How to scope a training project

1Start with the problem, not the course

Most training projects start with "we need a course on X." Start one step earlier instead: what are people doing now, and what should they be doing? Training fixes gaps in knowledge and skill. It won't fix an unclear process, a missing tool, an impossible workload, or a system that rewards the wrong thing.

Write the problem down in one or two sentences, in terms of what happens on the job. For example: "New intake staff take about three months to handle calls without a supervisor, and we have a 30% turnover rate in the first year."

2Describe your learners

The same content needs a very different design for 15 head-office analysts than for 400 front-line staff on rotating shifts. Answer these before anything else:

3Write outcomes you could observe

A learning outcome says what someone will be able to do after the training, in a way you could watch or check. Words like "understand," "know" and "be aware of" can't be checked, so they lead to training that can't be evaluated.

Three to six outcomes is plenty for most programs. If you have twenty, you probably have several programs.

4Decide now how you'll know it worked

Funders, boards and councils increasingly ask what changed, not how many people attended. Decide your measures before anything is built, and collect a baseline now, while you still can. The Kirkpatrick model is the most common way to organize this:

You don't need all four for every program. A short compliance module may only need levels 1 and 2. A program meant to reduce turnover needs level 4.

5Choose a format that fits

Choose the format after you know your learners and outcomes, not before.

6List your constraints up front

These are the things that most often delay public-sector and nonprofit training projects. Put them in writing at the start.

• Budget and fiscal year. When must the money be spent? Projects that start late in the fiscal year often get squeezed.
• Approvals. Who signs off on content, and how long do they need? Legal, communications and senior review can each add weeks.
• Official languages. Federal institutions, and some provincial and municipal programs, need equal-quality French and English versions.
• Accessibility. In Ontario, public-sector organizations and those with 50 or more employees must meet WCAG 2.0 Level AA for web content. See our accessible training checklist.
• Privacy. What learner information will your LMS or survey tools collect, and where is it stored?
• Technology. Which LMS do you use, and which package formats (such as SCORM 1.2 or 2004) does it accept?
• Working with Indigenous communities. Involve communities from the start, budget time for that, and respect First Nations data sovereignty, including the OCAP® principles for any data you collect.

7Get a realistic sense of effort

Building training takes much longer than delivering it. One widely cited industry study (Chapman Alliance, 2010) surveyed training developers and found these averages for creating one hour of finished training:

These are averages from 2010 and include everyone's time: designers, subject experts, reviewers and project managers. Treat them as a sense of scale, not a quote. As a rough example, a half-day workshop is about four finished hours, which suggests around 170 hours of development.

Your subject experts' time is part of that effort. Plan for them to spend several hours on interviews and reviews.

8Plan for after launch

• Who owns it? Name a person or team responsible for the program once it's live.
• Who delivers it? If your own staff will facilitate, budget for train-the-trainer sessions and a facilitator guide.
• How will it be updated? Policies change. Ask for editable source files, not just finished PDFs or packages.
• When will you review it? Set a date, usually 12 months after launch, to look at your measures and decide what to change.

9Your one-page scope

Copy this template, fill it in, and share it with your team and any provider you speak to. It's also a strong starting point for a statement of work.

Project name:
Prepared by / date:

1. THE PROBLEM
What happens now:
What should happen instead:
Is training the right fix? (yes / partly / no, and why):

2. LEARNERS
Number and roles:
Locations and schedules:
Languages:
Device and LMS access:
Accessibility needs:

3. LEARNING OUTCOMES (3 to 6)
After this training, learners will be able to:
-
-
-

4. MEASURES
Reaction:
Learning:
Behaviour:
Results (and baseline today):

5. PREFERRED FORMAT
In person / live virtual / e-learning / blended / job aids:

6. CONSTRAINTS
Budget and fiscal deadline:
Approvals and reviewers:
Official languages:
Accessibility standard:
Privacy and data:
LMS and file formats:

7. AFTER LAUNCH
Program owner:
Who delivers it:
Review date: