Dutch Navy

Dutch Navy explores workplace learning opportunities with the 5 Moments of Need®

The Dutch Navy, with its fleet and marines, is committed to safety on and from the sea worldwide. In the Netherlands and abroad, they assist in crisis management operations, humanitarian aid operations and disasters. The basis of working in the Dutch Navy is in personnel readiness*; it is important to keep learning. Currently, most of the training is focused on traditional learning solutions; classroom training that takes Navy men and women off the job. The Dutch Navy wants to change that by exploring how they can facilitate knowledge and information óanywhere, anytime at their fingertips.

In an informative session with Xprtise, the Dutch Navy and a team of training advisors began exploring the possibilities of the 5 Moments of Need®. Moritz Feitsma, Training advisor at Defense: ‘We contacted Xprtise because we wanted to explore how we could facilitate the things we do today in a different way, so that this leads to new, innovative learning solutions as well as higher performance. These are now mainly focused on traditional learning solutions: mainly classroom training. In addition, there are organization-wide new developments in the qualification chain of individual personnel readiness. Time for us to explore the possibilities of the 5 Moments of Need®.

Started

After several discussions with, among others, Bob Mosher, founder of the 5 Moments of Need® methodology, and with delegates from the US Navy, the Dutch Navy decided to start an in-company 5 Moments of Need® Designer Certificate training course in which five employees participated. Here they worked on their own Proof of Concept (POC). Patrick Bliekendaal, Training advisor at Defense: “This POC had to give us clarity in:

What is “need to know” to perform qualified duties?
What is especially in the performance support?
And: what can we offer to our end user anywhere, anytime? So: ‘just in time’, ‘just in place’, ‘just as needed’

So that on the one hand, we can increase retention after going through training. And on the other hand, we can bring information availability to the workplace. In short: what are we running into? What fits within the processes? And what else or differently would be needed to make workplace learning successful?’ Consequently, thanks to the POC, the Dutch Navy -with a small group of experts- was able to learn and apply the 5 Moments of Need®. Patrick: ‘Our goal was to investigate to what extent the methodology fits into our existing processes ánd to discover what is needed to implement it’.

‘Our goal was to explore the extent to which the 5 Moments of Need® methodology fits into our existing processes as well as to discover what is needed to implement it.’

Increased measurable performance

The five participants in the first in-company training worked on two different projects to experience the impact of workplace learning. One for the Bottlers; logistics officers responsible for purchasing and stocking food and beverages on the ship. And the other for the Courtmasters; non-commissioned officers Logistical Service Care. Among other things, they serve meals on the ship. This new way of working is proving successful. The stakeholders are enthusiastic and on this basis a Proof of Concept (PoC) has been developed with which the training advisors can inform their colleagues within the Navy about the methodology. Herein lies a challenge for the coming time. Moritz: “These kinds of processes don’t happen overnight, but the start is there. I am sure that this way of learning and developing is going to help us further in achieving better (and more measurable) performance from our Navy colleagues.’

In addition to the projects for the Bottlers and Court Masters, a second group of in-company training participants worked on developing the Vertical Launce System (the weapon system) and the Leader Attack Plan (LAP) in firefighting on a ship. There is also interest in this way of working for other parts of Defense. Initial steps are currently being taken in this regard.

‘This method of learning and development is going to help us further in achieving better (and more measurable) performance from our Navy colleagues.’

Lasting major changes and higher performance

Xprtise believes in the power of the 5 Moments of Need® approach and has already guided many successful implementations using this methodology. Lasting big changes and higher performance within both large and smaller national and international organizations. Take a look at our inspiring cases to learn more about the methodology and the results.

* Personnel readiness is the extent to which units have sufficiently qualified personnel to perform the main tasks. 

Also getting started with the 5 Moments of Need® methodology?

Do you also want to come up with innovative workplace learning solutions and truly enable workplace learning or are you interested in participating in the 5 Moments of Need® Designer Certificate training? Please contact us to discuss the approach and application of the 5 Moments of Need® methodology for your organization.