consistent level of quality in requirements gathering Questions are prompted so that they are not overlooked
•
The correct order and sequence of questions is maintained
•
Space is provided for recording the answers
•
Information can be edited in place during requirements gathering and
•
later to create polished text for the final training requirements report.
The structure of the template can help structure the formal training
•
requirements report
Most training organizations develop their own detailed and structured requirements gathering template This ensures that all of the information that is important to the organization is gathered
Here is a simple example of a requirements gathering template:
Training Requirements Template
Introduction
The following list of questions can be used as a guide for collecting training requirements or as a preparatory checklist for those who will be providing requirements information to instructional designers
What Is the Training Request?
What is the request (what are they asking you to do)? [Reproduce
•
their request as accurately and as completely as possible; this is very important ]
Who made the request?
•
What is their title and organizational role (what are they responsible
• for)?
What are the overall business goals of their organization (what does their
•
organization do that is of value to the company; what are they trying to achieve as an organization; how does their organization fit into the larger organization)?
Were any other persons involved in initiating or sponsoring this request
•
(who else is sponsoring or pushing the need for this training beside the requester; e g , higher-level management)? If so, answer each of the above questions for each stakeholder
Why is this person (or group) making this request (is it to solve a deficient
•
performance on the part of job incumbents, or to train job incumbents in anticipation of an upcoming new program, product, or application)? [See the next section for additional detail about these two possibilities ]
Who Is the Target Audience?
• What major audience groupings will receive the training?
For each major audience grouping
•
how many people are in each group (list by geographies, if
•
important)?
where are they located (what is their geographic distribution)?
•
what are their major job duties and responsibilities (describe what
•
they typically do and are responsible for in their job)?
how have they traditionally been trained to do their job?
•
what motivates them, and what “turns them off?”
•
what relevant entry-level skills, knowledge, and job experience do
•
they already have?
what learning styles and preferences, if any, do they have?
•
what is their comfort level and experience with technology and
•
technology-based training?
what are their relevant demographics (age, experience in the company,
•
and so forth)?
Is Training to Close a Performance Gap or to Prepare for an Upcoming New Program, Product, or Job Performance?
Is training to close a performance gap or to prepare for an upcoming
• new
program, product, or job performance?
For training designed to close business gaps
•
what are job incumbents
• not producing or accomplishing on the job
that motivated the request for training, or what should job incumbents be producing or accomplishing on the job that they are currently not producing? [describe the deficiency in the job incumbent’s performance]
why are those employee accomplishments of worth to the business
•
(include what will happen if those accomplishments are not achieved)?
what evidence exists that the business need or problem can be met
•
or addressed through training?
have other potential causes of performance gaps been eliminated
•
(or identified as contributing causal factors), such as lack of tools or resources on the job, lack of authority, unclear expectations, lack of feedback on performance, performance is punished, performance goes unrewarded, and performance is socially unacceptable?
have participants performed these skills in the past, and, if so, could
•
they perform these skills if they had sufficient motivation?
if training is not the complete solution, then what part does training
•
play in the total solution?
For training designed to meet upcoming or anticipated needs
•
what will job incumbents be required to produce or accomplish?
•
why will those employee accomplishments be important and worthwhile
•
to the business (include what will happen if those accomplishments are not achieved)?
What Will Job Incumbents Produce Back on the Job as a Result of This Training?
• What should course participants be able to produce or accomplish back on the job as a result of this training? To what level or standard of accomplishment? [Important! This is probably the most important question on this checklist, as it serves as the basis for all subsequent training analysis and design, yet it is often the most difficult to ferret out and compose during requirements gathering Outcomes are not verbs, verb phrases, or even skills; they are nouns and noun phrases since they represent outcomes or accomplishments—they are what tasks and skills produce ]
How confident do participants need to be at the end of training in their
•
ability to produce these accomplishments?
[Optional, if time permits and situation is appropriate]: What are the major
•
tasks required to accomplish those outcomes, along with their importance, frequency, rate of performance, complexity, and consequences for performing and not performing those tasks to standard?
What Are the Characteristics of the Job Environment?
What is the job environment like physically, socially, and
•
organizationally?
What do performers say they are rewarded and punished for on the
• job?
What tools and resources are available on the job?
•
What constraints, if any, exist in the job environment?
•
How Will the Success of This Project Be Measured?
How will the success of this course be measured (this project will be
•
deemed a success if _________)?
How Will Training and Students Be Evaluated?
How will the training be evaluated?
•
How will course participants be evaluated? (Will students be tested? If so,
•
when and how will the tests be administered? Will test scores be tracked or recorded?)
How Will Administration and Tracking Be Handled?
How will course participants enroll in this training?
•
Will prerequisites be verified and enrollment restricted?
•
Are there any other administration, tracking, or enrollment
•
requirements?
What Implementation and Delivery Requirements Are Known at This Time?
How will the training be rolled out (as pilot, as phases, or what)?
•
Who will identify and enroll students for the pilot and T3?
•
Who will provide instructors (if required) for this course?
•
How many instructors will be needed?
•
Who will own this course after development (be responsible for managing
•
the course through its entire lifecycle, from updating through sun setting)?
Are There Any Special Global Considerations for This Project?
Are there any special global considerations for this project, such as
•
translation requirements, document formatting and printing requirements, cultural considerations, and financial arrangements?
What Are the Project Constraints?
What are the project deadlines and how firm are they (include pilot
•
course, if applicable, and final)?
What is the approximate project budget?
•
What media and delivery systems are and are
• not available, feasible, or
practical?
What up-front demands must be met (such as the use of a specific media
•
or delivery method)?
Are there any special project priorities?
•
Are there any organizational politics that might affect this project?
•
Are there any organizational or personal “hot buttons” to avoid?
•
Are there any safety regulations that must be followed?
•
Are there any security or authorization procedures that must be
•
followed?
Are there any company policies that must be followed that affect this
•
project?
Are there any government regulations that must be met or adhered to
•
on this project?
Are there any union considerations or requirements that should be taken
•
into account?
What Resources Are Available for Developing the Training?
Who are the subject matter experts (SMEs) or accomplished
•
performers?
What is their availability?
•
What incentives do they have for responsive participation?
•
What other resources are available, who will provide them to the
•
instructional designer, and how current and relevant are they to the project at hand?
prerequisite training (to the course being developed)
•
existing or related training
•
manuals, guides, job aids, check sheets, wall charts, or other relevant
•
documentation
marketing literature and presentations, specification documents, and
•
prototypes
human sources of information
•
What Are the Major Risks and Project Exposures?
What are the project’s major risks, challenges, and exposures?
•
Who Are the Team Members and What Are Their Roles?
For each team member, provide the following
•
name
•
role in this project (client, management stakeholders, subject matter
•
expert, expert performer, instructional designer, project manager, content developer, graphic artists, editor, programmer, and so forth)
contact information (external telephone, tie line number, Notes
•
address, Internet address, physical location, and so forth) other relevant information, as applicable
•