Sparki.Training for Solstice Energy.

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The plan

Program plan

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Opposite × Solstice Energy

Sparki. AI Training.

A revised proposal to develop the organisational capability needed to support the introduction and use of generative AI across Solstice Energy. Updated following Solstice feedback on scope and delivery.

01 Purpose

Building the capability to support the transition.

Solstice Energy is progressing the introduction and use of generative AI across the organisation. This proposal outlines an approach to developing the organisational capability needed to support that transition.

The purpose of the program is to establish a consistent baseline of AI knowledge and practice across Solstice, while providing more advanced development for employees who are already using AI regularly.

The program would seek to

  • Establish a common understanding of generative AI and its appropriate use at Solstice
  • Translate the emerging AI strategy, policy and governance arrangements into practical guidance for employees
  • Develop employees' capability to use AI effectively in their day to day work
  • Establish consistent expectations for reviewing and validating AI generated outputs
  • Build sufficient internal capability for Solstice to continue training and supporting employees after the initial rollout
What this program is not

The program is intended to complement Solstice's broader work on AI strategy, governance, technology and use cases rather than replace it. Everything past this point is a proposed shape. The module structure and the examples would be confirmed through co-design with the working group before any material is built.

02 Background

Significant preparatory work is already complete.

An AI working group has been established with representation from across the business and is meeting regularly. A strategy on a page is being prepared for the Board, governance arrangements are being developed through Legal and Compliance in consultation with IT, and Claude Teams and Microsoft Copilot are already in use within parts of the organisation.

Solstice has also surveyed approximately 100 employees about their current experience with AI. The results indicate that AI use is already relatively widespread, but that capability varies considerably.

Drag any corner to reshape the board.

Employee survey~100 responses
79have used ChatGPT for work
71have used Copilot
36describe themselves as still learning
20use AI daily
Already in place
  • An AI working group with representation from across the business, meeting regularly
  • A strategy on a page being prepared for the Board
  • Claude Teams and Microsoft Copilot already in use in parts of the organisation
  • Governance arrangements being developed through Legal and Compliance, in consultation with IT
Not yet
  • Guidance to employees on expectations, beyond the privacy policy
  • A tool issued to every employee, so some use their own
  • Help desk capability to answer AI questions consistently
  • Material aimed at service delivery or entry level retail, where hesitation is highest

What we discussed on 21 August

We held a discovery session with stakeholders from People and Culture, Legal and Compliance, and IT, and worked through the results of the employee survey. Four points from that conversation shape what is proposed here.

  • Employees want a clear position on what is appropriate and inappropriate use, which was the most raised item in the survey
  • People find it difficult to see how AI applies to their own role, and examples need to differ by business area
  • Practical help with prompting was the next most requested item
  • Review of AI generated work is inconsistent, and there is some concern about the impact of AI on roles
The proposed program starts from the work already completed rather than repeating the discovery process. Its role is to translate the emerging organisational position on AI into practical knowledge, skills and behaviours that can be applied consistently across the business.
03 Investment

The recommended solution.

Revised following Solstice feedback. One set of five modules, designed once and delivered online to three cohorts grouped by existing experience. Sessions run for 90 minutes with a maximum of 15 participants. Introductory material already held in the HR system is not duplicated, and the items Solstice asked to remove have been taken out.

Recommended
One series. Five modules, three cohorts, delivered online

A series is five modules delivered to three cohorts, which is 15 sessions. Each session runs for 90 minutes with a maximum of 15 participants, so one series reaches up to 45 people. Every session is delivered live online, and the full facilitator pack is handed over at the end so Solstice can rerun the program internally.

  • One series of five modules, designed once
  • Three cohorts, grouped by existing experience
  • 15 sessions of 90 minutes, delivered online
  • Maximum 15 participants per session
  • Full facilitator pack handed over
Series1
Modules5
Cohorts3
Sessions delivered15
Session length90 min
Maximum per session15 people
DeliveryOnline
Investment, ex. GST$28,400

How the three cohorts work

One set of modules, delivered three times.

Everyone works through the same five modules. The cohorts simply group people by how much they have already done with AI, so each group can move at a pace that suits where they are starting from.

01
Designed once

Five modules are built a single time. The structure, the content and the facilitator materials are shared across all three cohorts.

02
Adapted three ways

Each module carries level variations. The worked examples, the framework used to explain the idea, and the reinforcement such as quizzes and practice tasks are all pitched to the group in the room.

03
Delivered three times

The same five modules run for each cohort, so people sit alongside others at a similar level. The advanced cohort is led by a more experienced facilitator.

Optional extension

Available now or later.

With 15 people to a session, one series reaches around 45. Should Solstice wish to take the program further across the business, a second series runs the same five modules again for another three cohorts.

Optional extension · Available now or after the first rollout

Extended for more reach

A second series of the same five modules, run for three further cohorts, taking coverage from around 45 people to 90. This can be included now, or left open and picked up once the first rollout is complete and the level of interest across the business is clearer.

