[Excerpt] The Dandelion Program is an initiative to build valuable Information Technology, life, and executive functional skills to help establish careers for people on the autism spectrum. The implementation and assessment of Dandelion pods concentrates on identifying and supporting individuals on the autism spectrum with the potential to excel in testing, data science, and cyber security roles. Over the course of 2016, the program continued to grow at a rapid rate, and achieved a large number of significant milestones. This report will cover some of the most significant developments over the course of the last year

DXC Technology

English

DigitalCommons@ILR

The Dandelion Program 
2016 in Review 
 
Vision 
The Dandelion Program is an initiative to build valuable Information Technology, life, and executive functional skills to help establish careers 
for people on the autism spectrum. The implementation and assessment of Dandelion pods concentrates on identifying and supporting 
individuals on the autism spectrum with the potential to excel in testing, data science, and cyber security roles. Over the course of 2016, the 
program continued to grow at a rapid rate, and achieved a large number of significant milestones. This report will cover some of the most 
significant developments over the course of the last year. 
 
Work Experience Program 
2016 saw the first pilot Dandelion Work Experience Program in the Adelaide 
Regional Delivery Centre. Five university students on the autism spectrum worked 
as a team to deliver two 3-week projects under an Agile framework using the 
Aldebaran NAO H25 robot. 
 
Candidates balanced learning skills and techniques used to develop software 
applications and manage project work in a team environment with information 
sessions from subject matter experts in a number of IT roles and practical project 
work. This culminated in the delivery of robotics applications that provided real 
value to a local school that works with children on the autism spectrum. 
Block 1 Outcomes: Agile Framework 
• Sprint Planning, Daily Scrum, Sprint Reviews, and 
Sprint Retrospectives 
• 2 Sprints of 1.5 weeks 
• 19 User Stories from the Heights school 
• 38 Tasks (25 Original + 13 Additional during sprints) 
• 62% of effort spent on work done for Original 
Stories 
• 33% of effort on additional changes with 5% 
rework. 
• Continuous visibility of project status using Sprint 
Backlog and Burndown charts 
Representatives from the partner school highlighted the amazing level of 
attention that the students were giving to the robot (“Dandy”), blown away by 
the ease with which it could develop engagement with children who would 
otherwise refuse to be involved in classroom activities. 
 
Candidates from the Adelaide Work Experience Program were extremely 
successful in their project work and demonstrated a high level of skill, and as 
such have been placed on a shortlist for consideration in recruitment for future 
Dandelion Assessment Programs. 
 
 
 
“We could not believe the positive impact the robot made on the children – we haven’t seen them engage like that in school, and it was 
immediate.” - Russell Max, Teaching Coordinator, Heights School. 
 
 
Department of Immigration and Border Protection 
Exciting opportunities for growth were seen in Canberra, with a pod of 11 
Dandelion members at the Department of Immigration and Border Protection in 
Canberra starting February 2017 as Software Test Analysts. This follows a 
successful assessment program in late 2016, where candidates on the autism 
spectrum who applied for the program demonstrated their skills and talents in an 
autism friendly environment. 
 
During the four week assessment period for the pod, some remarkable and 
creative projects were developed using the Lego Mindstorm robotics kits. The first 
three weeks involved both individual and group challenges using the 
programmable robotics kits. The challenges require participants to create 
innovative solutions to address their understanding of a theme (‘national 
security’) using the robots. Each week culminated in the individuals presenting in 
front of a panel of judges and peers, often including executives from DXC and 
DIBP staff. During the fourth week, candidates were exposed to real-world 
challenges that mirrored tasks associated with the role of a Software Test Analyst.  
 
While 11 of the 14 assessment program attendees were recruited to form the DIBP 
pod, the remaining three participants were successfully assisted in finding 
alternative employment and support opportunities by Specialisterne, highlighting 
the positive effect that the program has on the autism community as a whole. 
 
  
The Dandelion Program 
2016 in Review 
 
Department of Human Services 
The Dandelion Program pod at the Department of Human Services in Adelaide is now in its third 
year. Seven out of the ten members are now working full-time, and the standout milestones include 
some members who have moved out of home, purchased their first houses, married, and one is 
expecting their first child. Two members have achieved internationally recognised testing 
accreditations, with two more studying to sit the exam in the near future. All members have 
become more resilient, developed their communication and social skills, made new friendships, 
and significantly benefitted from the routine of a stable and productive job. They have become 
versatile, adaptable, and highly skilled employees. 
 
 
 
The Dandelion team at DHS Brisbane is partway through year two of the program, and the twelve team members have been progressing 
well with their software testing activities. Over the past year they have moved between major DHS testing projects, and have transitioned 
well into each new opportunity. Nine of the team members have passed their ISTQB professional qualification for software testing, with the 
balance currently studying to take it this year. Five members have now travelled overseas, two have purchased new cars, and one has 
bought their first house. 
 
