Training Needs Analysis
Overview
Training budgets work best when they target real performance gaps. This course gives a practical method for training needs analysis at organisational, team and individual levels, from collecting evidence to prioritising needs and producing a costed training plan.
Who should attend
Training and development officers, HR specialists, training coordinators and managers responsible for staff development.
Training methodology
Interactive presentations, practical exercises, case studies, group discussions, role-plays where relevant, and a personal action plan that participants apply in their own work.
Objectives
By the end of this course, participants will be able to:
- Distinguish training needs from other performance problems
- Analyse needs at organisational, job and individual levels
- Use interviews, surveys and data to collect evidence
- Prioritise needs and select suitable solutions
- Produce a costed annual training plan
Course outline
Day 1Purpose of Needs Analysis
- Training as a performance solution
- When training is not the answer
- Levels of needs analysis
- Linking needs to strategy
- Stakeholders in the process
- Review of current practice
Day 2Organisational and Job Analysis
- Organisational analysis
- Job and task analysis
- Competency frameworks
- Performance data as evidence
- Regulatory and mandatory training
- Exercise: analyse a role
Day 3Collecting Evidence
- Interviews and focus groups
- Designing needs surveys
- Observation and work samples
- Using appraisal results
- Analysing the data
- Workshop: design a needs survey
Day 4Prioritising and Choosing Solutions
- Prioritisation criteria
- Individual development plans
- Choosing learning methods
- In-house versus external training
- Budgeting training
- Exercise: prioritise needs
Day 5The Training Plan
- Structure of the annual training plan
- Scheduling and logistics
- Approvals and communication
- Linking to evaluation
- Reporting progress
- Build your training plan