2Series
6Cohorts
30Sessions
90People reached
Add to the recommended solution+$16,700
Combined total, ex. GST$45,100

Covers facilitation and a refresh of the worked examples. The five modules carry across from the first series.

Add-ons

Available with the recommended solution or the extension.
Add-onWhat it coversPrice (ex. GST)
Additional cohortAll five modules run again for a further group of up to 15 people, being five sessions. Facilitation only, as the material is already developed.$5,900 per cohort
Additional sessionA single extra 90 minute session for up to 15 people, where numbers exceed the allowance or a team requires its own run of one module.$1,450 per session
Champion coachingCoaching for named internal champions so they can run sessions in house after handover. Priced per person, based on a minimum of two sessions each.$1,650 per champion
Self paced module and LMS packagingThe self paced online version of the material, packaged for the Solstice learning management system with completion tracking. This is the handover route for new starters and refreshers.$11,700
90 day reviewOne round of refresher sessions and a short assessment of what has changed since the rollout.$7,850
Survey analysis by business areaThe raw survey results analysed by business area, so that capability and hesitation can be located rather than estimated.$5,900

The reasoning behind these figures, the five components of the work and the indicative module titles are set out in Scope below.

01
Assumptions

The proposed budget assumes that Solstice will provide access to the existing survey results and relevant strategy and governance material, make the working group available for co-design, coordinate participant scheduling, and provide one consolidated round of feedback on materials. It also assumes that the introductory material already held in the HR system covers foundational knowledge. Each session runs for 90 minutes with a maximum of 15 participants, so one series reaches up to 45 people.

02
Exclusions

The scope does not include development of Solstice's AI strategy or policy, technology licensing or configuration, or detailed identification of AI use cases for individual teams. These may interact with the capability program but represent separate streams of work.

03
Pricing basis

All prices exclude GST. The pricing is based on our standard consulting, facilitation, design and development day rates.

The optional extension does not change what is built or what is taught. It increases how many people the program reaches, by running the same five modules again for further cohorts. Solstice can include it now, or activate it later once the first rollout is complete and the level of demand across the business is clear.

Rates hold for 90 days from the date of this proposal.

04 Scope

What sits behind the figures.

The program is a single piece of work delivered in five related components. It is not a menu of modules to be bought individually. The module titles further down sit inside component 02 and are confirmed with the working group in co-design. Select a component to open it.

We would review the existing employee survey, the AI strategy and the emerging governance material to establish the requirements that should be reflected in the training. This would include working with the AI working group, Legal, Compliance and IT so that the program reflects the actual operating environment at Solstice rather than generic AI guidance.

We would develop the capability framework that sits under the program, setting what each level needs to be able to do and how progress is recognised. The five modules and their three level variations are built against that framework. The structure would be confirmed through co-design with the working group, and the number of sessions holds regardless of how the content is finally arranged.

Learning materials would be developed using Solstice examples, systems and governance requirements. Where possible, activities would be based on decisions and tasks employees are likely to encounter in their actual roles, so different examples may be developed for service delivery, retail and customer service, and corporate functions.

The program would be piloted with the working group before broader rollout. The sessions are practical rather than presentation based. Participants work directly with the AI tools and apply the concepts to relevant tasks and examples. All sessions are delivered online.

In session

  • Sessions of 90 minutes, with a maximum of 15 participants in each
  • Participants work directly with the AI tools rather than observing demonstrations
  • Sessions run more than once so employees can attend around their work
  • Delivered online, so employees can attend from any site

Around the sessions

  • Employees participate at a level appropriate to their existing experience
  • Governance material reviewed by Legal, Compliance and IT before delivery
  • Internal champions hold the facilitator materials and can run refreshers
  • Built on the existing survey rather than repeating the discovery process
  • We attend the AI working group meetings for the duration of the program

Depending on the selected option, materials would be developed so that Solstice can continue elements of the program internally. This may include facilitator materials, a self paced online module, and a recommended approach for refresher and new starter training. Coaching for internal champions is available as an add-on rather than being built into the options.

Self paced online material

Available as an add-on. An employee works through a series of realistic decisions, receives an explanation of why each answer holds up, and keeps a short summary at the end. Three screens from a recent build are shown below.

The three cohorts

Hover or tap a cohort to open it.
Cohort
01
Foundations

For employees with the least exposure so far. The same five modules, with the simplest worked examples, more time on the fundamentals and heavier reinforcement through quizzes and guided practice. Solstice already covers baseline AI knowledge through material held in the HR system, and this cohort builds directly on it.

Simplest examplesHeavier reinforcement90 minutes per session
Cohort
02
Working with AI

For employees already using AI in their work. The same five modules, with examples drawn from their own tasks and less time spent on the basics. Tools open, real work on screen, everyone working alongside the facilitator. Participants leave knowing the expected standard for anything they send.

Examples from their own workLess scaffolding90 minutes per session
Cohort
03
Advanced practice

For regular users and prospective champions. The same five modules, taken further and led by a more experienced facilitator. Harder examples, less scaffolding, and attention to the responsibilities that come with building something other people will rely on.

