benefts of learning and development

vii
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Contents
How to use the Toolkit ix
Introduction xi
Further resources and references xix
Section 1: The importance and benefts of learning and
development

1
5
Section 2: An introduction to LNA

15
23
Section 3: Opening up communication channels

29
31
37
44
Section 4: Identifying the learning needs of groups and teams

49
56
Section 5: Evidence-based LNA: using existing data

63
67
70
Section 6: Evidence-based LNA: gathering new information

75
81
85
Section 7: Identifying appropriate learning interventions

91
99
115
Section 8: Making the most out of learning interventions

121
127
Section 9: Evaluation and moving forward

133
144
149
Section 10: Enhancement resources for trainers

157
169
173
viii
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 HowtousetHetoolkit
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ix
How to use the Toolkit
Each of the Tools is written in a similar format, which is outlined below. The Toolkit
is supported by access to electronic copies of all documentation, checklists and
templates. All of the Tools are available online as editable documents enabling trainers,
coaches, facilitators, HR managers and, where applicable, line managers to insert their
company logo or brand colours into the template with ease.
The Tools can be used in a group training session and/or a one-to-one coaching
session. There is guidance on approach but it is assumed that the reader has some
knowledge of training and how to design workshops or coaching sessions.
Material that is for the trainer/facilitator only is denoted at the top of each page by the
icon .
Material that may be disseminated in printout or photocopy form for the use of
participants is denoted at the top of each page by the icon . These documents
may be downloaded from the Toolkit’s website [www.cipd.co.uk/tsm] and are
customisable at the discretion of the purchaser of the Toolkit or the purchaser’s
consultant/facilitator.
Customisation is entirely up to the purchaser and/or the consultant/facilitator,
according to the needs either of the organisation or of individual sets of participants.
That is, for the organisation or its employee branding, a facilitator might for instance
add the company logo and change the formatting to something resembling a house
style. For the participants (or because of specialist knowledge or other distinction on
the part of the facilitator), text and/or images may be added or deleted as regarded
appropriate.
Terms of use for Toolkit Tools
If you work in an organisation you can use them with your employees as a facilitator. The Tools can be customised to suit your organisation. For instance you can
add your own logo, insert or delete whole chunks of text or images, and change
the formatting to suit your company branding. If you wish to place the electronic
fles on a company intranet or use them across multiple sites/ofces, please email
publishing@cipd.co.uk to apply for a multi-user licence.
x
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If you are a consultant you can adapt the Tools to the needs of your client for a specifc
project. Your client and their employees have the right to keep and reuse the Tools for
the lifetime of this project.
Facilitator’s notes
Each tool starts with Facilitator’s notes. This is brief but includes essential information to
make the Tool easy to use in any workshop setting.
Handouts and worksheets
Finally, there are a number of handouts and worksheets. Participants can write, draw,
or otherwise fll in whatever they are asked to by the facilitator – usually following
some preliminary instruction or perhaps to analyse a scenario following discussion.
Some also contain further advice and suggestions for obtaining additional information.
xi
 introduction
A free sample chapter from Learning Needs Analysis. Published by the CIPD. Copyright © CIPD 2009
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Introduction
Why we need this Toolkit
Research has shown that UK productivity is 13% below that of other major economies
(Centre for Economic Performance 2007), which suggests that actions need to be
taken to increase productivity. Learning and development is one way to achieve this
and, used effectively, it may provide a competitive advantage for organisations. This is
important because this advantage may be difcult for competitors to imitate. Effective
learning and development is also an investment because it does not depreciate to the
extent of other tangible resources or equipment.
Learning and development is important, as CIPD research (2008d) states that ‘it
is universally accepted that the acquisition of workplace skills is a major driver of
national economic success’. If staff do not receive appropriate levels of development
and support, or if it does not meet their expectations, this can lead to a decrease in
employee retention. This is particularly important because of the associated costs:
• Average recruitment cost of flling a vacancy is £4,667, increasing to £5,800 when
calculating associated labour turnover costs.
In addition, in industries or areas with skills shortages, providing appropriate learning
and development activities can be one way of overcoming these issues. This may also
be relevant to overcoming some of the potential issues associated with the ageing UK
population.
It is estimated that UK businesses spend billions of pounds every year on training activities, which shows the size of the potential market; however, this does not necessarily
mean that all of the training provision is effective and appropriate. Benefts of having
effective learning and development include:
• increasing the employees’ commitment to the organisation because they can see
that the organisation is investing in them
• improved organisation ethos
• reinforcing the importance of the organisational (and departmental) objectives
• unsatisfactory or unnecessary training may reduce levels of job satisfaction (leading
to poorer performance and withdrawal behaviours)
xii
introduction
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• increasing productivity because employees become more skilled
• levels of customer service (both internal and external) may be enhanced further.
Using learning needs analysis (LNA) can help to identify the most relevant and
appropriate learning and development needs for the individual, their team and the
overall organisation. The Tools contained in this Toolkit will support line managers
to maximise the beneft that their staff gain from learning and development activities
provided by the organisation.
LNA can also offer the following advantages:
• Employees avoid spending time on unnecessary training that may not add value.
