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12.1 Baseline for Training – Technology Training

Needed capacities or functions - Technology Training

  1. Conduct regular technology staff surveys to identify training needs and priorities organization-wide.  

  2. Provide adequate internal capacity or outsourced support for onboarding and ongoing technology-related training. 

  3. Provide training and support for all personnel in the use of appropriate systems, software, and security best practices. As organizations develop new tools for clients, staff should be adequately trained to provide support for these tools. 

  4. Train IT on existing policies for technology use and ABA ethical standards on technology. 

  5. Use of technology to deliver training, including, where appropriate, webinars, online meetings, web chat and web conferencing tools, and hands-on/in-person training. 

  6. Set technology standards for new hires and incorporate technology training as part of an employee orientation process. 

Important Considerations and Best Practices 

Training is essential for staff to learn the skills and technologies to be effective at their work and, as a result, improve the delivery of client services. However, it is common that technology training is limited or underinvested.  

As best practice, organizations should consider integrating their IT policies into onboarding or technology training to ensure that staff are well-versed in the organization's security requirements, particularly for remote work, work in public spaces (i.e., where there may be unsecured Wi-Fi connections), and for use of employees' own devices, so that employees have a clear understanding of their duties to protect the security of data and how to do so. 

Training can reinforce organizational case management or document management protocols, such as file naming or storing locations, on which staff must be regularly refreshed. 

An organization should consider best practices for effective training and training documentation, such as the following: 

  • Training that is user-focused, based on roles and everyday tasks that staff need to manage to accomplish their work.   

  • Recordings and developed resources are stored in a shared, widely known location or centralized knowledge bank for staff to access quickly.  

  • Keeping training short (e.g., 20 minutes) and addressing specific needs to avoid overloading staff.  

Consider leveraging existing resources for written training materials and online learning available (e.g., Microsoft 365 documentation) as needed. These materials can be curated and tailored for a given role and task.  There are also various national and state training resources for legal services and nonprofits. 

Useful websites, resources, and other tools