Learning and

Development Framework

2018 • Human Resources: Organizational Development

A Message from the Executive Director of Human Resources

As outlined in the Human Resource plan, Investing in Our People, Health PEI has committed to
sharpening our focus on recruitment, engagement, development and retention. Our strategies
are meaningful and relevant and include growing, developing and supporting our most valuable
resource – our people. Health PEI is committed to strategically investing in our people to
deliver the best possible care and service to Islanders.

The Learning and Development Framework is pivotal in shaping our investment in people. It
applies to all Health PEI employees and articulates the principles, roles, responsibilities and
characteristics for building workplace capacity. The framework provides information on how to
promote learning and development planning; identifies processes to position Health PEI to
achieve strategic outcomes; stresses the need for alignment and integration with other
workplace activities such as performance development; and demonstrates the way forward to
supporting a learning culture.

To meet the needs of our changing workplace, it is essential that all staff continue to work
towards self-development and maintain a personal commitment to learning new skills and
following training pathways. Planning ahead will ensure that we are prepared for meeting the
challenges of the future in providing high-quality health care to Islanders.

Sincerely

Tanya Tynski
Executive Director, HR
 Table of Contents
Background ..................................................................................................................................... 1
Introduction .................................................................................................................................... 1
Purpose ........................................................................................................................................... 1
Scope ............................................................................................................................................... 2
Benefits ........................................................................................................................................... 2
Guiding Principles ........................................................................................................................... 3
Roles and Responsibilities............................................................................................................... 5
Learning and Development in Health PEI ....................................................................................... 7
Our Vision.................................................................................................................................. 7
Approach ................................................................................................................................... 7
Learning and Development Components ....................................................................................... 8
Programs ................................................................................................................................... 8
Related Policies ......................................................................................................................... 8
Resources .................................................................................................................................. 9
Evaluation ..................................................................................................................................... 10
Communication............................................................................................................................. 10
References .................................................................................................................................... 11
Appendices.................................................................................................................................... 12
 Health PEI Learning and Development Framework 2018

Background
Health PEI is committed to creating a learning culture that builds on and sustains an
environment that inspires and supports employees to pursue learning through diverse formats,
methods and streams. The organization endorses ongoing learning and development planning
as a part of its strategic, operational and annual business planning activities of the organization,
its facilities and/or networks. Furthermore, Health PEI is committed to expanding the learning
and development opportunities for staff and leaders to support future organizational needs.

Introduction
Learning and development is the process through which employees are encouraged and
supported to acquire new or advanced skills and knowledge by participating in education and
training opportunities on a regular basis. Learning and development may occur formally and/or
informally. Formal development options include courses and programs of study. Informal
options may include mentoring, coaching and clinical supervision.

Continuous learning and development are important factors of performance and motivation at
work. These factors enhance the ability of Health PEI to attract, retain and develop talent with
the right skills and abilities to be capable of dealing with changing environments and
responsibilities.

Learning and development is a shared responsibility between the employee and the
organization. There is a mutual obligation—an obligation on the part of the employee to take
charge of their professional development and training and an obligation on the part of the
organization to offer an environment that is conducive to learning.

To meet the above needs, and support staff in learning and development, Health PEI has
developed this framework.

Purpose
Health PEI is committed to the continuous learning and professional development of its
employees. This framework builds on the following goal and objective of the Health PEI Human
Resources Strategic Plan (2016-2019):

Goal: Strengthen our work force capacity to sustain a high performing workplace.
Objective: Expand learning and development opportunities for managers and all staff to
support organizational needs.

The Learning and Development Framework serves the following purposes:

Presents the principles that will ensure an integrated and standardized approach to
learning and development;
Describes the roles and responsibilities of senior leaders, directors, managers and
employees; and,
Provides different programs and tools which are evidence based and linked to the

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strategic direction of the organization.

For the purposes of this framework, the following definitions will apply:

Employee Persons involved in providing care and/or service within Health PEI
facilities and programs. This also includes staff, physicians, students and
contract workers.
Learning and The process where the employee is encouraged and supported to
Development acquire new or advanced skills and knowledge by participating in
learning and training opportunities on a regular basis.
Development can occur formally and/or informally. Formal
development options include courses and programs of study. Informal
options include mentoring, coaching and clinical supervision.
Learning and The learning and development plan is a set of developmental goals with
Development plan accompanying action steps and targeted completion dates.
The learning and development plan includes identifying “training”
(learning directed toward specific objectives such as following certain
regulations or procedures or the application of an acquired skill) and
“education” (learning directed at broader objectives such as becoming a
more effective staff, supervisor or better leader). The development plan
supports employee career planning.
Organizational The process of collective education in an organization that has the
Learning capacity to impact an organization’s operations, performance and
outcomes.

