21. When will guidance and training on the new scheme be available and will there be a helpline facility?
A comprehensive package of guidance will be developed during 2008 and 2009 and be available in the run up to the scheme going live. The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that this is fit for purpose and so will ensure that stakeholder representatives are able to influence and inform the design of the guidance. Whilst it is recognised that stakeholders will want to see the detail of guidance as soon as possible, some of it is constrained by decisions yet to be taken on the detail of secondary legislation. Other elements are constrained by the final design of systems and processes. A timetable for the development of guidance, and the dependencies between guidance and other elements of the programme, is being developed and will be available during the implementation programme.
Training will be organised shortly before the scheme goes live. Evidence suggests that delivering training too early in the process means that the details will be forgotten before people have the opportunity to use the scheme. In addition there will be telephone and web-based support available to support implementation.