PROSHIKHYAN, A Journar of rraining and Development. vor.

rg, No.

1. January-Jun

e 2010

PTU of Foundation Training course with special Reference

to
BCS A griculture, Fisheries and Livestock cadre officiats
Yl,'x{;xr"ffi1:,1,,
Afia Rahman Muktas

Abstract
PTU helps tlte clientele organisatiorts optimize their resonrces spent
ort trairtirtg in
par icttlar training ,oi,rr"
impartecl by instittttiotls collcenrcd on the other. This iesearcit
article has itempted
to look into the utilisatiort of training inptfts of Forutclation Trctirting
Cottrse tpTt) at
behavioural level of the trained probationers of BCS Agriculture,
Fisheries artd
Livestock Cadres. The specffic objectives of the siucly or" ti, (i)
assess the relevance
oJ'troining inputs to job, (ii) rneasure the extent of itilisation of
training inputs, altd
(iii)idenrifv rhe.factors that inflnence utilisa.tiort if training job
in
situaiio".' ,oro.yo)
the study were collected from trained probatioiers and"their supervising
fficials
through two sets of pre-tested questionnaires. It reveals that all
thi nine oi1"rirn, oy
FTC are quite relevant to the probationers of the said cadres. on
the othei hond, si*
objectives attained less satisfactory revel oj achievement. of course,
FTC, to some
extent, lrclps the probationers of BCS Agriculture, Fisheriis and
Livestock Caclres
perform a wide range of tasks, yet application of the knowledge
and skills obtairted
.from the saicl course is not that rnnclt satisfactory to them. Moieover, the Conrse, as
viewed by the supervisors,
not play significarft role as regards chartge irt
behaviour and attitudes of^cloes
the probationers of the three cadis. The ,,rini,i
imparting ittstittttiorts
not alone responsible fir application of learrt rrortrigi,
-are
skills and Attitudes (KSA)
from any training ,iurr"'rather it mistly depends orin"
organisational culture. Hence, based on the
finclittgs, the stttclJt recommincls two_fold
measures for effective application of knowlerlge, skills and
dnitude, gotnrr"a i,ro,,n
FTC by tlrc probatiotters.
orte hand and explores the strengths and weaknesses of a

l.Introduction
Training aims at influencing the trainees' behaviour through increasing
their skills,
improving.knowledge and changing atitudes. The objectiies of trainiig
are: (i) to
develop skills and competence of employees and improve their performan-ce;
(ii)'help
people grow within the organisation in order to meet future needs
for human
resources fiom within as far as possible; (iii) reduce learning
time for employees
' D.puty Director, Research, BPATC
" Deputy Dilector, Publicarions. BPATC
I Resealch
Officer. BPATC

starting in new jobs and ensure that they become

economically as possible (Armstrong 2001).

fully competent as quickly

and

Training is a function that affects an individual after his/her recruitment in the

service. The training of civil servants is an important instrument of administrative
development of a country.
The dominant premise of development administration is a directed, planned and goaloriented change in the'society which assumes that enhancing the capability and
capacity of the civil servants is considered as a prerequisite of development (Arora
und Hingut 198 I ).

According to the Recruitment Rules, 1981 Foundation Training Course (FTC) is

compulsoiy for all new entrants to the Bangladesh Civil Service. It was also made
compulsory for probationers of Bangladesh Public Administration Training Centre
(BPATC). The FTC aims at, as mentioned in course brochure of 39'h FTC, building
personality, stimulating creativity and instilling leadership qualities into the officers
and also providing an opportunity to the officers to familiarize themselves with
various dimensions of socio-economic development of the country. Since its
inception the Centre conducted 18 two-month long Special Foundation Courses and
45 four-month long FTCs where 3,309 and more than 8,000 probationers participated
respectivelyr.

cadres of which job natures of BCS

Agriculture, Fisheries and Livestock cadre officials are quite different. Officials
belonging to these three BCS cadres are responsible mainly for implementing
relevant development policies of government in the field. Besides, they are also
responsible for doing some day-to-day administrative activities. In performing the
assigned duties officials of said three cadres face different kinds of challenges.
Bangladesh

Civil Service consists of 28

Theiefore, encountering those challenges they have to utilise their acquired

knowledge, skills and attitudes from foundation training course in performing their
assigned duties. Government of Bangladesh adopted the Public Administration
Training Policy (PATP) on 6 May 2003 which further reinforces the importance of
post training utilisation (PTU) by the trained manpower to 'make best use of training
and to derive maximum value for money spent on training,...'2 Further, it is a need to
examine to what extent the officials belonging to BCS Agriculture, Fisheries and
Livestock Cadres are able to utilise their acquired knowledge, skills anci attitudes
acquired from FTC in their respective workplaces.
2. Post Training Utilisation

