With budget and manpower cutbacks, trends toward case management, team focus, and customer service, it is common for two or more jobs to be combined into one consolidated job. Consolidated jobs require extensive cross-training for the additional tasks, which are often comprised of diverse knowledge, skills, and perspectives not associated with the previous, unconsolidated jobs. For instance, an organization may combine one customer interface-type job with an analysis-type job. This results in a considerable training challenge, as the knowledge and skills required are quite different. Often, the need for client service and immediate work activities continues through the reorganization, limiting training time. These needs are exacerbated when new employees are hired along with the requirement for cross-training of current employees. When this type of job merger occurs, there usually is not sufficient time for the structured analysis and design required for training development.

This situation arose in the Veterans Benefits Administration's need for Veterans Service Representative (VSR) training. There was an immediate need to cross train approximately 4,000 employees at 58 regional offices in the knowledge and skills required for the consolidated VSR job. Also, new employees were to be immediately hired. A short-term approach, using selected ISD principles was taken to support immediate training for the VSR while a structured ISD approach is being taken for the long-term. Web-based training was selected as the delivery medium for the short-term solution.

This paper will address the lessons learned in the development of the short-term approach: The VSR Field Guide Web site. Over 1,000 learning outcomes were identified and organized into a taxonomy, curriculum outline, lesson plans, and resource library. This approach allowed for rapid deployment of a solution for the VSR training problem. Initial reaction to the Field Guide has been positive. We believe that the development process and the "lessons learned" from this project can be beneficial to others in both government and commercial industries, whenever training analysis has to be streamlined to meet impending deadlines.