The main tool is called “Finding the Gaps”. There are different versions of this tool designed to meet the needs of four kinds of learning providers within the FE System. Each version of the tool offers the same selection of issues but presents the ECM themes in an order more appropriate to the particular focus of the different providers (see the table below).
| Target Sector | Primary focus | Suggested Theme Order |
| Tool 1 Incorporated Colleges |
Achievement of learning outcomes Optimising the learning experience |
1.Enjoying and Achieving 2.Making a positive contribution 3. Achieve Economic well being 4. Being Healthy 5. Staying Safe |
| Tool 2 Work Based Learning Providers |
Acquisition of vocational skills to enable learner independence and integration into the workplace. Enabling learners to be self sufficient |
1. Achieve Economic well being 2. Staying Safe 3.Enjoying and Achieving 4.Making a positive contribution 5. Being Healthy |
| Tool 3 Prison Education / Youth Justice and Offender Learning |
Promoting citizenship Supporting vulnerable learners to develop their skills and abilities Encourage utilisation of skills and abilities to positive effect for themselves and others |
1.Making a positive contribution 2. Staying Safe 3. Achieve Economic well being 4.Enjoying and Achieving 5. Being Healthy |
| Tool 4 Youth and Community Education |
Promote safety and security Personal and social development Developing and encouraging responsibility for self and others |
1. Staying Safe 2.Making a positive contribution 3. Being Healthy 4.Enjoying and Achieving 5. Achieve Economic well being |
Each version of the Finding the Gaps tool offers only a suggested ordering, aimed at helping learners and learning providers to make closer links between their particular needs and the ECM agenda. Providers are encouraged to review their own situation and modify the order accordingly to optimise effective planning and evaluation of their learning provision.
Once the most relevant tool has been chosen, or developed, it should be used as a checklist to identify how well the organisation is doing against the ECM agenda and any gaps in its provision. One way of achieving this is to go through the tool and colour code each statement. The following suggestion is offered:
| Focusing This is a definite gap in our provision and we need to consider whether we need to fill this gap and assess the planning/resource implications for doing so. (Code Red) |
| Developing We are currently developing/experimenting with this. Practice is very mixed across the organisation. It has further resource implications such as coaching and sharing. (Code Yellow) |
| Establishing We are quite well developed in this area as it is established across the whole organisation but it is not yet a natural part of what we do. It has minor resource implications. (Code Green) |
| Enhancing We are good at this and it is natural part of what we do as there is a high measure of consistency of practice across the whole organisation. We are continuing to improve but there are few or no resource implications. (Code Black) |
The templates are available here:
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