Post-training utilisation (PfU) is an integral part of evaluation of any training

programme- It deals with the application of knowledge, skills and attitudes on the job
iituution obtained from training. PTU measures the degree of actual utilisation of
training inputs. It integrates two aspects of trainin-e such as - relevance of training

input to job, and degree of relevance including the degree of actual

utilisation of
training inputs in performing tasks or job (Hossain and Ifusain 1991:45).In
order to
validate the training programme, study on PTU is a very essential
task that has to be
conducted in the workplaces of the trained participants. Moreover,
a reasonable
application time of the training inputs has to be given tefore initiating the pTU
study.
More specifically, PTU is directry linked ro behaviour level
3) of 'The
fl-vel
Kirkpatrick Model' (TKM) of training evaluarion.
Figurel : Working Model of the Study

)
r!

(+<

o
o

Jh

+i

Behaviour

_a
gr

P.
lr

Results

g
Foundation Training Course is a basic training course on administration
and
development. In Bangladesh the long-term objective of public administration
training' as highlighted in the Public Administration Training policy (pATp) is
to
develop training as an important input for economic development. pATp
states- ? is
the talent, the skill, the creativity and the commitment of tie peopte that
bring aboutt
national prosperity. It is the people who make use of all other resources
and create
conditions for development'.i Keeping this in mind, researchers developed
a simple
working model for the present study, which is presented in Figurel. Ho*"u"r,
tii.
study does not consider result level of 'The Kirkpitrick Model,.
3. Rationale of the Study
Study on post-training utilisation (PTU) is an ignored area of training institutes
of the
collntry both in public and private sector probably because of its technicalities or
lack
of expertise of training institutes. Another reason may be cold response of the

sllpervisors of the trainees to utilisation of training inputs. Furthermore, the impact of

training is often indirect or delayed and information is not easily accessiblea. Since
BPATC is mandated to impart training to civil servants in order to provide them with
knowledge, skills and attitudes required to adapt with changing realities of the
country. Without conducting study on post-training impact or utilisation, it is simply
impossible to make training courses upgraded, need-based and realistic. As such, this
study would play a vital role in conducting future FTCs with due importance.
4. Purpose of the Study

To make the Foundation Training Course more focused on common needs of

the

probationers of all cadres belonging to Bangladesh Civil Service and make the
training result-oriented as well.
5. Aim and Objectives of the Study

This study aims at providing the missing link between training given and training
applied.5 The specific objectives of the study are:

(i)
(ii)

to assess the relevance of training inputs of FTC to job,

to measure the extent of utilisation of training inputs in the job situation,
and

(iii)

to identify the factors that influence utilisation of training in workplaces.

6. Research Methods

Selection of FTCs and Respondents: Firstly, we considered three FTCs conducted

from November 2006 to February 2008 for this study. They are 38'h, 39'h and 40'h
FTCs. Total 643 probationers of 25 different BCS cadres and few non-cadre services
attended these courses. Among them 4'7,28 and 19 (total 94) belong to BCS
Agriculture, Fisheries and Livestock cadres respectively; of them male and female
officials were 85 and 9 respectively6. We considered all the 94 trained officials as
respondents and conducted census survey to collect data. In this regard we sent a set
of pre-tested questionnaire to them for their opinion. Among them 71 (75.537")
responded to the questionnaire of which 64 are male and 7 are female.

Secondly, we administered another set of pre-tested questionnaire among 88

supervisory officials of 28 different districts of 6 divisions to examine the
performance of the FTC trained officers of said three cadres in their job situation.
Among the supervisors 29,31 and 28 represent BCS Agriculture, Fisheries and
Livestock Cadres respectively. The districts were selected purposively as per
convenience of the research team.

Data for the Study: Before collecting primary data we prepared two sets of
questionnaires, one for the probationers who completed the FTC and the other for
their supervisors. Questionnaires were pre-tested twice before administering for

::
Based on different modures ulder
*r::':i--; data
closed form of questions for trained
{ive.major subject areas, we put a
probationers r"iu?o to their
learning
: - :. :idation course and
their apprication thereof i" ih;
;.;;";; job situation. The
j"::^::"::;':l ar sl conrained';;;;inar quesri ons that
,:
; -',:ljJ-;:'i"'::
: ::r.:d

'

in a rating scale of

1_6, where

representea

a;::lttr:r:":ilri

the'f;il;;";becember 200e to
,--'j-l:i
i';5:'"::;"Y^"-"^"],::::d
compretion of survey we scrutinizea^art
- ti,i -{fter
questi;;"-"o*ffi:o':xlJ;
dara ouring

'

ffi ;;;' ro, d ncomp

",*;;J d;;;;;;;r'
; ;#"""J :Xfi";