The DHS Canberra Dandelion team are now completing their first year of operation. The team is split into two functional areas, Business 
Information and Data Services in software services, and Monitoring and Automation in the IT infrastructure area. Both teams are 
progressing well in these diverse disciplines and working towards certifications relevant to their areas of specialisation. 
 
 
 
Department of Defence 
September saw the start of a new Dandelion@Defence project; a Dandelion team at the 
Department of Defence. This is the fourth Dandelion implementation, and the first instance of a 
team providing Cyber Security services through the Dandelion model. Throughout June and July, 
a team of nine very talented individuals on the autism spectrum were selected for the pod through 
a rigorous assessment that not only saw participation in robotics design but also complex software 
development and data analysis tasks. 
 
 
La Trobe Research Report 
La Trobe University has published an Annual Research Report examining the Dandelion Program 
over the course of 2016. The research, conducted by the Olga Tennison Autism Research Centre 
(OTARC) for the Dandelion Program and the Department of Human Services (DHS), commenced 
with an assessment of the impact of participation in employment on adults who are on the 
autism spectrum, their families, support staff, and their co-workers. 
 
 
 
A systematic review by OTARC revealed little published research examining quantitative outcomes of employment transition or programs 
for adults on the autism spectrum. The centre thus identified an urgent need for empirical evaluation of employment interventions. The 
Dandelion Program is a unique, innovative, and collaborative program which is aimed at building careers, resilience and independence for 
individuals who are on the autism spectrum. The research design incorporates quantitative and qualitative methodology in order to develop 
a rich and empirically based body of knowledge concerning the Dandelion Program, and also the impact of employment more generally on 
people on the autism spectrum.  
 
Moreover, the goal is to document and report on the broad impact of what is a rather unique collaboration between industry, government, 
and academia that is aimed at solving a problem affecting a significant portion of the Australian population. Specifically, the research 
incorporates extensive longitudinal assessments of psychological health, well-being, and job satisfaction, along with focus group or 
individual interviews. 
 
The broad aims of the research are to understand the social impact of participating in employment on adults on the autism spectrum and 
their families, the impact that transitioning to work has on trainees in the Dandelion Program, the support staff, and the organisation. 
Additionally, it aims to determine key criteria for measuring success, and identify potential barriers to success to enable continuous 
improvements of the program. 
 
 
 
  
The Dandelion Program 
2016 in Review 
 
Harvard Business School Case Study 
A case study on the Dandelion Program has been published by the Harvard Business School, examining 
how diversity - in particular, neurodiversity - can be transformed into a competitive advantage in modern 
organisations. It questions how people who were previously considered not suitable for employment can 
and have become key to an in-demand service offering. Thus, this important case study provokes a 
discussion about the advantages of diversity, and also how some existing procedures might keep other 
organisations from realising these advantages too. 
 
 
 
 
Cornell University Partnership 
The Dandelion Program methodology is being open-sourced through Cornell University – Institute on 
Employment and Disability - to allow other organisations to leverage our knowledge and organisational 
management tools to further breakdown the employment barriers for people with autism. The Dandelion 
Program aims to build careers, resilience, and self-confidence across the wider autism community. 
Information from our research indicated that the employment churn rate for people on the spectrum is 
extremely high - around 50% within three months. The aim is not just to provide immediate jobs; we aim to 
make the program sustainable, with the hope that in the future the program itself would not be needed, as 
an organisation’s fabric and culture would be able to support and promote neurodiversity from recruitment 
to onboarding, development, and job progression. 
 
Three Year Program Structure 
The Dandelion Program Plan is a three year structured roadmap of transformation initiatives based on 
business and IT priorities, effort, and learnings. It is intended as a plan of attack to improve the comfort 
and abilities of Dandelion pod members in a number of key areas. This new and revamped structure 
integrates feedback from the trainees, autism spectrum consultants, support employees, and new 
evidence based research. 
 
Year one is focused on job awareness, comprising onboarding content, introduction into the role, internal 
training modules, and establishing a pipeline of work with stakeholders. Year two progresses on from a job 
awareness focus to be concentrated on self advocacy, intending to cultivate independence and 
confidence. Dandelion pod members complete certifications and training relevant to their role and keep a 
record of systems and projects worked on, to build a strong IT resume. ‘Self determination’ is developed, 
encouraging an understanding of one’s own strengths, weaknesses, preferences, learning styles, and 
needs. Work experience programs are held to create a talent pool that can be drawn upon for Dandelion 
pod positions. Year three has a focus on transition, with pod members developing to be career ready. 
Members may transition out of the Dandelion pod when ready, and numbers can be replenished through 
successful work experience program members. This year is about setting the trainee up to be capable of 
holding a career outside of the support structure. 
 
