I just completed this training which is now required for all state and municipal employees.
The scenarios are reasonable and even sometimes interesting, but they are also confusing because a lot (over 2/3?) of the training is for state employees and does not seem to apply in the same way for municipal employees — or if it does, the application is unclear from the information given. Most of the questions were about scenarios that could never come close to applying to me as a public school teacher.
Will, is it possible to check on how the statutory training requirement has been implemented and whether they plan to adjust the online training so it makes more sense / is better targeted for different groups of employees — particularly municipal and public cschool employees? Right now it seems like the group whose questions / issues are most clearly addressed in the training — state employees — is probably the minority of those who actually participate in it.
Thanks,
Tom
Thanks, Tom,
You are not alone in frustration with this test. The Massachusetts Municipal Association and others, including me on behalf of Belmont municipal officials, have given a lot of feedback to the Ethics Commission about the test.
The Ethics Commission did respond by adjusting the categories of people required to take the test.
I think that the basic idea of the test is good: to educate people; you get to try each multiple choice answer until you get it right. I do feel that some of the scenarios are a little esoteric. I expect that the test will continue to evolve.
People shouldn’t feel anxious about it though — it is not a test of character, just a process to educate people about the intricacies of a complex legal area.