:'. J= ::".;
o n il;,yJ
u red :1,
ff *r ::::*:""":"-y
1,.:,t
rel evan
research ."po.tr,
books
s

re

an

cote*ed
i-':i','"'iT:l:i:
;u'llrratrve Y:
and T:]f,:1lh:
quantitative

data by using non-inrerenrial statisrics

and
techniques and presen-ted in simpre
tables (Annex)l
i:ff
data against.rating
,"u1., *"""firsr
yyv rrrDL uarL;ulateo
-'----o vvsrv'
catcurated tne
the
::-:i,:d score of the :T::"^1
resnon."c
tho i.-.
the
respective quesrions and then transformed
^f
: _*:::-:ii.'e ,,r,,. ,-,^.l,llj,1::: :f
the

i;Jii"::1ir:,::"i::l"t:::iiJil;;:#;;ffi #,:o;:TlXf:j

='.:,-:"i:::ffr:|]
*s"d, ;;
ll,'; ;1; ?ij:Ji:1 "?l' ",""
:":: ,'l :l l' coisidered
-L'
j:'il,:T11',31?9.11i".';*
j,T:
*";;;il';i:iJ ff'rt:T:
y,s u,"r*,";;, i;r;, ;6: iiTr
, ,:;. i: r,Tl:i]l ff ,."X1, LHR) 7,Hi gh'3a1",'
;:T i!;]"Xli

;;;;;;*-";"#:;

:Tf

','. 10.0

ji)"7"1,? j:;9,::,,^'i.:r"i{;""i;ii1)i';;;,";;i,;.:"iiffilfi;
:':1t
as 'Nor Relevant, (NR)/,Not Satisfactory, (NS).

-. Limitations
of the Study
! - :' on post-training uiirisation dears with the
difference made in the job
-::i:'rmance and behaviour of trained officers
':::njn-q programme' To measure this difierence ", "-;;;;;;nce of a*ending a
requires feediack from the trained
'' -'.rs' their superiors, subordinates, peers.and the
clients they interact with after a
:::j of an adequatery long intervar uni i*a"ptt, observation
oirtr. o.l.,uuiour of the
r:rrieS in theirjob situation as well. For
this study we conaucteo a questionnaire
'i: r\ only among the trained officers and thei^up".uiro..
io g", a general idea
'::ut utilisation of KSA obtained from FTC by trained otr,""., in the
workplaces.
l\ r attempt was taken to assess the
views or peers, subo.dinute, and
concerned
::'cnts of the trained officers that
restricts in exploring real picture
of
utilisation
of
-'rrnt KSA in the job situations' Thirdly, to observe
ttr-e uenaviour of the officers
in
i:;r 1ob situation, in fact, is complicatJ and
not always quantifiable which further
is
kind
of hurdle.to.the study. Furthermore, in few
';-'ther
cases, respondents were
::und badly busy with their officiat'*orL,-not
available at the workplaces as well
as
::luctant to respond to the questionnai.es.
Besides, *"
onty
the
officials
::longing to BCS Agricurtuie, Fisheries
"onrio"..a
and Livesiock c"o."r,'irrrr,
this study does
:cr provide a complete picture of pru
of FTc as a whole.
S. Outcome of the

Study

Through this study we tried to identify

present status of post-training
utilisation of
!.norvledge, skills and atritudes

oUtuiniJ from FTCs by the officials

of BCS

Agriculture, Fisheries and Livestock Cadres. Considering one of the mandated duties
of BPATC, we hope the Curriculum Development Committee of the Centre will use
the findings of this study in making the curriculum more focused on and relevant to
changing demand of today's civil service. Moreover, this study could be used as a
reference material for PTU of other courses to be conducted by BPATC and other
organisations in future.
9. Findings

The study conducts interview of 71 trained probationers (64 male and 7

female) of 38 to 40 FTCs representing BCS Agriculture, Fisheries and
Livestock Cadres and 88 district level supervisory officials of the said three
cadres. Among the supervisors 29, 31 and 28 represent BCS Agriculture,
Fisheries and Livestock Cadres respectively.
Relevance of the Objectives of FTC and their Level of Achievements

