Case Study: Cheshire IT Service choose Optivote
Background:
The Information Security Road-show "It Could Be You" is a major training project initiated in response to a request from NHS Chief Executive David Nicholson to ensure that every NHS organisation was providing staff training on the issues surrounding information security following a series of high profile ICT security breaches, which had resulted in a media storm. The goal of the project was straightforward: "Raise awareness of information security and the need to be vigilant with every member of staff."
How did we engage our trainees? We had to decide how to get the audience to participate and engage. We selected Optivote, an electronic voting system that links to PowerPoint to achieve audience participation using individual handsets. Showing Return on Investment: Optivote’s reporting system has supported us in proving the return on investment in this project to our stakeholders. The data collected was compiled into monthly reports that showed our progress throughout the project. It demonstrated that there was both a need for this training and that the seminars were very effective in changing behaviour and meeting the objective of raising awareness. The need to keep person identifiable data secure is a fundamental part of the day-to-day job of the majority of employees in the NHS.

Outcomes: Doing the "session with the handsets" became something that was recommended by staff to each other which meant that attendance on the sessions far exceeded our expectations. Now, staff expect our sessions to be interactive and engaging. The project has delivered results beyond the expectations of the original brief and has provided confidence to our stakeholders that a quality solution has been provided. The project is now mandatory for all PCT staff and is recommended by 97% of attendees as being a worthwhile, engaging and enjoyable experience that has changed their behaviour both at work and at home where information needs to be kept secure.

Feedback: "We have found Optivote to be a fantastic tool in helping us to quickly engage with audiences both large and small. We use Optivote for seminars, workshops and small classroom sessions and find its flexibility and scalability allows us to be very creative in how we use it.
		In the classroom we find it can be used subtly as part of a review session to test knowledge. Attendees are more willingly to give honest feedback using Optivote especially where they find it uncomfortable to give feedback verbally in front of others. We use the reports to review attendee performance and where necessary provide additional tuition to those whose results have shown a need further help. Our attendees now expect to engage with us using Optivote and enjoy the fun and interactive nature that it brings to the subject. Optivote allows the audience to evaluate their own responses not just the presenter reviewing the hands up." Julie Wedgwood – Head of ICT Education, Training and Development, Cheshire ICT Service

Awards: In February 2009 the Cheshire ICT Service won the coveted Gold Institute of IT Training Award for Internal Project of the Year for their "IT could be YOU" Information Security Roadshow and the Gold award for Internal Training Department of the Year (Public Sector). In February 2010 the Team have again won the Gold Award for Training Department of the Year (Public Sector).