Mission Synergy - The Administrative Office of the United States Courts (AOUSC)

Defining the Mission

The Administrative Office of the United States Courts (AOUSC) is devoted to serving the courts in fulfilling the federal judicial system's critical mission, which is providing justice to the citizens of this country. The agency provides service to the federal courts in three essential areas: administrative support, program management, and policy development. The AO�s Benefits Division is responsible for communicating information regarding the benefit programs available at the federal judiciary. Providing concise, accurate information in a timely manner is an integral part of a successful benefits program. Approximately 400 Benefits Coordinators in various locations are the main source of information for approximately 30,000 employees and 2,000 judges. The objective is to provide employees with tools that will equip them with the necessary information to make informed decisions about their benefit programs, and to provide Benefit Coordinators with materials that assist them in their role as counselors to the employees.

AOUSC has over 10,000 Federal workers approaching retirement in the next 3-5 years, so they identified a requirement to provide comprehensive training and guidance to help prepare soon-to-be retirees to navigate the often confusing adjustment to retired living. This volume alone required them to look for innovative solutions to deliver the required training with the desired results.

Sourcing the Mission

To help meet the shifting challenges of retirement training for a new generation, AOUSC turned to STGi to provide a comprehensive 3.5 day seminar to train and educate employees on retirement benefits and options, and how to prepare personally and financially for this new stage of their lives.

STGi collaborated with the AOUSC benefits officer and employed former federal HR officers, benefits manager, financial manager and training officer to apply the traditional ISD model which incorporated Analysis, Design, Develop, Implement and Evaluate (ADDIE) to develop the retirement seminar training guide. The ADDIE model stresses the concept that good learning programs and materials require planning, review, and revision. The evaluation phase is a continuous process that is conducted in conjunction with all of the others.

STGi designed 5 interactive modules which addressed the personal, financial and emotional challenges of retirement. Each of the modules contains key competencies, learning objectives, success criteria, exercises and lecture notes. Participants were able to ask questions directly to the instructor, apply their materials to the learning topics and learn from the diversity of participants in the room.

STGi�s Retirement Seminars have resulted in high customer satisfaction rate of 95% among the potential retirees and has made AO employees more prepared as they approach retirement. Each employee leaves the session armed with new knowledge, practical tips and guides, resource materials and a CD. AOUSC recently stated that, �STGi provides high-quality services and can handle the AOUSC�s varying needs. The Retirement Seminars have been a huge success.�

Each class is currently wait-listed.