Scope
The Learning and Development Framework applies to the entire organization. Successful
learning and development is shared by executive leaders, directors, managers, and all staff and
physicians—all have a role to play in the process. Personal development is a professional
activity just like carrying out the tasks in the job description.

Benefits
Applying the Learning and Development Framework enables Health PEI to achieve the following
benefits:
Build a competent, diverse, and professional workforce.
Increase employee engagement and job satisfaction.
Maintain public confidence in the quality and safety of care provided.
Create a skilled and versatile workforce that can adapt to changing needs.
Foster employee career growth, high performance, and innovation.
Act as an important input to workforce planning including succession planning.

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Guiding Principles

I. Make learning and development a strategic priority.

Health PEI is committed to providing learning and development opportunities to assist

employees to meet the constant changes of day-to-day operations. In order to create a
skilled, innovative and respectful organization, it is critical that learning and
development be a strategic priority. This means continuing to invest time and resources
to support employee learning and development. Learning is a continuous process,
integrated with and running parallel to the work of the organization. A learning culture
has been shown to be a critical part of developing a high performing workforce. Health
PEI will create a learning culture where employees are provided opportunities to
develop new skills and are motivated and rewarded for doing so.

II. Create customized employee learning and development plans.

Individual learning and development plans (Appendix A) need to be designed to reflect

the employee’s individual needs and the operational needs of the department/division.
Learning and development plans need to be customized based on the attributes, career
aspirations and performance assessment of the individual employee. The plan needs to
further develop the employee’s strengths, as well as identify opportunities for
improvement. When an employee goes through the performance review process, a
learning and development plan needs to be created as part of that process. The
learning and development plan will serve as a roadmap for the employee and their
manager regarding the competencies the employee needs to focus on during the
upcoming performance year, and how the employee will move towards meeting their
individual career development goals.

III. Align learning with the needs of the organization.

Learning activities need to support Health PEI’s strategic objectives. This is done by
creating a program and/or divisional/organizational learning and development plan
(Appendix B) in alignment with the Executive Leadership Team’s organizational goals
and objectives. Adult learning theory and practice indicate that learning is most
effective when the activity is directly related to needs and is immediately relevant. The
key to success is timely and meaningful employee learning and development plans.

IV. Provide appropriate learning options.

There are a variety of learning options that may be considered as part of an employee’s
learning and development plan. On-the-job learning may include project-based
opportunities, acting transfers, lateral career moves, vertical or promotion career
moves, external secondments, cross-training, taking on additional responsibilities, or
more traditional training opportunities such as courses, certificates, webinars,

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conferences, degrees, seminars and literature review. Imperative to the promotion of

continuous learning is inquiry and dialogue, as well as collaboration and team learning.

V. Provide learning and development opportunities for all employees.

Health PEI is committed to creating continuous learning opportunities at all levels of the
organization. Employees at all job levels, functions, departments and divisions need to
have access to learning and development opportunities to expand in their existing role,
and to grow into their next position. Continuous learning and development is important
to stay current with changing information and technology, and opportunities need to be
offered to all staff in a fair and equitable manner.

VI. Share knowledge with other staff.

Health PEI needs to make knowledge sharing a common practice as part of creating a
learning and development culture. This means that employees who attend seminars,
training or conferences need to share the content with their peer group.

Knowledge sharing goes beyond that which is gained in a formal institutionalized

program of study. Health PEI must ensure that knowledge and experience is shared
between staff on an ongoing basis by establishing systems to capture and share
learning, such as mentoring and coaching programs. This is particularly important to
successful succession planning so as to retain corporate knowledge and develop future
leaders.

VII. Evaluate learning and development.

Evaluation of learning and development serves two important purposes:

- indicates whether money has been spent wisely; and
- tracks organizational adoption of the Learning and Development Framework.

It is important that evaluation is programmed into the framework from the beginning.
Proper consideration should be given to what to evaluate, when and how. When
assessing training options, it is recommended that multiple training options be explored
and the return on investment be considered to ensure value for money spent.

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Roles and Responsibilities

All Health PEI employees are responsible to promote and support a culture of continuous
learning and development within their own work area and within HPEI. Learning and
development will help to prevent errors, improve care and performance and support the
achievement of business objectives. The following is an outline of key positions and groups and
their responsibilities as they relate to learning and development.

Chief Executive Office

 Ensure that all Executive Directors are informed of the policy and the framework and
are advised of their responsibilities.
 Ensure the implementation and consistency of the framework across the organization.
 Monitor metrics associated with the framework to ensure a culture of learning and
development.