• Employees have the opportunity to take responsibility for their own learning and
development.
• It can make a valuable contribution to the organisation’s talent management
strategy by spotting and supporting potential.
• It supports employees in understanding how their role contributes to the organisation’s overall objectives and in identifying learning interventions that may support
this.
• It provides a structure for newly appointed or promoted colleagues.
• It may prove to be a valuable recruitment and retention tool if the organisation is
recognised as investing in its employees.
The structure of this Toolkit enables:
• line managers to be trained to deliver and support the Tools so that they can
enhance the performance management process within the organisation
• further development of line managers/new HR practitioners as they gain the skills
that are needed to support the LNA of their employees on a continuous basis
• the time of trainers or HR practitioners to be used more efciently to focus on
more strategic issues because they will have line managers who can support their
employees to identify their own learning needs.
Despite the fact that there is a clear business case for the provision of learning and
development activities, a number of challenges remain. For example, the results of the
CIPD survey, Who Learns at Work? Employees’ experiences of workplace learning, showed
xiii
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that most training does not match learning preferences. While only a small number of
respondents stated that their training was not successful, the reasons are potentially
signifcant:
• not sufciently relevant to the job
• already knew the content of the training.
This Toolkit shows how these instances can be minimised through the effective use
of LNA. The activities also provide the active learning that the survey respondents
highlighted as being important.
Key features of this Toolkit
This Toolkit responds to the growing trends of line managers taking over responsibilities for people management, and provides the framework and tools needed to enable
frst line managers/new HR practitioners to carry out LNA in organisations. Through
the combination of providing information and carrying out activities, line managers will
understand the benefts of this process and will learn how to use a range of tools that
will support them in identifying the learning needs of their employees.
The Toolkit may be delivered as a full programme to line managers, or trainers/
consultants may wish to deliver sections over a period of time. For example, elements
of the Toolkit could be delivered before line managers undertake their performance
management reviews. Trainers/consultants could also use the evaluation tools to
review other programmes that they deliver within the organisation. This flexibility
means that trainers/consultants can ensure that they meet the specifc needs of their
learners, using the Tools in the most appropriate sequence for their requirements.
This Toolkit is customisable and provides the opportunity to insert organisation-specifc
information to create added value and distinguish it from traditional ‘off-the-shelf’
packages. Organisations can therefore make sure that there is a consistent message
with their own policies and procedures, which will also make it easier for learners to
follow. It is important to get value for money for the organisation; writing in People
Management, Phillips (2009) reported that while Guide Dogs for the Blind had
reduced its overall training budget, it managed to signifcantly improve its activities. This
Toolkit aims to offer similar benefts.
The level of detail provided in this Toolkit can also be used to meet the needs of
diverse workforces, where many line managers may not have facilitated a formal LNA
xiv
introduction
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before. This may be particularly useful for employers who have a high proportion
of school leavers, graduates or migrant workers, to whom this may be a very new
concept.
Making the case for LNA
Providing training and development activities can be very benefcial for the organisation, the departments within it, teams and individual employees. However, sending
employees on training courses alone is not enough. To gain the most value out of
learning and development opportunities, the learning needs of the employees need to
be carefully identifed and aligned with appropriate learning interventions.
Skilled employees may be more productive, more likely to remain with the organisation
and strive for further promotions. There are also personal benefts to employees that
may motivate them further to engage in the process. If you need to persuade some
of the key stakeholders that they should invest time in resources and training, here are
some suggestions on how to make the business case:
1 Highlight the potential fnancial impact. Using LNA can save the organisation money by making sure that appropriate learning and development needs are
identifed, and avoiding spending money on unnecessary interventions. In addition,
where learning interventions are carefully aligned to learning needs, a positive
return on investment can be achieved, as well as some of the less measurable
aspects of added value. There are also fnancial benefts associated with retaining
employees (reducing recruitment and induction costs) and developing employees
as part of a talent management strategy.
2 Explain the potential impact on productivity and performance. More
knowledgeable and skilled employees may be more productive and make fewer
mistakes, thereby meeting performance targets. If employees feel more motivated
by the fact that their organisation is investing in them, there are also likely benefts
from increased positive discretionary behaviour. In addition, the effectiveness of
technology and equipment may be maximised, thereby increasing productivity and
avoiding delays or errors.
3 Set the context of this development programme. This Toolkit has been
designed to incorporate best practice in generating informed learning needs
analyses alongside resources that are tailored for your organisation. You will also
be able to maximise the use of performance information that is already used as
well as identify additional data needs to support the process. This allows you to
have a high-quality programme at a low cost. The design of the programme and
xv
 introduction
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its accompanying resources mean that it is not overly time-intensive and can be
delivered easily.
4 Reinforce the importance of evaluation of learning and development
interventions so that its value can be measured. This Toolkit contains
a number of Tools that can be used to evaluate the effectiveness of learning and
