Effective learning is an essential component
of business strategy. The purpose of a learning needs analysis is
to identify and prioritise the critical learning needs. This
section describes some standard approaches that can be modified and
tailored to the specific needs of the organisation.
Identifying learning needs key points
- When identifying
learning needs the following must be considered:
- legislative
requirements
- organisational
needs
- job or group
needs
- individual or team
needs
- All employee learning
and development activities should support and directly link to the
business strategy.
- The learning needs
analysis should be an integral part of a comprehensive learning and
development strategic plan, built from the business plan, to gain
the support of senior management.
- It is important to be
up to date with all current relevant legislation and kept informed
of all pending and future legislation likely to affect the
organisation. Much of this legislation requires evidence that the
appropriate training has been delivered to all relevant
employees.
- The objectives in the
organisation's business plan are those that are critical to the
success of the business, and are where most of the effort and
resources will be directed.
- Job analysis - when
undertaking a job analysis it is essential to check that all
affected departments, including line managers, are involved in the
process.
- The task inventory is
where the job is broken down into a set of separate tasks,
activities or behaviours. A task inventory can be
compiled for each job in a department or the whole
organisation.
- Task analysis is a
process that produces a structured and reliable method of
describing the task so that it can be consistently
repeated.
- A needs analysis
provides a complete understanding of the operational system being
analysed.
- Most learning needs
analysis processes concentrate on the identification of skills.
Identifying the current skills and knowledge set for employees is
often at the core of a learning needs analysis.
- All jobs and tasks
consist of a combination of both knowledge and skills. The analysis
would not be complete without the identification of knowledge
gaps.
- The main advantages
of competencies for learning needs analysis is that they are
practical, observable and rooted in the job to be done. They are
also impersonal.
- A useful tool for
team learning that also supports individual learning is the skills
matrix.
- A Learning Needs
Survey is the most cost effective way to reach the whole
organisation.
- The final stage of
the analysis is to identify needs that are learning needs rather
than any other type. The learning and development manager has to be
able to confirm that the need can best be met by a learning
intervention only.
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