Executive Leadership Team

 Identify key learning priorities that will assist the organization in meeting its business
objectives based on the existing strategic and business plans.
 Identify which corporate training is mandatory and which is optional.
 Identify and make budget and resources available to meet the learning and
development needs of the organization.
 Communicate the importance of key learning priorities each year such as leadership
development training.
 Create targeted learning and development opportunities that are aligned with the needs
of the organization to prepare employees for future roles and opportunities.
 Hold managers and supervisors accountable for creating quality learning and
development plans with their employees as part of the performance management
process.

Administrators/Directors
 Create a department/unit/program/service learning and development plan (Appendix
B) each calendar year to align with corporate and development key learning priorities.
The plan needs to outline corporate, team and individual learning activities at a
department level.
 Implement the learning and development plans and communicate to staff the
importance of these activities and why.
 Perform maintenance of training materials developed as part of selected departmental
training offered.
 Support newly appointed managers in obtaining the necessary training. Some form of
mentoring is also encouraged during the early months of an employee’s new role as a
supervisor or manger to provide support and ensure a successful transition.

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 Identify team specific competencies and existing gaps in current staff skill set based on
compiled employee performance reviews. For jobs with the same competencies, these
need to be included in the annual department/unit/program/service learning and
development plan.
 Include adequate learning and development activities in annual plans and budgets.

Managers/Supervisors/Delegate
 Provide day-to-day coaching and feedback to employees to help facilitate high on-the
job performance and to provide learning and development for direct reports.
 Initiate discussions with direct report employees to create and implement employee-
level learning and development plans as part of performance accountability and
development (PAD) process.
 Partner with direct report employees to identify existing skills, knowledge gaps and
strengths and support the employee in finding the most cost effective way to close
those gaps and maximize their strengths.
 Support direct report employees in career development planning. This is intended to
prepare the employee for more highly skilled positions, promotion opportunities or
lateral moves.
 Create and support a culture for shared learning.

Human Resources
 Execute corporate objectives and provide career development guidance and leadership
to all employees.
 Communicate to all staff a summary of the Learning and Development Framework and
the existing union/excluded training and development funds.
 Provide coaching to supervisors and employees on creating and implementing a learning
and development plan. This includes providing learning pathways for various roles that
are competency based.
 Provide coaching, as requested, on creating departmental and divisional learning and
development plans.
 Evaluate the organization’s progress towards implementing this framework through the
learning and development success metrics listed in this document.

Employees
 Participate in a learning and development plan discussion with respective manager or
supervisor on an annual basis as part of the PDP process. This is a two-way discussion of
career interests, aspirations and learning goals resulting in a learning and development
plan. The plan needs to be of benefit to both the employee and the department.
 Seek support and agreement of supervisor and manager on their learning and
development plan.
 Commit to the actions identified in the plan, and follow through to accomplish the
objectives and actions outlined in the plan.

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 Participate actively to maximize benefits of all learning opportunities and satisfactorily

complete all requirements to successfully complete the learning event;
 Apply the new skill and knowledge gained to their day-to-day job responsibilities and
communicate to the immediate manager or supervisor where further support is needed.
 Share the skills and abilities with others within the workplace and the organization to
enhance the performance of the organization as a whole.

Learning and Development in Health PEI

Our Vision

An engaged, empowered and innovative workforce dedicated to

delivering quality Health services.
Approach
In 2010, the LEADS in a Caring Environment Framework was adopted by Health PEI. The
framework represents the key skills, behaviors, abilities and knowledge required to lead in all
sectors and levels of the health system. It presents a common understanding of what good
leadership looks like. For more information, visit the LEADS in a Caring Environment Framework
webpage.

A key foundation for the LEADS in a Caring Environment Framework is Caring—for patients, for
staff and for the health of “Islanders.” For leaders, caring means that compassion and support
infuse our collective efforts to build a more effective and safe healthcare system. For the
healthcare provider, caring means delivering the best and most appropriate care to patients
with the utmost compassion and support. Caring is the common thread that links the
organization together and forms the basis for the Learning and Development Framework.

Learning and development happens everywhere and encompasses a wide range of activities
designed to improve the competencies and capabilities of individuals. Employee education
starts from the beginning of employment with orientation and continues throughout the
employee’s career.

Within Health PEI, there are four categories of education available for all staff:
Mandatory education
Corporate training
Team/unit specific development
Individual learning and development.

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Mandatory education refers to required training for individuals. This training is usually required
on annual basis and is tracked by management. For example, CPR (Cardiopulmonary
Resuscitation), WHMIS (Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System), and emergency
management training (fire) are required for frontline healthcare workers.