development interventions. This will enable the organisation to make objective
decisions about which interventions add value to the organisation, as well as identifying strengths and areas for further development.
5 Identify the very links with the organisation’s strategies, mission and
objectives. This Toolkit is clear throughout about the importance of aligning
individual and team learning and development with the organisation’s strategies,
mission and objectives. Learners are guided through the process so that they
can identify how they can contribute and any development activities that would
support them in achieving this.
6 Highlight the clear association with accreditations such as Investors
in People. Introducing a comprehensive LNA system would map very closely
with some of the Investors in People performance indicators, such as ‘People
learn and develop effectively’ and ‘Improvements are continually made to the way
people are managed and developed’. Working towards best practice accreditations
demonstrates a commitment to the present and future learning and development
of employees and will also reflect positively on the organisation’s reputation as a
good employer.
7 Develop your line managers using structured tools relating to best practice so
that they are an asset to the organisation and can add value to their employees by
supporting their needs appropriately.
Overview of skills and activities
The activities in this Toolkit will enable the participants to gain a sound understanding
of why LNA (LNA) is important and how to support their employees in identifying
and tackling potential skills gaps.
Section 1: The importance and benefts of learning and development
introduces the concept of learning and development and outlines the benefts for
employees, managers and the organisation as a whole. Participants will also be
supported in becoming ‘champions’ so that they can share information with their
employees.
xvi
introduction
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Section 2: An introduction to LNA provides a clear introduction to LNA and
confrms the different stages in the process. Participants also have the opportunity to
consider the information that can be collected and collated to inform the process.
Section 3: Opening up communication channels emphasises the importance
of line managers/trainers communicating with their employees to share information
and undertake different aspects of the LNA. Participants will also gain experience in
areas such as facilitating focus groups and carrying out interviews. Support on dealing
with complicated issues is also included.
Section 4: Identifying the learning needs of groups and teams enables the
participants to consider how they can engage their employees in considering learning
needs that will support the overall organisation and their department. This section
also provides Tools to enable the participants to look at department-wide learning
needs and how they can be captured and planned for.
Section 5: Evidence-based LNA: using existing data encompasses Tools that
allow the participants to make use out of existing data that they have collected so that
they can be used within the LNA process. Examples of documents are also provided
so that the information can be translated into a new format.
Section 6: Evidence-based LNA: gathering new information looks at the
types of additional information that could be collected to provide insights into the
current skills and knowledge of employees as well as those that may be required
in the future. This includes a framework for analysing tasks that are featured in the
employees’ current job descriptions as well as considering wider learning needs.
Section 7: Identifying appropriate learning interventions outlines the
different types of learning interventions that are available and encourages participants
to consider their relative strengths and weaknesses. In addition learners can gain a
basic understanding of different learning styles so that they can suggest appropriate
ways to meet the learning needs of their employees as part of the LNA process.
Section 8: Making the most out of learning interventions presents guidance
on maximising the effectiveness of learning interventions so that the learners can
support their team members to make the most out of the process. Specifc advice is
also provided on transferring the learning into the workplace so that all parties beneft
from the support provided as a consequence of the LNA process.
xvii
 introduction
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Section 9: Evaluation and moving forward concludes the participant-focused
Tools by providing a range of Tools related to evaluation and how they can be used to
move learning forward. These Tools allow the learners to appreciate the signifcance
of evaluation after their team members take part in a learning intervention and to
enable the learners to evaluate the LNA process that they go through with their team.
This section concludes by providing guidance on how the ‘results’ of the LNA process
can be shared.
Section 10: Enhancement resources for trainers features a range of
enhancement resources to support the trainer and facilitate their own continuing
professional development. This provision includes support on evaluating the
programme and engaging with learners who may be new to the process.
Organising your training session(s)
As a trainer you can decide whether all of the activities are appropriate for the
environment in which you are delivering the training. Clear guidance is given at the
start of each activity so that you are clear which resources you will need and suggested
timings for the activities. The activities have been designed so that they can be used
with groups of different sizes (or even with individual learners) to reflect the different
needs of organisations.
Depending on the size of the organisation and the available resources, this Toolkit can
be delivered in different formats. The trainer should decide whether the Tools are
provided in bite-size chunks (using individual or groups of Tools) over an extended
period of time or whether they should be provided together as a comprehensive
programme, for example as part of the performance management process. These
resources have been developed so that they can be used with groups of different
sizes, or alternatively they could be delivered to individual learners.
One of the key design features for this Toolkit is the ability to customise the resources
so that they are in line with the organisation’s policies and procedures. In advance of
using the Toolkit for the frst time, you will beneft from spending some time going
through each section to customise the resources where appropriate. To facilitate this,
