Training Needs Analysis and Programme Design Training Course

Participants can plan a defensible training needs analysis from request through recommendation.

• ADDIE analysis phase translated into a practical needs analysis workflow
• Scope statements define sponsor, population, performance issue, decisions and boundaries
• Needs analysis questions structured around organisational, occupational and individual evidence
• Stakeholder maps identify decision-makers, subject-matter experts, learners and affected managers
• Analysis plans sequence data collection, synthesis, validation and recommendation activities
• Ethical handling of employee data, interview records and performance information

Participants can connect learning needs to organisational priorities, risks and operating measures.

• Strategy maps trace links between organisational goals, capabilities and workforce performance
• Balanced Scorecard measures identify capability implications behind strategic performance targets
• Business cases separate stated symptoms from underlying capability and operating requirements
• Risk registers reveal mandatory learning priorities, control gaps and assurance needs
• Change initiatives assessed for new roles, behaviours, knowledge and decision rights
• Priority matrices rank needs by business impact, urgency, scale and feasibility

Participants can collect reliable evidence from sponsors, managers, learners and subject experts.

• Semi-structured interview guides gather performance expectations, constraints and evidence sources
• Sponsor interviews establish decisions required, success measures and governance arrangements
• Manager focus groups identify recurring errors, workflow bottlenecks and coaching requirements
• Learner surveys test confidence, experience, preferences and perceived task difficulty
• Document reviews examine procedures, audit findings, quality reports and role profiles
• Triangulation compares stakeholder accounts with operational data and direct observations

Participants can define the tasks, decisions and standards required for effective job performance.

• Task analysis breaks critical work into actions, decisions, conditions and standards
• Critical incident technique captures examples of effective and ineffective performance
• Role capability maps connect responsibilities with knowledge, skills and behaviours
• Process maps identify hand-offs, control points, exceptions and decision moments
• Subject-matter expert elicitation uncovers tacit judgement and common novice errors
• Competency statements written as observable performance rather than personality attributes

Participants can segment learner groups and identify priority capability gaps using evidence.

• Skills matrices compare required proficiency with current workforce capability levels
• Competency assessments combine self-ratings, manager ratings and performance evidence
• Audience segmentation distinguishes new starters, experienced staff, managers and specialists
• Personas capture learner context, prior knowledge, constraints and motivation factors
• Readiness analysis identifies language, literacy, digital access and confidence requirements
• Gap analysis separates knowledge deficits from skill, confidence and application gaps

Participants can prioritise needs and recommend proportionate interventions with clear rationale.

• Impact-effort matrices rank proposed interventions against benefit, cost and delivery difficulty
• MoSCoW prioritisation categorises mandatory, important, desirable and deferred learning needs
• Training recommendations specify audience, performance goal, scope and delivery rationale
• Non-training actions address workflow, systems, job aids, supervision and incentives
• Recommendation papers present evidence, assumptions, risks and resource implications clearly
• Governance routes define sponsor approval, design authority and change-control responsibilities

Participants can select learning approaches suited to workplace performance and audience needs.

• Adult learning principles shape relevance, autonomy, experience and immediate application
• Cognitive load theory limits unnecessary information and sequences complex content carefully
• Kolb’s experiential learning cycle structures experience, reflection, concepts and application
• Situated learning uses realistic tasks, tools, language and decision conditions
• Deliberate practice builds skill through repetition, feedback and increasing challenge
• Universal Design for Learning supports multiple means of engagement and representation

Participants can write measurable learning outcomes that define expected workplace performance.

• Bloom’s taxonomy selects cognitive verbs matching required knowledge and judgement
• Mager’s performance objectives specify behaviour, conditions and acceptable standards
• Terminal objectives describe final workplace performance required after the programme
• Enabling objectives sequence prerequisite knowledge, skill and decision-making capabilities
• Observable verbs replace vague terms such as understand, know and appreciate
• Performance criteria define accuracy, speed, quality, compliance and escalation thresholds

Participants can create a coherent programme structure aligned to capability and performance needs.

• Curriculum maps align capability areas, outcomes, modules, assessments and learning methods
• Learning pathways sequence foundation, application, practice and advanced performance stages
• Programme blueprints allocate content, practice, feedback and assessment time deliberately
• Prerequisite mapping identifies knowledge and skills needed before each module
• Spaced learning schedules distribute reinforcement across workshops, work and coaching
• Blended delivery decisions compare classroom, virtual, self-paced and workplace methods

Participants can organise accurate learning content and manage subject-matter expert contributions.