Harder examplesMore experienced facilitator90 minutes per session
The five modules

Five modules, drawn from the survey and the discovery session. Solstice already holds introductory material in the HR system covering foundational knowledge, so the program picks up from there and carries the governance boundaries into the first module.

These are titles, not a fixed curriculum. The content of each module, the examples used and the balance between them would be confirmed with the working group in co-design. Modules can be merged, split or reordered without changing the number of sessions or the price.

The five modules

Confirmed in co-design.
01Prompting and reviewThe general working method. What the tool is good for and where it is weak, how to ask for something useful, how to apply it to a real task, and the standard expected before anything is sent
02Context and verificationProviding the right context, setting constraints, and checking the claim that would cost you
03Data, permissions and tool behaviourHow permissions carry through, what leaves the environment, and when to escalate to IT
04Working across documents and dataSeveral sources at once, spreadsheets and extracts, and output that reads well but is wrong
05Agents, sharing and approvalWhat an agent is, sharing with colleagues, and the approval path before something is reused
05 Method

Six to eight weeks.

Subject to the availability of the working group and the relevant stakeholders.

We read the survey and the relevant strategy and governance material, then run a co-design session with the working group. That session sets the priority capability requirements, the program structure and the examples we would teach on.

Governance and appropriate use content is built first, then the practical modules around Solstice work examples. Governance material goes to Legal, Compliance and IT for review before anything is delivered.

The working group sits through the program before anyone else. Their feedback adjusts the content, the exercises and the level of technical detail.

Sessions run across the organisation, delivered online. Employees attend at the level that suits their existing experience, and each session runs more than once so people can fit it around their work.

The full facilitator pack is handed over so Solstice can rerun the program internally. A short close out covers what was delivered, what we observed and what we would suggest next.

06 Team

Three registered psychologists, already working on AI capability.

Opposite worked with Solstice Energy in 2024 on strategy refinement, mapping business processes and translating the strategy into a storyboard. The same three people would carry this program from co-design through to handover. Select a card to see areas of expertise.

Damien Colabattista
Lead and Facilitator
Head of Human-Centred Design · Registered Psychologist · Human Factors Specialist

Damien helps organisations make complex systems safer, simpler and easier to use, with particular expertise in transport and infrastructure. He translates safety, regulatory and ergonomic requirements into practical improvements to frontline experience, combining analysis with facilitation and design so that solutions are adopted.

Areas of expertise
Areas of expertise
  • Facilitation with frontline workforces. Runs sessions with drivers, field crews and operational teams, built as practice rather than presentation. Works directly with the people doing the task to find what actually gets in the way. (NHVR, LXRP, North East Link Program)
  • Capability in the energy sector. Workshop design and facilitation, statistical analysis of workforce data, and development of learning content for a retail energy workforce. (Ampol)
  • Experiential learning design. Multi station interactive events and video based learning built for people who do not sit at a desk, where the format has to survive a noisy room and a short attention window. (Monash College, Glen Eira City Council, Downer)
Dr Nicholas Duck
Program Design
Founder and Head of Opposite · Endorsed Organisational Psychologist · Doctorate in Organisational Psychology

Nick has more than 18 years of experience across transport, energy, construction and government, leading Opposite's work in human factors, safety, leadership and system improvement. He brings psychological insight and human centred design together to make complex, safety critical work more practical.

Areas of expertise
Areas of expertise
  • AI capability and governance. Leads a multi phase program applying human centred design to AI assisted monitoring, covering trust, transparency and human and AI alignment in safety critical work. This is the closest analogue we have to what is proposed here. (NHVR, Drive S(AI)FE)
  • Tiered curriculum and train the trainer. Program architecture across separate modules for executive, management, contractor and task level audiences, with a train the trainer component and workshops delivered over four quarters. (Chain of Responsibility, regulated transport operator)
  • Strategy into operational practice. Translating organisational strategy into process, capability and the material people actually use, including prior work with Solstice on strategy refinement and business process mapping. (Solstice Energy, Major Roads Projects Victoria)
Tim Farley
Technical and Governance
Safety and Capability Specialist · Registered Psychologist · Organisational Psychology Registrar

Tim works across infrastructure, property, health and other high risk settings, specialising in critical risk, psychosocial hazards and practical safety systems. He turns complex obligations into clear tools, guidance and capability initiatives that let leaders and frontline teams work safely and confidently.

Areas of expertise
Areas of expertise
  • Obligations turned into usable material. Converts complex regulatory and organisational requirements into playbooks, critical risk frameworks and psychosocial risk frameworks that leaders and frontline teams can actually apply. (Infrastructure, property and health operators)
  • Trust and decision quality with AI tools. Facilitates sessions where participants work directly with an AI interface, then debriefs them on trust calibration and decision bias, and runs small group co-design of trust principles. (NHVR, Drive S(AI)FE)
  • Digital learning development. Builds e-learning modules and digital content, including the self paced material available as an add-on here. (Mirvac)