3.1 Stages of the 5X2 D cycle
1- Decide
This is the stage where two important decisions need to be made reference the emerging FD program; the context and the Choice of the faculty who will be attending the program. These two decisions have to be planned backwards starting from the characteristics of a good faculty development program model.
Decisions on the context will be basically driven from the objectives of the faculty development and the identified needs of the institution.
Decisions on the faculty group who will attend specific segments of the training will be done on the 4 quadrant model that maps faculty based on two dimensions (knowledge and awareness) into 4 categories each of which will be targeted by a specific collection of training topics.(fig 2)
2- Define
This is the stage where two definitions have to be made; The Needs (institutional and professional) and Objectives have to be defined as well formulated from the needs.
The needs can be collected through a traditional needs assessment designed separately for each group of faculty mentioned above. Data collection methods will be the same as any standard needs assessment study including: questionnaire, focus groups, interviews etc.
When assessed the needs are identified as either institutional or professional needs each of which can be assessed by targeting the proper stakeholders.
Once needs have been validated, they are then developed into training objectives. These objectives are stratified in relevance to the faculty group as mentioned above.
3- Design
This stage offers the design of both the material and the methods of delivery of each of the identified objectives. It is in this stage that we make assumptions regarding the best and most feasible possible approach, platform, structure and method.
4- Direct
Two essential issues need to be directed in this phase; the learning and development on one hand and the growth and establishment of the community of practice on the other. This is the phase that needs the most concentration and follow up. The amount of direction given will determine the stability and effectiveness of aspects of the curriculum with its proper subset and its hidden subset.
The follow up plan used to direct each of the above two subsets will be based mainly on the identified KPIs that will be established later on in the Dissect phase.
5- Dissect
The fifth D phase is the stage of the scrutiny and when questions should be raised regarding two issues: have we fulfilled the developmental KPIs or not and have we tackled all Intended Learning Outcomes or not.
3.2 The Interchangeability in order of phases:
Each of the stages requires a revisit for the preceding phase and a projection into the consequent phase.
When deciding on the context of the training a revisit needs to be made to ILO achievement results.
When deciding on the faculty groups to attend each subset of the training a reflection needs to be made on the achieved KPIs in the dissection phase.
The two decisions have to be revisited after the needs and objectives are defined in the consequent phase.
When defining the needs, a reflection should be done back on the faculty mapping
When defining the objectives of training a reflection needs to be done on the context identified in the Decide phase.
These two definitions will be consulted again and revised after the program is designed in the next step
When designing the content a reflection needs to be made on the needs defined in the Definition phase.
When designing the methods reference should be made to the objectives.
While directing the learning and community of practice the design will be revisited and reevaluated again. Whe follow up is done a projection is usually also happening to the prospective needs and objectives of training.