Training Focus: Blick Rothenberg Chartered Accountants

The ICAEW’s new compulsory CPD is in place from January 2005 and at the end of this year all ICAEW members will be required to complete an annual declaration that they have undertaken their CPD for this year. Accountants will be asked to affirm that they have:

Training Focus has designed a 360-degree feedback process that enables accountants, managers, and partners to pay much more than lip service to this new CPD requirement.

In 2003, Blick Rothenberg commissioned Training Focus to develop, design, and deliver a successful 9-month, integrated management training programme. During 2004, the partners at Blick Rothenberg recognised the need to provide on-going support for the development of their managers, in a way that would be consistent with the new ICAEW CPD requirements. With this in mind, Training Focus was asked to propose an appropriate 360-degree feedback process.

360 degree feedback - A five step process

A five-step process was designed by Training Focus and agreed by the Partners during the summer of 2004, with the aim of running a pilot scheme for eight managers and partners during the autumn of 2004 .

The 360-degree questionnaire was designed to meet the existing competency framework within Blick Rothenberg. This ensured that the questions focused on the skills and behaviours that form the basis of the annual performance appraisal system within the organisation.

The questionnaires are completed by relevant parties on line, using a system that guarantees confidentiality to all parties involved. Results are then fed back to the individual partners and managers in a two-hour, strictly confidential, feedback session, facilitated by a trained 360-degree coach.

The pilot was successfully completed by December 2004 and the rollout to all 40 managers and partners is now planned for 2005/6.

focused on the skills
and behaviours that form
the basis of the annual
performance appraisal

Related training programmes: