Indoor Climbing Programs Assessments: A How to Guide, Part 2
In our last blog post on assessment, we outlined the stages of program assessment necessary to align what is happening in programming with the mission, vision, and goals of our climbing programs. By incorporating the formative, ongoing, and cumulative assessments outlined in that post, we provided a starting point for programs to get a clear and comprehensive picture of where they are succeeding and where they need to improve.
READ NOW: Programs Assessments Part 1
Reasons to Have Caution with Staff Assessments
- Bias
If we “trust our guts” in assessing staff, we risk allowing our personal biases to creep into our assessments. Having a systematic and thoughtful staff assessment system can reduce bias in staff assessments, and consequently important decisions like promotions, raises, and leadership positions. - Program Consistency
By developing a clear and communicated staff assessment system, we inform staff what we expect from them and create consistent expectations across all program areas and staff - Staff Development
Without clear expectations, it is unfair to expect staff to know where they need to improve or ask for resources to professionally develop. A consistent assessment process allows staff the opportunity to develop. - Organizational Accountability
When assessing staff performance, we learn a lot about organizational support and development. The staff assessment process can expose blind spots, organizationally, and allow your gym to address underdeveloped staff and managerial support.
What Does A Staff Assessment System Look Like?
At Headwall Group, we highly recommend beginning by identifying four-to-five Technical Competencies and four-to-five behavioral competencies that are “must haves” within your program.
Examples of technical competencies:
- Youth Group Management skills
- Safe Belay Technique
- Lesson Planning
- Clear Instruction
- Mastery of Climbing Technique
Examples of behavioral competencies:
- Communication
- Inclusion
- Problem-Solving Skills
- Good Judgment
For each of the competencies you identified, consider what they look like in your program and develop a rubric.
The rubric should identify behaviors at three levels of competency:
- Exceeding Expectations
- Meeting Expectations
- Not Meeting Expectations
Download The Free Example Rubric Here Here
EXAMPLE RUBRIC FOR TECHNICAL COMPETENCIES |
||||
Youth Group Management |
Lesson Planning |
Delivers Clear Instructions to Participants |
Mastery of Basic Climbing Technique |
|
Exceeding
|
Always uses a robust repertoire of group management techniques to maintain organization and safety and to engage participants during lessons |
Creates robust lesson plans for each lesson and organizes them in a lesson plan archive. Lesson plans allow for flexibility and consider multiple variables |
Always provides clear instructions using more than one modality, repeats expectations, checks for understanding |
Demonstrates Mastery of climbing technique and provides examples for participants |
Meeting
|
Uses some group management techniques some of the time during lessons and keeps participants engaged |
Creates a basic lesson plan outline for each lesson that allows for flexibility |
Provides clear instructions but does not always check for understanding or teach using multiple modalities | Describes but does not demonstrate basic climbing techniques for participants |
Not Meeting Expectations |
Does not use group management techniques and does not maintain organization during lessons | Does not prepare a lesson plan for each lesson | Does not provide clear instructions | Unable to describe or demonstrate basic climbing technique for participants |
EXAMPLE RUBRIC FOR BEHAVIORAL COMPETENCIES |
||||
Communication |
Inclusion |
Problem Solving |
Sound Judgement |
|
Exceeding
|
Always follows communication protocols for participants, families and managers |
Includes all participants and modifies activities to make them accessible to all participants |
Solves all problems that arise swiftly and independently and involves only relevant people |
Assess situations, makes the best decisions with the information available to maximize the possibility of a safe, positive outcome |
Meeting
|
Communicates clearly but does not follow proper communication protocols |
Always ensures all participants and co-instructors feel included in all aspects of the program |
Attempts to solve problems independently and occasionally needs support from managers | Assesses situations and attempts to make the best decision possible |
Not Meeting Expectations |
Does not communicate clearly or follow communication protocols | Does not take action to ensure all participants are included in every aspect of the program | Does not attempt to solve problems, always needs support from managers | Does not consider information available before making decisions |
These rubrics can be useful in multiple ways:
- You can share this with all staff to initiate an evaluation cycle.
- These can be used as meaningful observational assessment by managers
- These can create a great self-assessment tool to facilitate dialogue
- They allow for constructive feedback during an assessment cycle
How Do I Implement This?
Once we have developed a clear rubric, based on technical and behavioral competencies, we need to enact staff assessments. This requires several phases:
- Inform staff
Let your staff know the expectations, how they were developed, and how the assessment will look - Create an open culture
et staff know that their management will be assessed on the same terms, and provide a space for staff to assess upward - Provide an opportunity for self-assessment Before providing any feedback to staff, provide them with the rubric and allow them to assess themselves, this creates buy-in and will allow employees to improve and focus prior to their assessment
- Provide managerial feedback
Management can observe staff and fill out a rubric or sit down in person to review self-assessments and provide clarity - Create action steps
It is important that assessment leads to action. Make sure that you take assessment data and help individuals or groups professionally develop, provide peer support, or work to develop performance plans - Reassess
After taking the time to assess, be certain to follow up and continue a cycle of learning
In our next two blog posts, we are going to dive deeper into the idea of technical and behavioral competencies, and we can hire, train, and assess using a competencies model to build a culture of safety in our organizations
If you are interested in learning more about program assessment, reach out to discuss!
Don't Forget to Download the Free Rubric!
The Headwall Group has made their rubric open to use for climbing professionals like you
About the Headwall Group
The Headwall Group was founded by Bix Firer and Pat Brehm. Bix Firer (MA, University of Chicago) is an Associate Professor of Outdoor Studies at Alaska Pacific University and has worked as a wilderness educator, trainer, facilitator, and experiential educator for over a decade.
Pat Brehm works as a professional organizational trainer and has spent his career as a climbing coach, facilitator, and outdoor educator.