Managing Programs

A program, also known as a "curriculum," "learning plan," "training track," or a "course bundle," is a structured framework designed to organize learning for a group of users, such as a team or department, over an extended period. It enables you to define which courses learners must complete, in what sequence, and within what timeframe. Programs also automate notifications, keeping learners - and optionally their supervisors or designated recipients - informed when deadlines are approaching or overdue, ensuring accountability and progress tracking.

Why Use Programs?

As an organization, you likely have courses that all users must complete (e.g., "WHMIS") and others that only some users are required to take (e.g., "First Aid," "Privacy for Clinicians"). However, even if a course is not mandatory for certain users, they may still choose to self-enroll to obtain certification for personal reasons.

When tracking compliance, you want to report only on users who must complete a course—not those who enroll voluntarily. For example, if Debbie, a volunteer at the information desk, self-enrolls in "First Aid" but never completes it, you wouldn’t want your compliance report to flag her as non-compliant, since she isn’t required to have First Aid certification for her role.

So how do you differentiate between users who must complete a course and those who don’t? The answer is by using programs.

When users are enrolled in courses through programs, it signifies that the course is mandatory for them. The system will automatically send reminders as deadlines approach, notify them if they are overdue, and track when they need recertification. These users will also appear in key reports, such as the "Compliance Summary" and "Program Completion" reports, helping administrators and supervisors effectively monitor compliance.

The following sub-sections describe how to manage programs in your learning environment.