Project Toolkit

Training Needs

Training Needs

Identifying what training is required to support the solution.

Training Needs Analysis

Training needs analysis identifies what skills and knowledge people need to use the new solution effectively.

Purpose

Identifying training needs ensures:

  • Users can operate the new solution
  • Support staff can maintain it
  • Adoption is successful
  • Benefits are realised
  • Resistance is minimised

Training Needs Process

flowchart LR A[Identify
Audiences] --> B[Assess
Current Skills] B --> C[Define
Target Skills] C --> D[Identify
Gaps] D --> E[Define
Training Needs] classDef blue fill:#108BB9,stroke:none,color:#fff class A,B,C,D,E blue

Key Questions

Question Purpose
Who needs training? Identify target audiences
What do they need to learn? Define learning objectives
Why do they need it? Link to job requirements
When do they need it? Align with go-live
How will it be delivered? Choose delivery method

Target Audiences

Audience Training Focus
End users How to use the solution
Power users Advanced features, reporting
Support staff Troubleshooting, maintenance
Managers Oversight, reporting, approvals
Administrators Configuration, user management

Skills Assessment

Current State

  • What do people know now?
  • What systems do they currently use?
  • What processes do they follow?
  • What experience do they have?

Future State

  • What will they need to do?
  • What new processes are introduced?
  • What systems will they use?
  • What decisions will they make?

Gap = Future State - Current State

Training Needs Matrix

Audience Current Skills Required Skills Gap Priority
Finance team Legacy system New ERP High Critical
Sales team Manual process CRM system High High
IT support General IT New application Medium High

Learning Objectives

Good learning objectives are SMART:

Characteristic Description
Specific Clear and precise
Measurable Can verify achievement
Achievable Realistic to accomplish
Relevant Related to job role
Time-bound Achievable in timeframe

Example

  • Poor: “Understand the new system”
  • Better: “Process a customer order in the new system within 5 minutes”

Factors Affecting Training Needs

Factor Consideration
Complexity How complex is the change?
Scale How many people affected?
Experience What’s their baseline?
Time available How long until go-live?
Criticality How important to operations?

Outputs

  • Training needs analysis document
  • Audience profiles
  • Skills gap analysis
  • Learning objectives
  • Input to training plan

Training Needs Checklist

  • All audiences identified?
  • Current skills assessed?
  • Required skills defined?
  • Gaps analysed?
  • Learning objectives written?
  • Priorities assigned?
  • Stakeholders consulted?
  • Findings documented?
Last updated: 13 January 2026
Themes

Delivery

People

Change