I’ve read enough books and articles on how to properly assess the learning needs of an organization. However, so many of these assume a level of financial commitment and access to senior leadership that I have never experienced as a reality. Right now, I’ve got some money and I’ve got some access so I’ve developed what I think is a very doable needs assessment plan. Hopefully this is of practical value to some of you, perhaps you can even run with it as-is. If you have any feedback or comments on additional things to consider, please let me know! (note: private company information has been scrubbed, but there wasn’t much of it)
Objective
Identify key performance issues that can be properly addressed with learning and development programs. This includes both formal training programs and support of informal and social learning.
Methodology
I. Qualitative Survey: Key Performance Issues
Consider 5-10 key performance issues that currently impact our business or will impact our business in the future. These can be discipline-specific or cross-discipline performance issues. Please do not think of these issues in the context how we might address them (i.e., recruiting, motivation, training, management, processes, etc).
1. Describe the issue:
- Describe why this is an issue now or why you anticipate it will be an issue in the future:
- Describe the consequences of not addressing this issue:
- Describe how you would know if this issue had been properly addressed:
- If possible, please provide an example of this issue and how it has impacted our business:
II. Quantitative Survey: Training Priorities
You and others have identified the following as key performance issues that impact our business now or will impact our business in the future.
Questions for Each Issue
- On a scale of 1-5, how critical is this issue? (1=Not a high priority | 3=Important but not critical | 5=Needs to be addressed immediately)
- Do you think this issue can be partially or completely addressed with formal training (such as workshops, online training, discussion groups, brown bags, etc.)?
- If so, please provide more information on what you think people need to do or do better as a result of formal training.
- Do you think this issue be partially or completely addressed with informal learning opportunities (online resources, collaboration tools and opportunities, team organization, etc.)?
- If so, please provide more information on what you think people need to do or do better as a result of informal learning opportunities.
III. Validation
After compiling the survey results into a preliminary recommendation, members of the leadership team will be interviewed in order to finalize the recommendation.
Individual validation interviews:
- Do you think the learning and development priorities in the recommendation are appropriate? If not, why not?
- Are there any critical elements missing from the recommendation?
- Do you have any concerns about the recommendation?
- Which single priority from the recommendation do you think has the largest organizational impact?
Group validation:
After integrating the results of the interviews into the recommendation, the leadership team will be asked as a group to share any final thoughts on the learning and development priorities.
V. Final Recommendation
The final list of learning and development priorities will be presented to the leadership team and will serve as the official priorities for learning and development programs moving forward.
VI. Formative Evaluation
Quarterly surveys will be sent to the leadership team to assess the state of the current priorities and discover if new needs have emerged. If necessary, interviews/group discussions will be scheduled to address the results of these surveys.
