The Benefits of Training Administration

There is a direct correlation between the training administrative process and the learner’s overall experience. The way learning is implemented, the consistency of the administration process, the impressions created during rollout, the communication clarity and efficiency all contribute to the ability and willingness of participants to learn. The learner’s experience is directly related to learning impact.

Having supported small and large organizations in this area for many years, we see that the behind-the-scenes aspects of providing successful trainings are often underestimated and the value of efficient administration and logistical support is ranked last in line when prioritizing the learning experience. Yet, this process is often the first to ‘touch’ the participant and when not done well, it sets a negative tone for the entire experience.

The administrative process is not always seen as part of the learning experience. We can change that—for the learner and the organization.

Checklist for What Should Be Handled Well:

The most effective training administration process will take into account a variety of aspects of the learning process. A few that should be handled well are:

• Planning of annual open-enrollment training schedules, avoiding holidays by region and balancing demand with availability of location-appropriate facilitators.
• LMS data management including set up of learning events, entry of assignments and more.
• Logistical support for venue management and quality control.
• Registration management that ensures appropriate lead time for participant planning and avoids cancellation and reschedule fees.
• Faculty management including scheduling and expense management.
• Program communication that includes participant and faculty Help Desk support—in multiple languages, if needed.
• Content and materials management, including translation project oversight and document handling so as to avoid file duplication or version control issues.
• Assessment administration and support including setting up and distributing logins and managing completion.
• Rollout planning for newly designed or executive level programs that require special consideration.
• Evaluation and metrics management to improve response rates by participants and others.

Working with Learning Administration Providers:

Sometimes, the best solution to managing training administration well is to outsource the process. We have worked with clients on single-administration projects as well as global ongoing administration for entire curriculas with 400+ calendar offerings a year. In some situations, due to reduced internal resources for implementation, clients will embed logistical support into their instructional design projects or as part of the investment for facilitation services.

Having transitioned organizations to outsourced providers, worked with clients as they move to new learning administration vendors and been on the receiving end of services as a facilitation provider, we see some things that are important in working with any learning administration provider. The best providers will:

• Create action-oriented processes and procedures that are client-specific to drive local or regional consistency.
• Provide guidance to the instructional design process so that clients can reduce implementation costs.
• Share feedback with clients on glitches in administration processes AND include potential solutions to help for future implementations.
• Pride themselves on open communication and check-ins to keep clients updated.

These things help to elevate the learner experience, while ensuring a good return on investment for training administration services.