One of the first questions we ask during the kickoff of a new project is, “Who’s taking ownership of this e-learning project?” It’s incredible how many times that answer is, “Nobody.”
Involvement is crucial for a successful e-learning program. Appointing no one as the champion for your program will have one of two outcomes: no one will do anything and your program will be wasted, or someone will do everything, but you’ll never respect or realize the amount of work they do.
Managing an online training program is a big job. Bigger than you may realize, and it is specialized work. The e-learning manager is often the go-to person for scheduling, managing updates, coordinating review staff, and answering all questions. If anyone wants something done, it falls to the e-learning manager.
Look for someone who …
Has learned online. All the better if they have taught online or at least earned a degree online.
Knows a little (but not necessarily a lot) about learning management systems. You may choose to handle technical updates in-house or contract out to a provider like Talance for managing.
Is wildly organized. This person should keep schedules and be good at documenting methods for updates and changes. They should have systems for organizing copy and pictures. They should remember passwords. They should be good at follow-through.
Is a good promoter. Your manager should also be savvy about promotion. Even if you have a marketing department, your manager should know something about making connections, promoting internally and outreach.
A good web manager can pay for themselves several times over. You’ll be glad you started taking this position seriously.
[Photo credit: Search Help, misterbisson on Flickr]