
employee is expected to complete a minimum of 40 hours of training per
year. The demands of scheduling people for classes, coordinating
equipment and facilities, maintaining a large curriculum and keeping
it current, and consistently providing quality instruction have been
especially challenging for MDOC. Because of this challenge and the
significant investment of resources MDOC is making in training, the
Commissioner solicited an evaluation of the quality of training
programs and the methods of delivery.
Accomplishments:
Sterling
Institute was selected through competitive bid to assess the current
effectiveness of staff training and development, including service
delivery models, coverage for special groups within the Department,
and curriculum strengths and improvement priorities. We reviewed
existing policies and procedures, training methods and curriculum,
conducted 15 focus group sessions, interviewed senior managers and
training staff, and administered surveys of instructional staff,
training recipients and their management. The resulting report
included numerous recommendations for using resources more effectively
and improving the quality of training, many of which were immediately
adopted and are being put into action. |