each Tool has a section that contains ‘Set-up instructions for trainer’, which clearly
outlines the issues that you may wish to consider and highlights the documents that
can be revised. While initially this may take some time to contextualise for your organisation, once it has been set up you will have an excellent organisation-specifc Tool
that can be replicated for future cohorts of employees.
xviii
introduction
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If you are delivering this session as an independent trainer or consultant you will
beneft from liaising with the organisation’s HR department (or manager in charge
of training) to ensure that you are familiar with their policies and using appropriate
terminology.
49
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section 4 tool 4.1
Tool 4.1
Understanding the role of
overall organisation context in
LNA
Facilitator’s notes
Introduction
It is important that the learners understand the importance of the wider context
from two perspectives:
• As an employee of the organisation they need to be clear about the objectives and
this will link to their own individual LNA (which may be carried out by their own
manager).
• As a manager (or HR practitioner) they will need to be able to explain this to their
employees so that they can make sure that their team will be able to contribute
appropriately.
Aim of the Tool
It is important that the learners understand the wider implications of LNA and how it
can contribute to the overall success of the organisation.
Materials needed
• Handout 11, ‘Understanding the overall organisation context’
• Worksheet 10, ‘Creating your customised presentation on organisation and departmental objectives’
• Worksheet 11, ‘Locating your role within wider objectives’
4
50
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Set-up instructions for trainer
• Liaise with the organisation so that you can add organisation-specifc data to
Handout 11 for the learners and so that this resource can subsequently be adapted
for wider distribution to employees.
• Depending on the resources that are available to you, you may wish to use some
IT equipment so that the learners can use Worksheet 10 to complete the content
in Presentation 1. If these facilities are not available, ask the learners to create the
content on paper and suggest that they later transfer them into the electronic
format.
Procedure
• The duration of this task should be approximately 90 minutes if you undertake all
of the suggested activities.
• Explain the rationale of this Tool (using the information provided above) to the
learners.
• Discuss the key points that arise from Handout 11.
• Ask the learners to follow the instructions on Worksheet 10 so that they can
create the information that could be inserted into presentation slides (for example,
PowerPoint) and then delivered to their own employees to remind them about
some of the key corporate-level strategies and targets. Depending on the composition of the group it may be appropriate to ask them to work in pairs or small
groups – if they are working in the same department (with the same overall
objectives).
• Encourage the learners to share their outputs and provide some peer feedback to
each other on appropriateness and identifcation of good practice.
• Working individually, ask the learners to complete Worksheet 11 based on their
current role in the organisation. This experience will help them to support their
team members when they reach this process within their individual LNA.
• You should recommend that learners use Worksheet 11 when they begin work in
this area with their own employees.
tool 4.1 Handout 11 4
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Handout 11
Understanding the overall organisation context
It is important that everyone within the organisation understand what they are seeking
to achieve and how this can be accomplished. Most organisations will ensure that on
an annual basis all employees are sent a copy of corporate documents that outline
the key issues, but there is not always an opportunity for employees to consider their
specifc roles.
If the documents can be ‘translated’ so that they are very clear and unambiguous,
employees will be more likely to understand the role that they can play in meeting the
objectives and targets. This will then enable them to consider how they can play this
role and whether they will need any support in achieving this.
The current organisational objectives and priorities for this organisation are:
• [list organisation-specifc information here]
• •
From a line management perspective, you can support this process by
doing the following:
• Make sure that employees are kept up to date with developments.
• Review the language used within corporate documents (and feed back any
concerns that you might have) so that the information is accessible to employees.
You may also consider breaking down long documents and highlighting the key
points within a PowerPoint presentation.
• Demonstrate to the employees how the corporate-level objectives and targets are
used to set your own departmental objectives and targets. This will help employees
to understand how their department has an impact.
• Try to explain to employees how their role makes a contribution to the department
and the overall organisation – highlight this to them and underline it!
section 4 tool 4.1 4
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• Within your meetings with employees you will need to make sure that they understand these objectives and support them in identifying their contribution. You may
fnd it useful to generate specifc examples so that the links between the two are
clear.
• Remember to look at this issue as part of the annual performance management
process so that it becomes standard practice for your employees to see the links.
tool 4.1 WorksHeet 10 4
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Worksheet 10
Creating your customised presentation on
organisation and departmental objectives
You are going to design a presentation that can be delivered to your employees to
make sure that:
• they are aware of the most up-to-date corporate information on strategies and
targets
• they are aware of your departmental priorities
• they can understand how addressing your departmental priorities can contribute
to the organisation’s overall strategies and targets
• they can understand how their role as a team member (and an individual) can
make a contribution and identify any learning or development issues that would
facilitate this process.
You may fnd it useful to draw on practical examples within your work and the presentation should last for approximately fve minutes.
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Worksheet 11
Locating your role within wider objectives

