1. A case study
What a difference a few weeks can make
How an expert
interim resource
can help deliver
real impact quickly
London Probation is a law enforcement agency.
It is part of the National Probation Service which,
together with the HM Prison Service, makes up
the National Offender Management Service.
Probation staff work with offenders to protect the
public and reduce re-offending.
The issues
London Probation has 3000 staff working across 75 locations in
the Greater London area. Their ongoing development and learning
is vital to the work they carry out every day in the London area.
London Probation already had a well established and successful
skills development strategy. As part of its commitment to
continuous improvement, it was keen to review its employees’
learning and development framework in line with new
technologies such as e-learning.
Prior to the start of the project however, London Probation lacked
hands-on experience or capability of implementing the latest
e/blended* learning solutions. Undertaking a full review would
place considerable demands on managers’ time in researching the
latest developments, identifying opportunities, managing vendor
selection and overseeing implementation.
* Blended learning is a training approach that combines e-learning
with a variety of other delivery methods. Blended learning means
that learning becomes a process, rather than an event.

2. The outcome
London Probation
The solution
Undertaking a review of any
organisation’s learning and development
strategy is a major task which can place
heavy demands on managers’ time.
Internal resources may also lack the
specialist expertise to be able to deliver
new systems or processes.
Faced with these issues, London
Probation opted to bring in the
expertise through Capita Resourcing’s
Interim Management Division. “We
chose to use an Interim resource
because this presented us with some
key benefits” comments Phil Drury,
London Probation’s HR Director. “Capita
were quickly able to identify a
candidate with the right experience and
specialist knowledge. This meant that
the extra demands on our team could
be controlled and that our knowledge
gaps could be filled immediately.”
Tony Garvin, the Interim Manager
selected, has a wealth of corporate
learning and development experience in
implementing e/blended learning
solutions. “Interim Managers can often
offer a number of advantages” explains
Tony. “They can normally start within
days, with minimal formalities and are
typically overqualified for a position.
Their experience means that they can
have an immediate and lasting impact.”
Working closely with the London
Probation team, Tony was quickly able
to identify key development
opportunities. Firstly they looked at
solutions which could utilise cost
effective e/blended learning
management skills development
solutions for 300 managers/supervisors
operating across 75 office locations.
Alongside the management skills course,
London Probation also wished to
identify how its induction, Health &
Safety and Data Security training
requirements could be more cost
effectively delivered via e-learning to
employees’ desktops.
Contact
0870 83 33 661
interim@capita.co.uk
www.capitaresourcing.co.uk/interim
Capita Resourcing, Interim Management,
Innovation Court, New Street,
Basingstoke, Hampshire RG21 7JB
Capita Resourcing Ltd. Registered in England and
Wales under company No. 3949686.
Capita Resourcing Ltd is part of Capita Group plc.
IM CS001 07-06
The outcome
Within just nine weeks London
Probation’s Learning and Development
capability had been transformed. A new
e/blended programme for managers was
ready to be piloted and trainers were
equipped with an e-learning course
development toolset. It will allow them
to develop their own in-house rapid e-
learning materials to evolve the current
classroom-based course curriculum
forward to a more cost effective blended
learning solution.
Phil Drury, London Probation’s HR
Director, concludes “As an Interim
Manager,Tony’s experience and
knowledge meant he could make a
significant contribution within a short
timescale. He helped equip us to deliver
mission critical learning and development
activities via e/blended solutions.”
Timeline
Week 1
Analysed and identified areas of opportunity:
– Probation Service Officer (PSO) Development
and Core Management Skills Development
– Induction, Health & Safety, Data Protection
and Data Security training
Week 2
– Agreed the e/blended strategy for the
programmes
– Agreed HRD’s benchmark criteria for
vendors’ e/blended solutions
– Identified infrastructure requirements for
the delivery of e/learning
Week 3
– RFP written and issued to eight market
leading vendors
– Engagement with the Institute of
Leadership and Management for
validation of the programme
Week 4
– Analysis and review of vendors’
presentations and proposals
– Vendor selection completed
Week 5
– Financial and technical review of the
selected vendor’s tender
– Commercial negotiation with the vendor
Week 6
– Commercial contract and SLA agreed with the
vendor
– Roll out strategy agreed between vendor,
HRD and Information Services
Week 7
– Agreement reached with the ILM for their
validation of the management skills
programme
– Branding and employee communications
agreed for the programmes
Week 8
– Focus group engagement for the pilot
evaluation of the e/blended programmes
– Detailed project rollout and resource planning
Week 9
– Pilot programmes ready to deploy to focus
group
– Handover of the project plan from the
Interim to the HRD team