• Content inventories classify existing materials by accuracy, relevance, ownership and reuse
• Subject-matter expert briefs define decisions, examples, standards and review responsibilities
• Knowledge mapping separates essential content from useful reference and background detail
• Worked examples expose expert reasoning, common errors and decision rules
• Content chunking groups information into teachable units with clear instructional purpose
• Version control records source documents, approvals, amendments and release dates

Participants can design instructor-led sessions that build knowledge, skill and judgement.

• Gagné’s Nine Events sequence attention, instruction, practice, feedback and retention
• Session plans specify outcomes, timings, materials, methods and facilitator prompts
• Advance organisers connect new content with prior knowledge and workplace context
• Demonstration-practice-feedback cycles develop procedural and interpersonal workplace skills
• Questioning plans test recall, reasoning, judgement and confidence during sessions
• Transition design links activities, reinforces objectives and maintains instructional flow

Participants can select learning methods that match outcomes, audience and performance conditions.

• Case studies develop analysis, judgement and decision-making under realistic constraints
• Role plays rehearse conversations, escalation decisions and stakeholder communication behaviours
• Simulations reproduce workflow, risk, time pressure and consequence-based decisions
• Action learning projects connect programme content with live organisational challenges
• Facilitation guides specify instructions, debrief questions, timing and contingency options
• Inclusive participation techniques manage dominant voices, silence and varied confidence levels

Participants can create aligned assessments that produce credible evidence of learning and performance.

• Constructive alignment links outcomes, learning methods, assessment tasks and criteria
• Diagnostic assessments establish prior knowledge, confidence and starting skill levels
• Formative assessment provides feedback during learning before final performance decisions
• Performance assessments require realistic tasks, conditions, evidence and scoring criteria
• Analytic rubrics describe performance levels against separate observable assessment dimensions
• Assessment validity, reliability, fairness and security considered during design decisions

Participants can specify learning materials that support delivery, practice and workplace application.

• Facilitator guides provide timings, instructions, key messages and debrief notes
• Participant workbooks organise content, practice records, reflection and action planning
• Job aids convert procedures into checklists, decision trees and quick-reference guides
• Storyboards specify screen content, interactions, narration and accessibility requirements
• Plain language principles improve readability, clarity and actionability of learning materials
• Accessibility checks address contrast, reading order, captions and alternative text

Participants can plan delivery formats that suit audience access, interaction and performance requirements.

• Delivery modality decisions consider task complexity, scale, confidentiality and technology access
• Virtual classroom plans manage pacing, interaction, breakout work and technical contingencies
• Classroom layouts support demonstration, paired practice, observation and group discussion
• Pre-work prepares baseline knowledge and protects live session time for application
• Post-course reinforcement uses manager conversations, prompts, practice and performance support
• Learning management system requirements cover enrolment, completion, records and reporting

Participants can design transfer conditions that help learners apply new capability at work.

• Baldwin and Ford transfer model identifies trainee, design and work-environment factors
• Transfer plans specify target tasks, application dates, support and evidence required
• Manager briefings clarify expectations, observation points, feedback and workload protection
• Peer learning groups sustain practice, problem-solving and accountability after formal learning
• Performance support tools provide prompts at the point of task execution
• Transfer barriers logged with owners, mitigations and escalation routes

Participants can build an evaluation plan that measures learning, transfer and business contribution.

• Kirkpatrick model distinguishes reaction, learning, behaviour and results evaluation levels
• Evaluation questions define what decision-makers need to know after programme delivery
• Baseline measures establish pre-programme performance, quality, risk or productivity levels
• Data collection plans identify measures, sources, timing, owners and reporting formats
• Control groups and comparison groups considered when attributing observed performance changes
• Evaluation reports combine quantitative findings, qualitative evidence, limitations and recommendations

Participants can manage programme development through clear controls, roles and quality checks.

• RACI matrices assign accountability for sponsorship, design, review, delivery and evaluation
• Development plans estimate effort, dependencies, milestones, risks and approval points
• Quality assurance checklists test alignment, accuracy, accessibility and assessment integrity
• Pilot delivery plans define sample audience, success criteria, feedback and revision process
• Change-control logs record requested amendments, impact assessment and approval decisions
• Supplier briefs specify scope, outputs, standards, intellectual property and acceptance criteria

Participants can build, review and present a complete evidence-based training needs analysis and programme design pack.

• Capstone brief defines sponsor need, target population and performance requirement
• Evidence summary synthesises stakeholder, task, operational and learner analysis findings
• Needs diagnosis distinguishes training priorities from non-training intervention requirements
• Programme blueprint aligns outcomes, modules, methods, assessments and transfer support
• Evaluation plan specifies Kirkpatrick measures, baselines, sources, timing and ownership
• Peer review tests logic, feasibility, evidence quality and stakeholder communication
• Final presentation defends recommendations, design choices, resources and expected results