 
 
 
Certification of Training – ISTQB 
The ISTQB (International Software Testing Qualifications Board) Certification is an internationally 
recognised testing certification aimed at professionals who need to demonstrate practical knowledge 
of the fundamental concepts of software testing. The foundation level ‘certified tester’ exam has been 
passed on the first attempt by nine members of the Brisbane team and two members of the Adelaide 
team, with more successful attempts expected in the near future. Attaining certifications is an 
important part of preparing the Dandelion Program trainees for a career outside of the support 
structure, and an excellent way to improve skills in the relevant area. 
 
Financial Training 
As part of developing executive functioning or ‘life’ skills, a financial training package is being developed 
with National Australia Bank. A large number of people on the autism spectrum can be tremendously 
talented in some areas, but have extreme difficulty with personal finance and maintaining a budget. By 
promoting development in these areas, the Dandelion trainees can achieve financial independence for 
what might be the first time in their lives. 
 
 
 
  
The Dandelion Program 
2016 in Review 
 
Work Performance Questionnaire Pilot 
The Work Performance Questionnaire (WPQ) is a questionnaire originally developed by Beit Ekstein (A disability education organisation in 
Israel) to evaluate work performance in people on the autism spectrum. The WPQ was selected for use in the Dandelion Program because of a 
need to critically assess work performance in people on the spectrum, and because of the significant evaluation and peer review process that 
the WPQ has gone through. 
 
To facilitate use in Dandelion, OTARC has initiated development of a ‘stand-alone’ WPQ application. The application will provide for electronic 
data entry. Output will include reports of individual scores and summaries, and a separate report of comments and notes. A prototype of the 
application has been developed and is close to completion. It is anticipated the WPQ will be implemented at all Dandelion Program sites, 
assisted by OTARC. 
 
 
SAP Partnership 
At the United Nations World Autism Day in 2016, a collaboration was announced with 
SAP to work on removing some of the barriers to employment and creating greater 
inclusion and acceptance for people on the autism spectrum. The collaboration will 
focus on the creation of information assets that will help raise awareness of the value 
of neurodiversity in the workplace, developing cross-company training curriculums to 
hire and retain people with autism, an exchange of experience in the area, and 
participation in information sharing sessions at the World Economic Forum and United 
Nations events. 
 
 
“SAP is a company that embraces diversity in all its forms – racial, ethnic, gender, cultural and neurodiversity. We empower people to be 
who they are and to use the special magic that is unique to them as an individual. Our ‘Autism at Work’ program is a point of pride for us 
because we’re able to help lead a global movement that lifts people up and creates opportunity. With this partnership with DXC [previously 
HPE] and Specialisterne, we’re focused on building a broader culture where all are welcome and respected. It’s not about disability, it’s 
about ability.” Bill McDermott, SAP CEO 
 
Focuses for 2017 
Rollout of Work Performance Questionnaire 
Development and delivery of a Mental Health Framework 
Further rollout of the Work Experience Program 
 
Further rollout of Nutrition and Financial Awareness Training 
Development of a Travel Awareness package with Adelaide Airport 
 
“The job provides a purpose … you're looking forward to getting up in the morning, to going to work … it is challenging yes, sometimes 
stressful … but in the end I know that I've done good.” Dandelion Program Trainee 
“I'm a great believer that with knowledge comes understanding, and therefore acceptance will hopefully follow. If you educate people 
about autism, and you expose them to people with autism who are very, very skilled and lovely people to be with, eventually you break 
down those stereotypes and negative stigma that has been attached to the label of autism.” Cathryn Masters, Autism Spectrum Consultant 
“It has been a huge year and a great team effort from all involved in the program and our partners. We are really focused on removing the 
barrier to employment, and creating sustainable work environments and careers for the individuals involved in the program. Thank you.” 
Michael Fieldhouse, DXC Dandelion Program Executive and Adam Easterbrook, DXC Dandelion Delivery Executive 
 


The Dandelion Program: 2016 in Review

[Excerpt] The Dandelion Program is an initiative to build valuable Information Technology, life, and executive functional skills to help establish careers for people on the autism spectrum. The implementation and assessment of Dandelion pods concentrates on identifying and supporting individuals on the autism spectrum with the potential to excel in testing, data science, and cyber security roles. Over the course of 2016, the program continued to grow at a rapid rate, and achieved a large number of significant milestones. This report will cover some of the most significant developments over the course of the last year.The_Dandelion_Program_2016_in_Review.pdf: 207 downloads, before Oct. 1, 2020

eCommons@Cornell

https://digitalcommons.ilr.cornell.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1026&amp;context=dandelionprogram

The Dandelion Program: 2016 in Review

Abstract

Similar works

Full text

Available Versions

DigitalCommons@ILR

eCommons@Cornell