tool 4.1 WorksHeet 11 4
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56
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Tool 4.2
Identifying the learning needs
of groups and departments
Facilitator’s notes
Introduction
LNA can take place in different forms within an organisation. This Tool refers to
occasions where managers may be looking at needs on a departmental/team basis.
Aim of the Tool
For learners to understand why and how LNA may be carried out at departmental or
team level.
Materials needed
• Handout 12, ‘Identifying learning needs at departmental or team level’
• Worksheet 12, ‘Collating information from departmental strategies or plans’
• Worksheet 13, ‘Designing a questionnaire to identify group learning needs’
Set-up instructions for trainer
• Liaise with the organisation to see if they would like any specifc information about
existing practices to be incorporated into Handout 12.
• Ask the learners to bring a copy of their departmental strategies and plans with
them to the session so that they can be used within one of the activities.
• Make sure that you have a flipchart pad and pens available for the learners to use.
Procedure
• The duration of this task should be 60–120 minutes.
• Discuss the key issues arising from Handout 12, ensuring that you cover the section
on ‘What format could this analysis take?’
57
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• Using the flipchart pad, ask the learners to work in pairs to explain how feasible
they think the different formats of analysis could be – based on their knowledge
and experience of their team and employees:
– a (self-completion) questionnaire to the employees
– conducting focus groups
– carrying out interviews
– reviewing organisational documents.
• Ask the learners to complete Worksheet 12 based on the information that they
have brought with them to the session.
• Working in pairs or small groups (as appropriate), ask the learners to work on
designing a questionnaire that they could distribute to their employees using
Worksheet 13 to support them. It is recommended that you give the learners
approximately 20–30 minutes for this aspect of the task.
section 4 tool 4.2 4
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Handout 12
Identifying learning needs at departmental or team level
LNA can take place at different levels of the organisation to enable more skilled and
knowledgeable employees, who will hopefully be more productive. There may be
some needs that are relevant across a number of employees – rather than just looking
at the individual level.
For example:
One of the objectives of the HR Department of ABC Recruitment Services is
‘to utilise the new absence management software to record all episodes of sickness
absence more accurately. This will enable us to generate more accurate statistics
and respond with appropriate management interventions.’
Based on this information, the following learning needs were identifed, which
should be addressed at team/departmental level to make sure that all members
of staff can maximise the effectiveness of the new system:
• training on the new absence management software
• awareness training about the capabilities of the new software – what sort
of data can it produce and how can this data be used to minimise sickness
absences?
• reminder training on the information that needs to be recorded about an
employee’s absence because it will be essential that accurate information is
fed into the new system.
Where learning needs are consistent across a large number of people, there can be
benefts to the organisation in achieving economies of scale in the provision. With
group learning needs you will still need to consider the most appropriate method of
meeting these needs, for example, will the development activities take place on or
off the job? You will also need to remember that to some extent employees will have
slightly different learning needs and preferences for learning styles.
tool 4.2 Handout 12 4
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When might you want to undertake LNA on a group level?
Identifying learning needs on a group level may be undertaken when a new strategy is
announced or if the organisation is turning to a new direction. It may also be appropriate if a new project is being undertaken. Alternatively, the organisation may decide
to undertake this sort of audit as part of its future planning process so it can identify
whether there is a gap between the current skills and knowledge and those that will
be needed at some point in the future.
What format could this analysis take?
To some extent this depends on the depth of information that you need. It may
be appropriate for the line manager to determine the overall needs based on their
knowledge of their employees’ current skills level compared with what will be needed
in their future (using strategy documents to inform this). Alternatively, you may wish
to consider other methods, such as:
• asking the employees to complete a questionnaire
• conducting focus groups where employees can express their opinions
• carrying out interviews with a sample of employees
• reviewing organisational documents to identify where ‘new’ areas of learning and
development are going to be needed.
section 4 tool 4.2 4
A free sample chapter from Learning Needs Analysis. Published by the CIPD. Copyright © CIPD 2009
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Worksheet 12
Collating information from departmental
strategies or plans
You will now have some time available to study the documents that you have brought
with you to try to identify any potential learning needs on a departmental/team level
that would facilitate the meeting of the objectives/future plans.
While reviewing your documents, complete the following table to highlight the
potential learning needs of the members of your team/department.

