With the aim of providing easier access to all trainings offered by the Institute, the RITM Training Office officially launched the Learning and Development Information System (LDIS) last February 18, 2019.

LDIS allows users to apply to RITM trainings online and get real-time updates on their application status by simply creating an account. The LDIS also gives the Institute’s learning and development (LD) providers with the ability to review applications online and notify training applicants about the status of their application.

The development process

Coming up with a centralized training information system that would allow external stakeholders to easily inquire about and apply to RITM trainings was the Training Office’s building block in developing the LDIS.

“[The LDIS] started with a vision of having a platform where learners and LD providers [can] build a relationship [and get] to know each other better even before the intervention happens. On the learner’s side, (1) they get to feel that they have [many] learning opportunities to choose from, (2) their [inquiries] can be answered right away, and (3) they become part of a community. On the LD providers’ side, (1) they’re able to assess their learners’ needs based on their profile, and (2) they get to have access to an efficient system that serves as a one-stop shop that allows them to monitor and track their students’ progress with ease,” says former Training Office Assistant Head Pauline Camille Baladjay.

According to Training Specialist Mary Ann Abu-Abu, planning the flow of the system and finalizing the functions that will be included in it proved to be the most difficult phase. “We had to think of all the processes that would get the specific output that our clients would want,” says Abu-Abu.

After a series of meetings with Technical Working Groups (TWGs) and consultations with Course Point Persons plus the assistance of current Training Office Assistant Head Roberto Wilmer Matala, the Training Office was able to ensure that the LDIS covered all the processes involved in manually applying for trainings. In anticipation of an influx of inquiries about the LDIS, they also uploaded tutorial videos to guide both internal and external stakeholders in navigating the system.

Moving the Institute’s thrust in training forward

The online training application feature is only the first step in automating the Institute’s training processes. The RITM Training Office plans to further develop the LDIS to include online generation of training plans, online training evaluation, and online generation of training reports, among others.

With training as one of the main thrusts of the Institute, RITM strongly believes that empowering people across the nation is the key to collectively control and eliminate infectious and tropical diseases in the country. RITM offers a wide range of laboratory and clinical trainings, international trainings, and postgraduate courses.

By Eunice Brito, Research Assistant, Project Matyag