Book review
Outsourcing Training & Education
ASTD (1999)
Author: Garry J. Derose
Review by Donald Clark
To outsource or not to outsource; that is the question?
The eternal debate about how much training is and will be outsourced
rumbles on. In practice huge amounts of training have been and will
continue to be outsourced, so this book will always have a big audience.
He starts by showing that training and education are already outsourced
and that from 60% of small companies to 90% of large companies outsource
to some degree, and that the expectation is that outsourcing will
continue. Couldn’t agree more.
When it comes to outsourcing, God really is in the detail. Derose
recognises this, and in true American fashion, includes the expected
checklists, templates, sample contracts and questionnaires. This
is as much a working tool as a book.
But at the heart of the book lies some models for outsourcing that
are pretty useful if you’re getting a strategic case together
for outsourcing. The models are useful in that they range from full
and comprehensive outsourcing to selective outsourcing, and what
he calls out-tasking.
He presents four outsourcing models:
Comprehensive – outsource almost everything
Administrative – outsource operational and logistic functions
Thematic – select a partner based on competences in an area
Multipartner – select several partners
Real examples are also given, so this is not just a theoretical
construct. This guy has done his homework. However, it is very much
a US book and lacks case studies relevant to Europe. Neither is
it great on dealing with global, multilingual and multicultural
issues.
If you’re looking for a book that also takes into account
the new world of e-learning, then you’ll be disappointed.
It doesn’t look at the more recent trends in outsourcing the
technology and content production for e-learning, neither does it
really explore the reasons for outsourcing not happening. Outsourcing
needs leadership and courage. Training is often embedded on organisations
like ivy on a wall. It takes a great deal of effort to loosen every
creeper. A possible consequence of outsourcing is also that some
may lose their jobs. It’s also a complex business with no
central purchasing point.
As the only really substantial text on this subject, it’s
well worth buying, but don’t expect to find everything to
support your case for outsourcing. It’s much better as a text
for those who are well on the way or have already made the decision.
PS
As a follow on from this book, try www.trainingoutsourcing.com.
It was this portal that put me on to this book.
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