Senior technical advisor on a project to create an online learner management system. This involved developing the project plan, recommending a realistic budget and overseeing the development of the requirements specification. Advised on the tendering process and appointment of the digital design agency, with regular reviews of the development process.The project was run in a PRINCE2 project management environment, and Simon was the senior technical advisor on the project board.The website was delivered on time and budget, and the feedback has been very positive.Visit the climbing frame at climbingframe.unionlearn.org.uk or read more about the project here.

Union Learning Reps (ULR) play an increasingly important role in the workplace, and a new tool has been launched to help them – the web based Climbing Frame. This website combines learning content with a mechanism to manage the progress of learners.

The system replaces a previous version that had to be installed on individual machines.Unionlearn, the TUC body set up to promote learning, found that whilst users recognised the benefits of the Climbing Frame, its potential was undermined by compatibility and accessibility problems. This was particularly noticeable inside company networks.

Being brought in as the technical advisor, I was keen to see development of a web based version of the Climbing Frame, as it would offer a solution to these problems whilst also providing an opportunity to improve other aspects of its functionality. The site is now live, having been launched at the Union Learning Rep conference at the TUC in July by Unionlearn, Prospect and PCS.