The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) advises connecting learning needs to organisational performance and warns against defaulting to training when another intervention may be more appropriate. [1] This article offers a practical planning framework, not a claim that every performance issue can be fixed through e-learning.
Identify the business or service problem
Replace “We need leadership training” with a more observable statement. For example: “New supervisors struggle to provide consistent handover instructions, resulting in repeated escalations.” Record available evidence, affected teams and how frequently the issue occurs. Seek input from staff and line managers; the causes may include unclear procedures, workload, systems design or missing authority—not just lack of knowledge.
Define one performance measure that would matter even if nobody took a course. It might be fewer repeated process errors, higher-quality documentation or more consistent customer communication. Avoid selecting metrics solely because they are easy to collect.
Map the skills and conditions needed
Break the desired performance into knowledge, practical skills, judgement and enabling conditions. For a public-facing service team, staff may need to explain rules clearly, use the case-management system, exercise professional judgement and access updated policies. Only some of those needs are appropriate for a digital course.
Compare the current state with the target state using observation, interviews, work samples and carefully designed assessments. Prioritise gaps by urgency, risk, learner relevance and feasibility. This is the core of a learning needs analysis as described by CIPD. [1]
Choose the right intervention
Where a learning need exists, select an approach to match the task. A short knowledge module may explain a policy; scenario practice may develop judgement; coached workplace assignments may support transfer; a searchable reference guide may be more valuable than memorising rarely used steps.
Existing xtraLesson academies can be curated into programmes for relevant audiences under agreed access and delivery arrangements. Organisations may also require customised academies, new content, blended facilitation or management support. These are different engagement options, not an implication that all organisational access is automatically free or that every requested feature is available out of the box.
Design a manageable pilot
Start with a bounded audience and a clear purpose. Record the cohort, prerequisites, accessible delivery mode, programme length, learning outcomes and points of contact. Ask whether employees can realistically take part during their work schedules and whether low-data access, language, accessibility or device availability requires adjustments.
The CDC’s Quality Training Standards recommend needs assessment, learning objectives, accurate content, engagement, accessible delivery, evaluation, learner assessment and follow-up support. Although created for public-health training, these offer useful questions for other workplace programmes when adapted appropriately. [2]
Measure learning separately from business outcomes
Programme enrolment and completion show participation. Knowledge checks and work samples can indicate whether participants learned something. Workplace observation and operational measures may suggest transfer and business relevance. None of these indicators is interchangeable. A high completion rate alone does not prove improved performance or return on investment.
Agree on a baseline and review point before launching. Where feasible, compare outcomes with a suitable reference group and account for other changes affecting performance. For smaller pilots, be transparent that evidence may be descriptive rather than causal. CIPD guidance on learning evaluation emphasises alignment with identified performance gaps. [3]
Set out the next decision
At the end of the pilot, decide whether to refine, expand, pause or replace the programme. Record what participants could do, which barriers remained and what managers observed. A strong managed learning programme is a cycle of diagnosis, delivery and improvement—not simply a list of courses assigned to staff.
Sources and further reading
[1] CIPD (2025), Learning needs analysis: https://www.cipd.org/en/knowledge/factsheets/learning-needs-factsheet/
[2] CDC (updated 2026), Quality Training Standards: https://www.cdc.gov/training-development/php/qts/
[3] CIPD (2025), Learning evaluation, impact and transfer: https://www.cipd.org/uk/knowledge/factsheets/evaluating-learning-factsheet/