Implementing a learning and development strategy
As learning and development practitioners we spend most of our time implementing. This stage is where we most like to be, but it is also the stage where most waste can occur. Provided the learning and development strategy has been created and communicated properly then work at the implementation stage should be focused on supporting the business.
One way to look at the strategy implementation stage is through the lense of our good and trusted (almost) friend ADDIE. We all know that ADDIE is an Instructional Design model. that summarily stands for:
Analysis: Which clarifies the instructional problems and objectives, and identifies the learning environment and learner's existing knowledge and skills. Or simply involves the process of conducting a learning needs analysis to accurately identify learning needs.
Design: Deals with learning objectives, assessment instruments, exercises, content, subject matter analysis, lesson planning, and media selection.
Development: In the development phase, instructional designers and developers create and assemble content assets blueprinted in the design phase.
Implementation: This is when the learning is delivered through some form of instructional medium such as e-learning, classroom training, live-online training, and coaching.
Evaluation: Finding out how valuable the learning has been. Did it achieve its original objectives?
While ADDIE is an instructional model, as part of a learning and development strategy it should be seen more as a framework that identifies the key components of implementing learning initiatives rather than a systematic process for delivering learning interventions. Each of the components of ADDIE need to be well thought out if strategy implementation is to be successful.
For instance under Analysis some of the following questions need to be asked:
Why are we conducting this learning needs analysis (LNA)?
Who is going to be involved in conducting it?
When are we going to conduct it?
How are going to conduct it?
What types of data are we expecting from the LNA?
How are we going to analyse and report this data?
What are we going to do with the data?
For Design you may need to think about these questions:
Who is the learning audience?
What are their working patterns?
Is this learning focused on giving information or developing skills?
What is the most cost efficient and at the same time effective medium to deliver the learning?
Who is going to be involved in designing the learning?
How long do we have to design the learning?
What resources do we have to design the learning?
How are we going to evaluate the learning?
For Development you may what to think of questions such as:
Do we have the right expertise to develop the learning?
Do we have the right mix of resources to develop the learning?
How long do we have to develop the learning?
Who is going to be involved in developing the learning?
How much is it going to cost?
How we develop evaluation into the learning?
At the Implementation stage think about:
Who is going to be involved in delivering the learning?
What do we need to deliver the learning?
How long will it take to deliver the learning?
How are we going to start collecting evaluation information?
How much is it going to cost to develop the learning?
Do we have all the necessary resources to deliver the learning?
For evaluation think about:
How are going to evaluate?
Who are we going to evaluate?
When are we going to evaluate?
What are we going to evaluate?
What data do we want to collect from the evaluation?
What actions do we need to take after evaluating?
How much is evaluation going to cost?
How long is evaluation going to take?
Evaluation should not be an afterthought. In fact we should start thinking about evaluation when we do the LNA. Also these stages are not necessarily sequential, sometimes they will be happening simultaneously. Obviously there are other questions you will need to answer and things you need to think about apart from what was outlined above, but it is important to prepare through each stage thoroughly. There are numerous resources out there to help and I recommend that you take a look at these websites for a lot of free resources:
In my next post I will write about the final component of a learning and development strategy which is, reviewing or evaluating a learning and development strategy.