tool 4.2 WorksHeet 13 4
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Worksheet 13
Designing a questionnaire to identify
group learning needs
If you have a large team or department (or have other constraints such as time
and resources), you may feel that it is more appropriate to ask your employees to
complete a short questionnaire. This is less labour intensive (and therefore cheaper)
than conducting individual interviews or focus groups. You may also fnd that people
are more honest – particularly if the questionnaires are anonymous.
What sort of questions should you ask?
The secret to good questionnaire design is to ask only questions the answers to which
you will actually use. For example, it is not necessary to know the gender of the
employees as this will not affect your interpretation of the results or resultant actions.
Where possible, you should keep the document as short as possible because people
are more likely to complete it.
You may wish to explore the following areas:
• Are there any generic skills or knowledge where you believe that additional
learning is needed?
• Have there been any recent changes that you do not feel have been adequately
supported?
• What type of training do you think you would beneft from?
• How do you think that the training should be delivered?
• Have you previously identifed learning needs as part of the performance
management process?
– If yes, have these needs been met? If these needs have not been met, why?
• Would you be interested in identifying learning needs as part of your professional
development, that is, not just related to your current role?
• Which key areas do you think the organisation should provide learning and development opportunities in?
section 4 tool 4.2 4
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Make a note of the questions you would like to ask in the box below:

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