Dissecting the Training Needs Analysis Report

The Training Needs Analysis (TNA) Report is an important document that is produced at Step 6 of the 7 Steps Process as outlined by Deborah Tobey (2005) for a TNA process. This report helps to justify the training required to improve the performance of the learners and organization.

The purpose of the TNA report is:

• To approve the training intervention design and delivery of the required training program(s)
• To allow stakeholders to take ownership of non-training issues and recommendations
• To support the case of recommended programs and to secure the budget and necessary resources for training

Last night’s DACE class was on how to develop the TNA report as it is one of the assignments required by the program. We discussed about the different components within the TNA report based on an article by Cotton (2004). As usual, the class broke into 6 groups to dissect the TNA report, to discuss and present our findings based on 6 questions related to the TNA report and our assignment:

Here are the findings that were presented and shared during the class.

Group 1: Information in a TNA Report

Group 2: Review of a TNA Report

Group 3: Non Training Issues & Recommendations

Group 4: Critical Success Factors

Group 5: Recommendations

Group 6: Implementation plan

It has been an eventful evening and the program has been structured enough to allow group discussions and sharing of ideas and opinions. As mentioned in my previous posting, because of the diverse background of trainers and L & O (Training) managers in this cohort, you will get different views too. Sometimes, as the program is academic and we might have overlooked the practical aspect of implementation.

Collecting Data for Training Needs Analysis (TNA)

Some of you might be aware that I am currently doing the Institute for Adult Learning (IAL)’s Diploma in Adult & Continuing Education (DACE) program. Interestingly, I realized that this is my first diploma program that I got myself into as I took the “Air” Levels route towards my computer engineering degree in NTU.

Last night’s DACE class on Planning A Training Needs Analysis dived deeper into the processes of TNA based Deborah Tobey (2005)’s 7 Step Process, looking into the methods of collecting and analyzing data.  Frankly, I have enjoyed the classes so far as it provide a lot of interaction and collaboration among team members and the lecturers have been good facilitators to allow exchange of different views and opinions.

One of the important group work was to identify the data sources and types of data to collect for TNA, segmentized into 4 stages as defined by Tobey (2005):

• Business – needs and goals of the business that training needs to support and align with
• Performance – current performance of organization and learners and how training intervention can meet and improve business needs within the context
• Learning – learning that must take place to support the required performance
• Learners – needs of the learners

From the above, we actively went into our groups to discuss and came out with the following findings based on the case of Trekkers:

We went a step further to identify the means to collect data and updated the our flip charts:

One of my personal takeaways during the lesson was that I was fortunate to have been in consulting and held regional marketing management roles that helped me to think critically on what are the actual needs and why are we doing these for TNA, which many practitioners would felt it is academic and may not reflect what is actually happening in their workplaces.

I also appreciated the training I had before in using strategic management tools like Hoshin Kanri, Lean Management and Balanced Scorecard, doing root cause analysis and countermeasures on a monthly basis helps me to further analyzed training needs requirements and select those that are critical to the business and delivers maximum impact to the learners and the organization.

In a classroom full of learners from diverse background, it is interesting to hear and see views from a different angle and understand the thought processes that people have taken to look into the situation given and perform the required tasks.