The study reveals that out of nine objectives of the FTC seven are highly relevant
(weighted score 91.31 to 97.65) to newly recruited officers belonging to BCS
Agriculture, Fisheries and Livestock Cadres as opined by the trained probationers
who have already attended FTC (Tablel). The objectives namely objective 6 andT
are ranked as relevant (weighted score 89.67). On the other hand supervisory officers
viewed that out of nine objectives except objective 7 (to communicate English with
reasonable accuracy and fluency), all are relevant (weighted score 81.06 to 86.17) as
reflected in the questionnaire survey. Here objective 7 is viewed as less relevant
(r.veighted score 78.03) by the supervisors. From these findings it can be said that all
the objectives of FTC are quite relevant to the probationers of BCS Agriculture,
Fisheries and Livestock Cadres
The study also discloses that out of nine only three objectives (2, 8 and 9) of FTC
attained satisfactory level of achievement (weighted score 80.51 to 84.98) as rated by
trained probationers (Table 1). For the rest six objectives (1, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7) level of
achievement is less satisfactory (weighted score 70.18 to79.34).
Though the respondents evaluated the objectives to be relevant to the probationers, as
regards lesser degree of achievement of the objectives they have identified some
reasons. The four significant reasons that resulted in lower degree of achievements
include: (i) insufficient time for ICT sessions and inadequate facilities of ICT, (ii)
lack of initiative to foster inter-cadre relationship, (iii) inadequate number of sessions
on English, lack of opportunity for presentation in English and resource persons with
insufficient skills, and (iv) course contents not equally relevant for all cadre officials
(Table 2).

I
x

I,ppllcarion of Knowledge
and Skills in Workplaces
r ralnlng co1rse is. divided inta
24 dirrerent modures,
.::';;f"ti::,::l':1.:TT19
.:;
:; dsilrr
again brought
orougnr under five
subjects
such
as
Bangradesh studies,
lnajor
i';ministration, Management Process,.
process.
dev.r.,r,rncnr EconJmicr,
Fn^-^*i^^ uJ-ilili
Development
: : _trTr3ilt. Trainees were asked to
to what extenr trre rse irrey
:- -:r :r,m

the.r";:ffi::,]:fflr:?.;.:T:l,Lo_""",
present tasks.

:.:r,i;"Xl::T:j::ledee

and sk^ilts, which were garhered rrom

the modures

jFlii;.#"i:"ff ::'::llH:1,';.T,'f;&T:[:
ffi
:,::.'F:::.:,3':';;#;ffi
r1o''
.':
;;fiild:;'rffi|;

i;:ljl*:,,30.:Y,'j,-":T1

:-

the moduies

on ,r'"
;;;#;"*"H; :i'ii:"Jil::;i
r'I\'r5 gatnereo
'.1I:::]l.t:f:::*:li
:Ttr. Economics
r rncdules under Deveropment
"o"t."",found
significantly

",""#r*li. less hJlpful to

,re
".;?,,;;
BpArc,h;i;-;;;k";;;;';;:il::,Th::
,:=, ;,- pmen
:::-iT:l:i*t,11lares,rhar
r Econ omics
": . inorvledge
offiH:: :"," #i,l
inorvledse and
anal sk.ill
lea"-r fr^*
:::
skilt i::1i:j5T
learnt
^^:r fil{l",.'.",n"l
from +L^
rhe,"id;;;;i;;ffi!il#ilffiI
--- r
.

Thrs fin,ino inrrinaro. rr.^. Dnam

-: :r.'' o rmportant

tasks where trainees apply their knowledge

-:'l-iie s under Bangradesh studies *" obr".u*g nutionui-iuy,and skins gained from
(i.e. Language Day,
--:;:endence Day and victory Day) with ar"" i,nporiu*l
u"o assisting higher
'*r.r,:.ries by providing necessary iniormation una ruig"rtion, uuou, the
solution to
- ::,ems existing in implementation
-of agricurturar programmes. Modules under
-.:':lic Adminisrration herp rhem in taking right decisio;
;;; reading in various
:-"ernment programmes. Moreover, it enabres
the. trained frouationJ.. ur.i.ii'g
- ;'.er authorities taking
dlcisions, negotiating with the iw"ropment
partners,
::.:aring citizen charter and discharging a'ssigneJauties
rotiowing TeM methods.
iirl*ledge and skills gathered from the modules
under Management process

:''tensiVely help the trained probationers

to accomplish their tasks that include
fixing
' ''.' n salary and preparing-

rour diary and TA ;iil, p"rrtrr"i"g

duties regarding
::rsonnel management of the office, writing
differeni typ"s oi ornciar retters, notes
r:d summary, conducting meetings, prep-aring rork;;"p;Jr.
ano minutes of
:eetings and writing ACR of the suf,orainate
employees.
The study reveals some areas where
trained probationers are effecti
ectively applying
:he i
rrom
,'"
l;l:T,::'",1-:,3,11'l.ll:,*:in3f
una", n"u"ffiffiiJfjJ,'J,:
'noour".
j,l;l,f:, ,r:"1fl*^.,""^1.,."0:ll"T' Tq.assisting
*r"" ;;d'il'Jl,ir""J,"T5i,
in
taring
decision
:'j',:::",j1,:^ lin:1. :lthorityp- g.u*
"
*!
; v "o""r"l"i"rili'J,#
X; "ilo?i,:
,Til: tr 1':: :: : :
:

Xll
;#;;i
"'::l:'.rg
:T]::T",iy"":""T::amongthero"urf"opi";";;;;;i""il;'#;;,,:n;,":;

;;;

rakrng active part in disaster managemint.

