Consider the following training needs analysis context elements:

• Who decided there should be an intervention?
• Why do they think there should be a training programme?
• What is the business need for this proposed training?
• What is the history of similar programmes in this organisation?
• What can the trainer do to ensure success when intervening in this organisation?

Most organisations are multi-faceted entities and an effective training needs analysis process tries to understand specific complexities through a context training needs analysis. In this initial phase, a learning programme designer consults decision makers, lends an attentive ear and generally takes the pulse of the organisation.

In our three scenarios, a context training needs analysis will help define what the clients hope to accomplish through the training, hopefully expressed as performance outputs. If one starts the training design process in January and fails to grasp the thinking of the key person, or group, who conducted the initial training need analysis, that oversight will come back to haunt us in March, when presenting a finalised training programme design to the client.

Whilst this article examines the six training needs analysis methods, we have included 49 questions in a training needs analysis checklist that one needs to answer when either designing training needs analysis studies or when conducting a training needs analysis.