70-20-10 Learning Strategy Implementation Training Course

Course overview

Many learning functions still measure success by attendance, completion rates and post-course satisfaction while the business expects faster capability in the flow of work. The 70-20-10 model provides a practical structure for shifting learning investment beyond formal programmes: 70% experiential learning through stretch assignments, projects and problem-solving; 20% social learning through coaching, feedback and communities; and 10% structured learning through courses, digital content and assessments. This course addresses the challenge of designing that mix deliberately, rather than treating 70-20-10 as an aspirational ratio or a catalogue redesign exercise.

Participants learn to diagnose performance and capability gaps, identify workplace experiences that develop critical skills, and design social-learning mechanisms that managers can support. They apply the 70-20-10 framework to roles, career pathways, leadership programmes and technical academies. Practical methods include capability mapping, performance consulting, experience design, stakeholder analysis, manager enablement, learning campaign planning and measurement design. The course also examines governance, equity and workload risks so that workplace learning opportunities are accessible, purposeful and not simply additional work.

Instructor-led workshops use realistic L&D cases, peer critique and structured design sprints. Participants build a 70-20-10 implementation blueprint for a live organisational capability priority, including target audience, performance outcomes, 70/20/10 interventions, roles, workflow integration, communication plan, measures and a 90-day pilot plan. The completed blueprint gives participants a credible artefact for securing sponsor approval and moving from concept to a managed workplace-learning pilot.

The course is suited to experienced L&D, talent and HR professionals who already manage programmes or learning portfolios and need to redesign them around sustained application and business performance.

Course objectives

By the end of this course, participants will be able to:

• Diagnose a business performance gap using performance consulting questions and capability evidence
• Map role-critical capabilities to a 70-20-10 learning architecture
• Design experiential learning assignments with clear challenge, support and reflection criteria
• Build social-learning mechanisms using coaching guides, peer circles and feedback routines
• Convert formal learning content into a 10% foundation linked to workplace application
• Create a manager enablement plan that specifies manager actions, tools and accountability
• Define outcome, behaviour and leading-indicator measures for a 70-20-10 pilot
• Produce a sponsor-ready 70-20-10 implementation blueprint and 90-day action plan

Benefits of attending

Target competencies

Who should attend

• Learning and Development Managers — who need to redesign programmes around workplace performance and application
• Talent Development Managers — who build capability pathways for priority roles and populations
• Learning Experience Designers — who must connect formal content with assignments, coaching and peer practice
• Organisational Development Consultants — who support capability change across teams and business units
• HR Business Partners — who translate workforce priorities into manager-supported development actions
• Leadership Development Specialists — who need to embed leadership learning in real business work

Requirements and prerequisites

Participants should have practical experience in learning and development, talent management, organisational development or HR partnering, including exposure to needs analysis, programme design or stakeholder management. Familiarity with basic learning evaluation concepts, such as learning objectives, behaviour change and business measures, is assumed. Participants should be comfortable discussing a current capability challenge from their organisation and working with simple data in Microsoft Excel. No prior certification in 70-20-10, instructional design qualification, Power BI expertise or technical e-learning development skill is required. This is not intended as a first introduction to L&D fundamentals.

Training methodology

The course combines instructor-led explanation of the 70-20-10 method with facilitated design workshops built around a live capability challenge. Participants analyse case evidence, map role capabilities, design assignments and peer-learning routines, and test their choices against manager capacity, learner access and business measures. Small groups critique one another's learning architectures using structured review criteria. Excel-based planning templates and sample Power BI dashboards are used to make measures visible. The final day is an application lab in which each participant completes and presents a 90-day implementation blueprint.

Course outline

Day 1: From training requests to capability architecture

• Origins and evidence base of the 70-20-10 framework
• Distinguishing learning activity from performance improvement
• Performance consulting questions for L&D intake
• Capability, skill, behaviour and task analysis
• Interpreting the 70, 20 and 10 as a design portfolio rather than fixed percentages
• Stakeholder mapping for business sponsors, managers and learners
• Selecting an appropriate capability challenge for a 70-20-10 pilot

Workshop: Participants analyse a training request and produce a one-page performance and capability diagnosis for a chosen business challenge.

Day 2: Designing the 70: experiential learning in work

• Criteria for developmental stretch assignments
• Experience mapping across projects, rotations and problem-solving work
• Scaffolding workplace practice with job aids and reflection prompts
• Challenge-support matrix for assignment design
• Risk, workload and psychological safety checks
• Learning contracts and assignment accountability
• Equitable access to high-value developmental experiences

Workshop: Participants design a workplace assignment portfolio with learning outcomes, support mechanisms, evidence requirements and workload safeguards.

Day 3: Designing the 20 and 10: social and structured learning

• Social learning mechanisms for peer exchange and knowledge sharing
• Manager-as-coach routines and conversation guides
• Feedback loops using observation, practice and debrief
• Communities of practice and action-learning groups
• Mentoring, buddying and expert access models
• Purpose and design limits of formal 10% learning
• Sequencing formal learning before, during and after workplace application

Workshop: Participants create a 20-10 support design comprising a manager guide, peer-circle agenda and formal learning sequence.

Day 4: Operating, measuring and governing the strategy

• Implementation governance and role-accountability matrices
• Manager enablement communications and adoption planning
• Learner journey mapping across the 70-20-10 experience
• Leading indicators for participation, practice and manager support
• Behaviour and business outcome measures
• Excel tracking structures and Power BI dashboard requirements
• xAPI evidence considerations for learning in the flow of work

Workshop: Participants build a measurement and governance scorecard for their pilot, including owners, data sources, review cadence and decision thresholds.

Day 5: Building the implementation case and pilot plan

• Selecting pilot scope, audience and success criteria
• Creating a 90-day implementation roadmap
• Sponsor case development and value narrative
• Change-impact assessment for learners and line managers
• Communication campaign design for launch and reinforcement
• Pilot review, iteration and scale decisions
• Presenting a 70-20-10 blueprint to executive stakeholders

Workshop: Participants complete and present a sponsor-ready 70-20-10 implementation blueprint with a 90-day pilot roadmap and receive peer and instructor feedback.

Tools & standards covered

Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Power BI, Microsoft Teams, Experience API (xAPI)

A typical training day

Live online deliveries follow the same structure in the East Africa Time zone, with shorter screen blocks and longer breaks.

What the fee includes

How you can take this course

Certification

Participants who complete the full five days receive the Skillset Development Certificate of Completion, stating the course title, course code, dates and delivery format — suitable for professional-development records and employer reimbursement.

Frequently asked questions