As regards FTC modules under Skill Development

most of the trained officers (9lvo99vc) found the earned skiils very usefuriliir"turg.
u.rrg*jJuries wirh patience,
tolerance and serenity, strive traia
to perform assigned duties, cope with
adverse

..=......--l

:. -:,-:n:ni oi the w'orkplace, and update themselves on contemporary issues,

--rr.ros- letters, appricatrons, reports, etc. using MSWord, deriver foimar anj

:rformal speech, open an office file, prepare PowerFoint documents

and present them
before the audience, and distinguish between subtle differences
of ethical and

unethical acts as well.

On the other side, respondents identified some areas where the

application of skills
they acquired from the FTC to a certain extent is not relevant to
iheir present job.
These are: organising sports competition, preparing draft of
speech a, i"qui."i by
the higher authority, repairing minor defects of vehicles and using
English in formal
and informal situations.
Through questionnaire survey supervisors provided their general
feedbacks on as
many as 21 different skiils (Tabre 3) obtained by rhe probationers
from FTC.
weighted scores of achievement level of those stiils uory from
6g.0 to 7g.0. In
qualitatiVe term none of 21 skills achieved satisfactory levi.
the study reveals that
out of 21 different skills 18 are less satisfactory (LS, weighted
score li.+oto7g.9B)
* hile achievement of three other skills such as efficiencyln settling
audit objections,
efficiency in English language use and efficiency in general use
of .o-pute1. is not
satisfactory (NS).

Less satisfactory areas of application of skills as viewed by

the supervisors include
decision making, demonstrating leadership, time
-unug"*"nt, conducting meetings,
preparing working papers and minutes, writing letters, notes,
summaries, file
management, writing inquiry reports and office inspection repoft,
facing untoward
s-ituation, preparing office budget, pay fixation, conducting
research, negoliating with
development partners, orar presentation, motivating Jth"r,
and diiving Lotor
bi kelcars.

Looking at the application

of skills from their

respective point

of view,

the

supervisors and the trained probationers opined differently about

application of skills
by the trained probationers in their officei. In most cases the trained
officers are of

the view that they are applying the gained skills from FTC in
discharging their
official duties satisfactorily. But the supervisors evaluate the performance

probationers as regards FTC's skills to be less satisfactory in

most cases.

of their

FTC's Role in changing Behaviour and Attitudes of the Trainees

Trained probationers also recognised that FTC brought some
behavioural and
attitudinal change among them (Table 4). weighted scores for degree
of support for
behavioural and attitudinar changes ranges from gr .22 to 95.77.
Accordingio them
FTC endows with highly satisfactory support (weighted score
90.0 to 95.5t) to learn
more about the government rules and regulations and abide by
those rules and
develop sense of respect for the higher autliority which is very
much related to their

job' Again FTC helps the

probationers develop

inter-personar rerationship
colleagues of the same cadre
with
and develop int".-"ua.. ."lulion.nip,
and rerationships
with non-cadre officials as well.
rne prc ru.trr". rr-rp, uulij doing
unethicar deeds.
Aiso FTC played a highly satisfactory.ole
in
some orher o."ur.::l.h,as:
"rrungiig,]r.]rlui,ua" a'd behaviour in
artitude

to appreciat. ori".i, ,,uir" orr.,".r,

opinions, sense
of responsibility for subordinates,
attitrioe to herp
rorr".
rerationship with
peopre' deverop n:*1n rerarions
",[".r,l,ij
;"J
family life and inspire and motivate s;;;";h#," ,*i;,"ilorariry in personar and
th"e colleagu", ,o'pru"ri"e
morarity and create and
prorecr gender friendly environment
in the *olkplu"".'
Furrhermore, FTC rrerps satisf'actoriry
(weighted score g r .22 to gg.49)
love for work, increase interest
to deverop
in prJfexionur.a.u"rtfrn"rrl'uno
interest in Engrish
tanp'age practice. Arso it p-"ia"r".uirrru"ror,
*pil;';;';he probationers ro admit
personal weakness, express
difference of opinion"rrrlr" ."qri*d
and disagree to
compry with the unethrcar
order (if any) oi higher
Therefore, from the
""rh;;.
ircr'
i,"f
."i.'t u.i n, p o s i t i ve c h an ge
:JJ r:i*:il:?1?"T.'ff liJ:'; "i
"'
"
"
"

