September 16, 2015 Industry Forum Blog Does your Training Needs Analysis result in an affordable and robust organisation wide training plan? Does it prioritise learning and development to meet both current and future requirements? If not don’t worry. This blog introduces a model developed at Industry Forum that will help you work through this daunting task. The Training Needs Analysis Cycle In this model TNAs are undertaken at three levels; organisational, departmental and individual. The responsible person at each level inputs key information into the process. This information is designed to answer four important questions: Why do people need the training? What skills need to be taught? Who needs the training? What are the priority areas for training? The three levels are interlinked to ensure that a balanced analysis is produced. This takes into account the company’s strategic plans, the departmental objectives and each individual’s needs. The outcome of the cycle is a robust, organisation wide learning and development plan that has an approved budget. The benefit If you deliver the resulting training plans you will ensure you have sufficient capability within the organisation to sustain current and future business performance. Deployment tips Initially this model was developed to help organisations deploying the Training and Education Pillar of Total Productive Maintenance. However, with minor adaptation it works in any organisation. The work done at organisational level in a TPM company is done by the T&E pillar team. Alternatively use a team of senior representatives responsible for training in the organisation. One of the important inputs at departmental level is losses; specifically those losses that are the result of inadequate skills. Don’t be put off by terminology, quantify the problems you encounter because of inadequate skills. This input allows you to prioritise which skills require improving. We recommend developing your framework and testing it in a pilot area. Once running smoothly, roll it out to the rest of the organisation. The full TNA cycle needs to be conducted on an annual basis, to align with your policy deployment cycle. Ideally you would do this before any training solutions are budgeted, designed or delivered. Departmental level and individual level reviews typically happen at a frequency of 6 or 3 months. If you want to find out more about how to deploy the Training Needs Analysis Cycle please contact us.