Corporate training refers to education opportunities that may be linked to the strategic
direction and applicable to all employees, such as employee orientation, respectful workplace
training, and quality improvement/patient-centered care. As well, other corporate education
such as budget, quality and safety, and privacy are provided to assist managers with their day-
to-day activities as leaders.

Team/Unit specific development refers to the development of staff working in a designated

area. For example, pediatric staff are trained in PALS (pediatric advanced life support); those in
Mental Health are trained in NVCI (non-violent crisis intervention); and those in long term care
are trained in GPA (gentle persuasion approach). These opportunities allow team members to
build capabilities and competencies in their chosen field of work.

Individual learning and development refers to the enhancing the capabilities and
competencies of an individual based on their learning plan, career path and/or performance
issues. Some examples may include specific courses, such as, e-learning, webinars and
workshops/conferences. This type of learning is often self-directed and supports the
individual’s interests as well as needs.

Learning and Development Components

Programs
New Leaders Program
Mentoring Program
Leadership Development Series
Experienced Leadership Development Program – Link coming soon

Related Policies
Health PEI has a policy framework which supports learning and development. These policies
include but are not limited to;
 Employee Performance and Development policy
 Nursing Education (QEH) Vision Mission and Value policy
 Evaluation of Training and Competency policy (Laboratory Medicine) and
 Mandatory Education (LTC) policy.

The policies can be accessed online in the Health PEI Policies and Procedures Manual.

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Resources
There are a number of internal and external resources available to assist with moving learning
and development forward:
Internal:
Unionized and Excluded Learning and Development Funds
Labor Relations service provider (Cox and Palmer)
French language training (Collège Acadie)
Departmental/Divisional training line accounts
Localized education (clinical educators, nursing education days)
PEI Public Service Commission (Pathways for Learning)
Online education (nursing)
Leadership Development Series
Safety for Managers and Supervisors
Staff Resource Centre
External:
University of Prince Edward Island (various short courses/certificates)
Holland College
Distance Education (MBA/BSCN)
Community Colleges (Academy of Learning)
Canadian Health Leaders Network (CHLNet)
Independent consultants
Various conferences/seminars
Canadian College Healthcare Leaders (CCHL)
Achieve Centre for Leadership & Workplace Excellence
Crisis and Trauma Resource Institute

When developing the learning and development plan, managers/supervisors and employees
should discuss resource concerns. A method to assist with this critical conversation is the
GROW coaching model for crucial conversations (See Figure 1). The conversation focuses on
identifying the skills or competencies required (Goal), the feasibility of the required training
(Reality), where and how it might be obtained (Options) and when it will occur (Will). This helps
increase both employee and organizational commitment to the plan and helps ensure the plan
is successful.

Figure 1: GROW Coaching

Model for Crucial Conversations.

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Evaluation
Evaluation of the Learning and Development Framework will be achieved by annual monitoring
of the following indicators:
% of Employees with Performance Development Plans: # of employees with plans
developed/# of FT/PT Health PEI employees.
Accreditation Canada WorkLife Pulse tool: % of staff who respond strongly agree to the
following statements:
o I receive the training I need to do my job well.
o I have good opportunities to develop my career.

Communication
The Learning and Development Framework will be communicated to all staff and physicians of
Health PEI through the utilization of various modalities, including: staff orientation sessions;
leadership and management forums; Health PEI Staff Resource Centre; and the Intranet.

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References

Learning and Development Framework, City of Hamilton, updated 2016-07-22

http://www2.hamilton.ca/NR/rdonlyres/1058FCC5-5756-4CF7-AEB6-
885EDDA6E78E/0/LearningandDevelopmentFramework.pdf

Health PEI (2016). Investing in Our People, Health PEI Human Resources, 2016-2019 Strategic
Plan

Health PEI (2017). Health PEI Strategic Plan 2017-2020. Document Publishing Center

Ratnapalan, S & Uleryk, E, 2014, Organizational Learning in Health Care Organizations, 2, 24-33,
www.mdpi.com/2079-8954/2/1/24/pdf

PEI (2013). Learning and Development Framework, Public Service Commission, Charlottetown,
PEI

LEADS in a Caring Environment Framework, https://leadscanada.net

Worklife Pulse tool, Accreditation Canada: https://accreditation.ca/

Building an Organizational Learning and Development Framework: A Guide for NGOS, CHS
Alliance, March 2017 https://www.chsalliance.org/files/files/L%26F%20Framework%20-
%20Final.pdf

The GROW model, Essential Mentoring skills, retrieved from the internet May 2018
https://cdn.southampton.ac.uk/assets/imported/transforms/content-
block/UsefulDownloads_Download/59CB199C2A5841109BF2EA4EA98017B6/GROW-Model.pdf

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Appendices

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Appendix A

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Appendix B

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