'T

Through questionnaire sllrvey,

the study arso reveals the views
of the supervisory
officers abour rhe r:r:
m9 i"
the trained probationers
"t in the ro*""2t behaviourar "no "iirainar change amonp
areas as they (trained officers)
earlier (Tabre 4). According
to t."n-,i:lllurion, irir"i"g'r"tisfactoriry mentionej
(weighted
score Bl'06 to 83'71) helps tiainedp.obution"rs
onry in fouiareas. They are:
about the government
rearning
and ,.guioiion, and abide by those
.rures
rures,
sense of respect for h-igher
deverooino
authority"unJin,"rp".sonar rerationship
with coleagues #
the same cadre as werias
burrding gena", r.i.nary uttitra.
other coreagues.
They also pointed olt that the
",'ong
FTC contribution is less satisfactory
(weighted score
71.02 to 79.92) to bring ouor,
*tir.,iinor .r,ung. ;il;'probationers
Agriculture, Fisheries and Livesto"t
of BCs
inii*i".n'-arii""r.n, areas. These are:
increase interest in professionur
"oar",
o.u"ilimert,
create and protect gender
environment in rhe workprace,
friendrv
p.u;;";';orarity in p"r.onJ ina ron-,iry
,ife, deveroo
attitude to foster relationihip^*irr-'
p""pi", refrain from doing unethical
rvorkplace, deverop interest
deeds in the
of work i' ihe workpl_a.", uppr""i?t"
oth"rr, show respect
for orhers' opinions, have sense
or,"rpon-riuirity
have difference
of opinion where required, a"*top"ittiira". for
,r

;;;;e

;"';;;;;ares,

r,"rp otr.,".l,llu"rop inrer_personar

relationship with other cudre
ani
officers, inspire and motivate
the
"""."a*
;:-* ;*:"0:3i;:;f'alitv, J"ueiop in,.."r, in Engrish'ransuase practice and
supervisory officers arso opined
trrat FTC's rore is quite unsatisfactory
in changing
trainees' attitude and behavior.
;n ,i* irp-onon, areas such as
to: show difference of
opinion where required ana aitagr"e',o'Jorpry
wirh the unltrrlur order (if
higher authority, inspire nna
any) of
.ot-iuoi"'rr,,"""orr";*"", ," pr.",i"e
morarity, appreciate
others' participate in games
and physicar exercise. practice
Engrish ranguage and

admit personal weakness. However, FTC's role was less satisfactory to change
trainees' attitude and behaviour in the rest i 5 areas (Table 4).

Supervisory officers further viewed that FTC role is not satisfactory (weighted score
66.10-68'94) to bring changes in two important behavioural aspects such ai admitting
personal weakness and declining to carry out the unethical order (if any) of the
highei
authority.

The study reveals a contradictory picture about role of FTC in changing behavigur
and attitude of trained probationers while we compare the opinions of ine participants
as well as their supervisors. It depicts that FI'C. u""or,ling to the views oi the
participants, has been successftrl to bring attitudinal and behavioural changes among
them and the degree of change is highly satisfactory in most cases. Contriry to
tn"ii
views the supervisors opined reversely. To them none of the 21 behavioural and
attitudinal aspects of FTC appear to be satisfactory in bringing change among the
participants. The degree of change in all aspects is less satisfactory except two
of
them, which are even poorer that is not satisfactory.
The respondents were asked to identify factors that negatively influence in applying
their learnt KSA from FTC in their workplaces more effeciively. rney m"niionel
five important hindrances in this regard. These are: (i) lack of opportuniiy to express
new ideas (77.}vo), (ii) lack of opporrunity to practice English language (49.Tvo)-, (ir1)
lack of computer facility 32.0Vo), (iv) lack of cooperation from the senior officers
(32.080) and (v) lack of scope to drive car (27 .\Ea) .
Measures Suggested by the Respondents to.Make FTC More Effective

Trained respondents and their supervisors also identified some extra measures for
making FTC more pragmatic. They recommended that course curricula of FTC must
be revised to make it more relevant with the objectives as well as pragmatic and
need-based. Participants should be trained more on the issues on *trut they
are
dealing with so that after completion of training they would be able to correlaie the
training with their assigned tasks.

Lecture method should be given less emphasis. Training methods must be

participatory and sessions must be conducted by skilled and knowledgeable trainers

as well. Learning by seeing could be introduced. Participants could be sent to
different offices and fields to have first hand experience by thimselves.

