How is the NTP process different from the past?

Agency-Wide

Over the last decade, Customs maintained the National Training Fund (NTF) to provide a standard level of funding for core-training initiatives. Operating on a decentralized "grants" model, the NTF focused on allocating funds as opposed to specific training requirements based on occupational and organizational needs. Requests for funding were self-initiated and discrete, lacking an overall career development framework.

In contrast, by systematically building the FY01 NTP based on structured occupational curricula, Customs can now allocate training resources according to an integrated picture of the agency's requirements. For example, through costing student and instructor travel in the NTP, it became apparent that Customs spends almost half its training dollars on travel costs. As a result, Commissioner Kelly approved the piloting of an e-Learning initiative. When fully implemented, this distance learning program will provide employees across the country with access to a variety of on-line courses through the intranet/internet. The NTP call for training also indicated a large employee need for training in cross-occupational areas such as effective communications and report writing. To meet this need, OTD is preserving funding to offer group training in different regions. These types of initiatives will help contain costs by leveraging resources.

Built by Customs

When allocating funds for training in the past, little dialogue took place with the groups seeking funding, and Customs employees were seldom included in the process. However, employee involvement was critical in creating a national training plan based on collaboration. OTD worked with occupational task forces comprised of subject matter experts to create curriculum frameworks by identifying their core, recurring training needs at various career levels. The task forces also made recommendations regarding course priorities, target audiences, and timing. OTD shaped the information into the call for training and requested Customs organizations to project numbers of employees per course for FY01. OTD reviewed the results in collaboration with each organization in order to determine capacity levels for FY01. This enabled training customers and providers to validate training requirements and plan for future needs.

Centralized

The NTP for fiscal year 2001 has been published as the central plan for Customs training. It has also resulted in employee development tools, such as a comprehensive course catalog to assist employees in identifying resources. OTD also plans to develop occupational booklets that outline the task forces' curriculum frameworks. The NTP and accompanying career development tools help organizations understand what is funded centrally versus what must be funded on an individual, discretionary level. The NTP provides funding in the following areas:

• Core Academy (Basic Entry and Advanced Level courses)
• Firearms (Defensive Tactics Instructor, etc.)
• Leadership (Customs Leadership Institute, and others)
• In-Service (Resources for organizations to fund courses needed by employees)
• Office Sponsored (OHR Safety Training, ORR Commodity Seminars, etc.)
• Cross-Occupational Training (Courses in general topics, appropriate for all occupations, which can be purchased at a volume rate)
• Customs Tuition Program (Agency-wide program promoting college-level attendance)
• New Development (Funding to develop new courses and refine existing courses)
• Distance Learning/Group Delivery (Various initiatives including satellite broadcasts, pilot web-based e-Learning program, training in cross-occupational topics for larger audiences, etc.)
• e-Learning (Pilot web-based training program that allows employees to access multiple courses through the internet/intranet)

To determine what would be funded through the NTP, OTD focused on the following criteria: commitment to traditional entry-level and mandatory training, refocus on in-service training across occupations, and movement toward training beyond the entry level. OTD is managing the NTP funds through a central tracking and reporting process with each organization. The goal is to actively manage funding throughout FY01 so that OTD can re-direct dollars to organizational priorities as needed.