Learning needs analysis: choose digital-skills training that fits the task

Download the learning needs analysis template

Download the editable learning needs analysis template (.txt). Open it in a text editor or copy it into an approved shared document. No account or payment is required.

Use one record for one task, such as producing a weekly spreadsheet report, finding a document or using a new learning platform. The template is intended for ordinary professional learning. Required qualifications, regulated work and formal competence decisions need the relevant specialist standards.

What is a learning needs analysis?

The CIPD learning needs factsheet describes an ongoing assessment of current and future capabilities. It distinguishes this wider learning needs analysis from a training needs analysis for a particular training activity. Its central point is useful: begin with the capability required, rather than assuming a course is the answer.

Here, the practical output is a short decision record: the task, the evidence of a gap, the proposed response and the check that will tell you whether it helped. An individual can use it before choosing an online course; a team can use it before arranging a workshop. A team-wide average should not decide what every person needs.

If the task is already clear and you are comparing devices or software, move to our learning-technology selection framework. This guide tackles the earlier question: what needs to change before a purchase would be useful?

1. Define the task and an acceptable result

“Get better at spreadsheets” gives you little basis for choosing a lesson. I would replace it with: “Using the supplied practice file, produce a weekly total by category, exclude cancelled entries and explain how you checked the result.” Now a learner and a reviewer can inspect the same output.

Decide which help is allowed. A reference sheet may be normal in the real job, so banning it could test memory instead of useful work. Conversely, an answer produced by a tutor or an AI assistant does not show that the learner can recognise an error independently. Record the permitted tools and support alongside the task.

Keep the standard realistic for the role. A colleague who needs one reliable report does not necessarily need an advanced analytics qualification. Include any essential accessibility, language or device requirements before comparing courses.

2. Gather evidence of the current gap

For a routine digital task, I would combine a small work sample with a short conversation. Ask the learner to show the difficult step and explain what they tried. Use a sanitised or synthetic file if the real material contains customer, employee or student information.

A confidence rating can open the discussion, but keep it separate from the task result. Someone may feel uncertain and still produce correct work; someone else may be confident about an incorrect formula. Similarly, completing a video or quiz does not settle whether the person can complete the job.

Write down what you observed before assigning a cause. “Could not open the practice file” is an observation. “Needs basic computer training” is a conclusion that requires more evidence.

3. Decide whether training can solve the problem

The CDC needs-assessment guidance recommends examining the source of a performance gap before choosing training. It explicitly includes possible changes to technology, procedures and the work environment. Its public-health examples are context-specific; the distinction between a learning need and a system problem is useful here.

Treat the following table as a set of hypotheses to check, not an automated diagnosis. More than one cause can apply. Fixing access may be necessary before you can observe the person’s skills fairly.

Worked example: a weekly spreadsheet report

This is a fictional planning example. A team of eight needs to summarise a synthetic order file. The task is to exclude cancelled orders, group the remaining amounts by category and check the total. Everyone has the same file and may use the supplied reference sheet.

Three people complete the task independently. Two can total the amounts but include cancelled orders. One can filter the rows but cannot explain how the category totals were built. Two cannot open the practice file. The initial record therefore contains three independent completions, three incomplete task attempts and two access failures.

Three of eight is 37.5% of the whole group. Among the six who could attempt the task, three of six is 50%. Neither denominator should be hidden, and the access failures should not be labelled skills failures. With such a small group, inspect the individual tasks instead of treating the percentage as a robust team benchmark.

4. Choose a learning activity before a subscription

For the filtering error above, I would first try a short relevant lesson and practice file. A broad paid subscription may be unnecessary if one explanation and feedback resolve the problem. For someone who also needs tables, formulas and charts, a structured beginner course may be a better fit.

Write the learning objective before opening a catalogue. For this example: “Given a new practice file and the reference sheet, create the correct category totals without a trainer’s prompt, then identify one check that would expose an incorrect result.” This is a proposed objective for this task, not a universal pass standard.

Inspect the actual lesson outline and exercise, prerequisites, available feedback and required software. An “advanced” or “beginner” label alone is too broad. Check the full access charge, cancellation terms and whether your institution or employer already provides the resource.

Our online course-choice checklist helps compare the learning format once the need is defined. Choose the smallest suitable commitment and expand only if the next task requires it.

5. Prioritise a small, realistic learning plan

I would prioritise a gap that blocks frequent necessary work over a feature someone might use someday. Consider the consequence of getting the task wrong, how often it occurs and whether the learner can practise soon. A costly or safety-critical error needs the responsible specialist’s standard, not an improvised score.

Record one action owner, the resource or support needed and a review point. Include practice time as well as lesson time. If a person can watch a tutorial but has no access to the application, the plan is not ready.

For several learners, keep the shared task standard consistent while tailoring the practice. Avoid publishing named skills rankings in a general team document. Store individual evidence only where it is needed and access is appropriate.

6. Check learning and use at work separately

The CDC training-evaluation guidance distinguishes meeting a learning objective from applying the learning back at work. Plan for both where possible: a fresh practice task can check the first, while a later relevant work sample can help check the second.

In the spreadsheet example, an immediate correct answer using a new file is more informative than repeating the demonstrated answer. At follow-up, record what help was available and whether the real task differed. Do not report a practice score as proof of improved workplace performance.

If performance improves after training, consider other changes too, such as repaired access or clearer instructions. A simple before-and-after comparison does not isolate the cause. If the problem remains, revisit the original explanation before buying a larger course.

For a team review of what happened after the activity, use the after-action review template. The needs analysis chooses the response; the review examines the experience and decides the next adjustment.

Common questions

Can I use this for myself? Yes. Choose one work or study task, compare your present output with a clear example and arrange a way to check your next attempt. Another person can be useful when you cannot judge the output accurately.

Do I need a survey or specialist software? Not for every small task. An approved document, a representative sample and a useful conversation may give you enough to choose a first step. A larger programme may need a more systematic assessment and specialist input.

How often should I review the analysis? Revisit it when the task, software, role or expected standard changes, or when follow-up evidence shows the response did not address the gap. Set the next check around a real opportunity to apply the skill.

Does a preferred format determine how someone should be taught? Ask about accessibility, language, scheduling and practical preferences, but do not assign a fixed learning-style label or assume matching teaching to it will improve learning.