Moreover' due importance needs to be given on communicative English, office

management, financial management, human qualities, manner and etiqueite. Number
of computer sessions should be increased and more practice session should be
arranged. Also due care should be taken on the issues of climate change, disaster
management and sustainable development. Furthermore, more sessions could be
arranged on agricultural development of the country. A special cadre specific-module
could in the course curriculum for each cadre as an optional one.

l0

' : - :--::-:: '- j r:.r;r-j:p"rmenral relarionship in the field is not satisfactory at

: r:':: ." :..:::. L-,:c.t:r inter-cadre relationship need be taken during FTC
r-

-- ::*-::i.:rL.r3.jr:\

and integritv musr be given priority so that participants

and in this process they will have chance to know the

-::f
: : " - : -' .:-..;S. rr:raliit and integftty.
' i: '": : jS li.: s::Jr esrablishes a link between training inputs imparted
r

::.: p:acricallv

:--- -.-:--:;:r:e,anceinpracticaljobsituationsofthetrainedprobationers. through

Italio
-: r - : .-: :;rr:rr of utilisation of training inputs in their work fields. Again, it

:: i : -'-ri:.b:i of important factors that negatively influence application of learnt

, ., - :-- '.1,.:rkplace. It further reinforces that work environment, one of the
can play an important role and may exert an .impelling and
: -: :::J- ln rhe training utilisation' (Hossain and Husain, 1997:49).
only
- ': -: :r.ns viren by the trained probationers and their supervisors, itBased
is indeed
:- * -' : ;.: ro specify the exact level of achievement of a study. However, one can
- : 'i. ::r: :r:rall findings have
significantly addressed the objectives of the study

-*

'-

-:-. :r:i:rs.

-::errentions Suggested by the Respondents in the workplaces

,::.', rheir learnt KSA from FTC more effectively, both participant respondents
" - ,-.-:: ,iupervisors proposed a number of interventions in workplaces. out of them,
' : n. lsi;rucial measures are: (i) strengthen inter-cadre relationship, (ii)
ensure ICT

::::urage

;--::...
i

-,"

the juniors to express their creative views and (v) create opportunity to

English language in the workplaces.

Conclusion

-- --f the fundamentals of training evaluation is study on post-training utilisation

"'lf We should not conduct PTU for the sake of mere evaluation. It helps the
- ::r:le organisations optimize their resources spent on training in one hand and

:,.:,rres the strengths and weaknesses of a particular training course imparted by

-:!.:utlons concerned on the other. It further feedbacks to the training institutions
: -:::rned about their problems and prospects.
i.:,:ladesh Public Administration Training Centre (BPATC) is the apex training

--.:iiution in the public sector of the country. Since its inception, the Centre has been
,::anising FTC ior the newly recruited offi."r, of Bangladesh civil service. of

: ,,rrse FTC, to some extent, helps the probationers of BCS Agriculture, Fisheries and

-.',estock

cadres perform a wide range of tasks, yet application of the learnt

!.rlr\\'ledge, skills and attitudes obtained from the said course is not that much

ll

sailsfactory to them. Moreover, the Course, as viewed by the supervisors, does not
significant role as regards change in behaviour and attitudes of the probationers
of the said three cadres. It is a reality that the level of achievement of the objectives
oi FTC is not satisfactory despite they are highly relevant to the probationers.

llar

This study could not cover each and every aspect of post-training utilisation (PTU). It
is rndeed a highly complicated, hard and massive task. Without having baseline data
on knowledge, skills and attitudes (KSA) of the target population it is not possible to
determine exact extent of application of KSA learnt from FTC by them on return
from training.
11. Recommendations

The institutions imparting training are not alone responsible for application of learnt
knowledge, skills and attitudes from any training course rather it mostly depends on
work culture of the organisations which the trainees work for. On the one hand,
training institutions have to concentrate on the needs of their clientele and on the
other, organisations that invest resources for training must facilitate their officers

with enabling work environment. Hence, based on the findings, the

recommends two-fold measures for effective application
attitudes gathered from FTC by the probationers.

study

of knowledge, skills

and

What BPATC May Do to Make FTC More Effective

Foundation Training Course involves a process of providing the probationers with
knowledge, skills and abilities specific to a particular task or job. It helps develop
appropriate attitude and willingness to achieve organisational goals and bring about
required change in attitude of the probationers for the benefit of the organisation. It
also prepares the probationers to keep pace with the growth of the organisation.
Imparting FTC effectively and efficiently requires analysis of organisational needs
and identifying training needs which will equip the probationers with knowledge and
skills to meet the organisational needs. Some measures are suggested below to make
the FTC more effective to the trainees by BPATC:

(i)

Ideally, any training programme starts with training needs assessment (TNA)
by the organisations then developing or procuring training to address the
identified needs. So, training needs of the new entrants to the Civil Service
have to be assessed on regular intervals before imparting the training. Trainees
should be trained more on the common issues that they are dealing with.
Therefore, on completion of training they would be able to correlate the
training with their assigned tasks rather than specialised issues as there are
departmental training institutions for every cadre that impart training on
specialised skills.

