Looking Back on Spring 2016…
Stephanie Noel, Business Development Manager, Queen's IRC
As we prepare to enjoy the summer with our family and friends, I would like to take a minute to thank all the people who attend our programs and the organizations who sponsor them. Congratulations to those who have earned their certificates.
This spring, we introduced our HR Metrics and Analytics program, which teaches you how to transform HR data into business insight. This program has filled a need in our community, and has also been very popular as a custom offering. We recently completed a Professional Development Awareness Survey, which revealed insights about what types of training people prefer, the most important factors for making a training decision, and which resources people rely on.
I am proud of the work we are doing at Queen’s IRC and I encourage you to take a few minutes to review the excellent papers and articles we have released this spring:
The Golden Rules of Fact-Finding: Six Steps to Developing a Fact-Finding Plan
Lori Aselstine, Queen's IRC Coach, 2013
As labour relations professionals, we are required to engage in fact-finding on a regular basis. Good fact-finding ensures that the information upon which we form our conclusions and recommendations is credible, and that our advice is evidence-based.
When planned and executed properly, fact-finding provides a solid foundation for conducting analyses, forming conclusions, generating options and formulating sound recommendations. Fact-finding may involve researching documents or existing records and data, holding focus groups, interviewing witnesses, or using written surveys and questionnaires. The techniques employed will depend on the project or issue under consideration. What is constant across all fact-finding missions is the need for a plan to guide and document your efforts.
Developing a good fact-finding plan starts with figuring out what you need to know – what information do you have to have in order to form an evidence-based opinion. The precursors to good fact-finding include scoping the issue to determine what it is you need to answer, understanding the context within which the issue has arisen, and appreciating the "political" landscape (organizational and personal relationships often play a significant role in shaping a witnesses' view of a matter) – all of these things can influence the approach you take to any given fact-finding endeavour.
Visit Queen’s IRC this July in Historic Downtown Kingston!
Build your fact-finding and investigation skills while enjoying the sights and sounds of historic Kingston and the Thousand Islands. In our Mastering Fact-Finding and Investigation program, you will learn how to plan an investigation, conduct interviews, and properly weigh the evidence.
Kingston is North America’s freshwater sailing capital, with a vibrant downtown that’s rich with history and activities. Extend your visit by taking a few days before or after your program to explore!
For an overview of our professional development training, from the perspective of our participants and speakers, please check out our Queen’s IRC Video.
Copyright 2016 Queen’s University IRC, Robert Sutherland Hall, 138 Union Street, Kingston, ON K7L 2P1
Call 1-888-858-7838 | Email IRC@QueensU.ca | Visit us online at irc.queensu.ca
As we prepare to enjoy the summer with our family and friends, I would like to take a minute to thank all the people who attend our programs and the organizations who sponsor them. Congratulations to those who have earned their certificates. 
As labour relations professionals, we are required to engage in fact-finding on a regular basis. Good fact-finding ensures that the information upon which we form our conclusions and recommendations is credible, and that our advice is evidence-based. 
Build your fact-finding and investigation skills while enjoying the sights and sounds of historic Kingston and the Thousand Islands. In our 
Queen’s IRC will be attending the Institute of Public Administration of Canada (IPAC) Conference and Trade Show on June 26-29 in Toronto, ON. 