12

1iu[

Course curriculum of FTC needs to be thoroughly revised

to make
relerant with the objectives as well as pragmatic and need-based.

more

is essential for every officer for successful imprementation of

derelopment activities. Therefore, adequate number of praciicar
sessions is
required to be conducted in FTC to develop essentiar skills
for teamwork.

IMI I Teamwork

1I',t:l

To serve the peopre candidly, maintaining ethical standard

by the officers is a
pre-requisite. Members of the BCS are obliged to
reliablyr,
impartially,
efficiently and timely perform their duties and to -behave in
a oiinfied manner.
so" issue of ethics, morality and integrity must be properly
dlscussed in the
FTC with real life examples.

Training methods need to be more participatory by giving

less emphasis on
Iecture method. A brending of lecture method and pralticar"sessions
shourd be
ensured as much as possible so that trainees can link
theory into practice.
irri) Success of a training session Iargely depends on the knowledge and
skills of
the rrainer concerned. Training sessioni of FTC need to
bJ conducted by
skilled and knowledgeable trainers. Selection of guest resources
must be based
on their knowledge and skills, not on their rank uid ,tutur.
*ii| Sessions on office Management and Financial Management have to
be
facilitated more extensively along with practical exercise.
Relevant service
rules and procedures of departmentar proceeding should be
taught thoroughly"
riii)
Due
importance
needs
to be given on Communicative English, need_based
'
ICT, manner and etiquette, human qualities, and environment
and disaster
management.

Lx) Again, more sessions could be arranged on agricultural development

of the
country' A special cadre specific-module may be there in the
course curriculum
for each cadre as an optional one.

{'\)

Since inter-cad1e and inter-departmental relationship

in the field is

not

satisfactory at all, some special efforts to foster inter-caire

relationship need be
taken during FTC.

ixi)

Duration of the Foundation Training Course may be increased

and number of
participants may be reduced as well.

llhat Top Managers in the Workplaces Can Do

Application of learnt KSA_ from a training course fundamentally
depends on the work
environment provided to the trained workforce on return from
ihe training. The work
environment includes clients, logistics, staff, peers, supervisors
and current level of
their knowledge' skills and attitudes. So, organisations in which
trained officers

l3

belong to must take necessary measures for effective and efficient application of
learnt KSA from the FTC. Some of the key measures are suggested below:
(i)

A culture

(ii)

Skill of using ICT is vital for modern office management. So, computers with
internet connectivity have to be provided to make the office computerised and
automated, which will ultimately help the trained officers use their earned
knowledge and skills on ICT from FTC and thereby accelerate building Digital

has to be developed in the workplaces by encouraging juniors to

express their views and recognising their views by seniors. Senior officers
should provide institutional support to the juniors and involve them in
decision-making process.

Bangladesh, the vision set by the Government.

(iii)

English is now a lingua franca for communication across the globe. In the
FTC, trainees are provided with important knowledge and skills in English but
they lack opportunity to practice it in their workplaces. So, all kinds of internal
communications and presentations can be made in English, which will, in turn,
help the trainees apply their knowledge and skills.

(iv)

Development policies will never be implemented without coordination with

and cooperation from the other cadre and non-cadre officials. Therefore, the
top managers should make efforts to strengthen the intra-and inter-cadre
relationships and the relationships with non-cadre officials of other
departments as well.

(v)

Proper logistics (accommodation, telephone, mobile, and vehicle) should also

be made available to the junior officers.

l4

Notes
1.

Information was collected fi'om PPR Department of BPATC.

2.

GOB (2003) Public Administration Training Policy. Dhaka: Ministry of Establishment.

-).

Public Adrninistration Training Policy, Ministry of Establishment, Govt. of Bangladesh,

May 6,2003.
INBAR Training Workshop Impact Assessment: Responses fiom African Participants.
http://www.inbar.int/news/Impact%o2}AssessmentTo20AfricanVo2}Participants.doc

While writing the aim and objectives of our proposed study we consulted the research
"A Study on the Post-Training Utilisation - The Case of Thana Health and
Family Planning Administrators' Course" written by Mosharaf Hossain and Saadat
paper titled

Husain and published in Proshikhyan, Journal of BSTD,4 (2), July-December 1997.

6-

Information was collected from Evaluation Section of BPATC.

This article is an outcome of a research project titled 'Post Training Utilisation (PTU) of
Foundation Training Course (FTC): A Study on BCS Agriculture, Fisheries and
Livestock Cadre Offlcials' conducted by BPATC. We acknowledge the contribution of
Mr. Md. Monwar Hossain Sarker, Director, Directorate of Land Records and Survey, and
Ms. Jakia Sultan, Assistant Secretary, Ministry of Establishment, in conducting the said
research.

15

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"