Training Plan Template

Introduction

This section should include a general description of the training plan and an overview of what the plan will include. There is not much need for detailed information in this section as the details will be included in subsequent sections throughout the document. This template section may include the purpose of the training and goals the training was designed to accomplish.

This training plan, developed by Ace Consulting, is designed to outline the objectives, requirements, strategy, and methodology to be used when providing Ace Agile Training. The purpose of this training is to train Ace Consulting Staff on various commonly used Agile Project Management methodologies and tools. This training will enable Ace Consulting Staff to work more closely with their clients to introduce Agile methodologies into their current project management practices.

Points of Contact

This section from our template should provide the points of contact, training, development, coordination, and facilitation. The points of contact may also include department or section managers and training schedulers as appropriate. Points of contact are necessary as a quick reference for the correct personnel to contacts regarding questions about training, scheduling, or requirements.

The points of contact for Ace Agile Training, as well as section training schedulers, are listed in the table below. For any questions concerning training development, coordination, or facilitation, please contact the appropriate point of contact below.

Needs and Skills Analysis

This section from the template should describe various aspects of the training to include the following: organizational needs, training development approach, target audience, learning objectives, and skills required to meet learning objectives. This section is important in establishing the foundation of the overall training plan. It provides a description of what the organization’s needs are, how the training was developed, and the skills and learning objectives required to meet these needs.

Ace Consulting has identified the need for its consulting group to gain a better understanding and more familiarity of Agile Project Management methods and framework. As our clients have expressed a desire to move into managing projects through Agile methodologies, Ace Consulting’s employees must be better positioned to help their customers achieve this approach. Ace Consulting’s training department has worked to develop an Agile Training Program to address this need. To do this, Ace Consulting’s training group has attended various Agile train-the-trainer courses, purchased the latest Agile training materials, and has used these tools to develop a robust program to train Ace’s Consulting Group employees. The target audience for this training is Ace’s cadre of field consultants who are in direct billable support to their clients. These employees serve as the front line of the force to enable their clients to consider and implement Agile methodologies into their project management structure. The skills required to participate in this training are in accordance with Ace Consulting’s Management Consulting Guide. This guide documents the skills required of all Ace field consultants.

The learning objectives for this training are:

• Sound understanding of several commonly used Agile methodologies
• Ability to communicate Agile methodologies to clients
• Ability to help clients implement Agile tools (scrum, Kanban)

Requirements Traceability

It is important that any training provided within an organization adds value and benefits the organization by supporting its strategic goals and objectives. This section should describe how the training requirements apply to the learning objectives and how the learning objectives tie into supporting the organizational strategy.

Ace Consulting’s Agile Training Program is necessary to provide Ace’s Consulting Branch with the tools needed to introduce and implement Agile methodology across its client base. Ace’s executive leadership has determined that Agile Project Management is a key factor in the company’s ability to grow and provide value to its customers. The Agile Training Program will train Ace’s consultants in commonly used Agile methodologies. It will also provide scenario-driven practical exercises to teach consultants to communicate these methodologies to clients. Finally, the training will provide consultants with the necessary knowledge to introduce and implement Agile tools among its client base. These learning objectives directly support Ace Consulting’s corporate strategy of moving into different project management fields and providing more options and value to its clients.

Training Methodology

This section of the training plan should be used to describe the methods that will be used to conduct the training. The training methodology should complement and reinforce the needs, skills, and learning objectives already outlined. Along with the training methods, descriptions of the various training media should be provided in this section to include text or course books, audio-visual tools and aids, or other reference materials.

In order to accomplish the learning objectives of the Ace Consulting Agile Training Program, a thorough training methodology was developed for the appropriate target audience and skill sets. Training will consist of a 3-day block of instruction and will include various training materials and scenarios. At the conclusion of the training a test will be administered to ensure mastery of the Agile concepts and learning objectives. Training materials will include a 65-slide PowerPoint presentation, handouts on the various Agile tools, five scenarios designed to allow students to apply various Agile concepts, and a final test to be taken by all students. The instructor will teach the Agile framework and concepts from the slide presentation. At various intervals during training, the instructor will present scenarios to the students who will break into groups to complete and brief their scenario solutions. There will be ample opportunity built into the class for questions and answers as well. Supplemental handouts will be provided to all students which cover the tools used in Agile Project Management. These handouts will be discussed in training and students will be expected to study and master the concepts included in the handouts prior to the course end exam. The exam will be administered at the end of the final day of training. The exam will consist of 30 questions. To pass a student must answer at least 24 questions correctly. A passing grade will earn certification for the student.

Training Environment

This section training plan should describe where the training will take place. This description may include the seating capacity, audiovisual equipment available, tasks and responsibilities for reserving the room/area where training will be held, and any associated student requirements. This section should also include a list of any constraints and limitations for the training environment.

Training will be conducted in the Ace Consulting Executive Conference Room (ECR). The ECR has a seating capacity of 15 students. The ECR is fully equipped with a desktop workstation with connectivity to an overhead projector. The ECR also has several white boards and flip charts which are necessary for the various visual aids required for this training event. The ECR is also equipped with teleconference and video teleconference capabilities should the need arise. No food or drinks are allowed in the ECR so ample breaks will be provided to the students throughout the training as well as adequate lunch breaks on each training day. While there are local area network (LAN) connections available in the ECR, students will not be allowed to bring their laptop computers as this will be disruptive to training. Students are also discouraged from answering emails and phone calls on their blackberries or other mobile devices while training is being conducted. Students will have adequate time during breaks to check emails and make phone calls throughout the three days of training.

Training References

Most training includes various reference materials for students to receive and learn. This section should list and describe these reference materials as well as provide any form or document numbers, version numbers, formats, and location where the documents are stored and available to the students.

There are several references which will be used throughout the three days of Agile training. All of these materials will be provided to the students on the first day of training; however, these materials will also be available should students lose or misplace any of the items. The table below provides a list of reference materials, the document and version numbers, formats, and location where the materials will be available.

Testing and Evaluation

Many training events have some method of testing or evaluating student performance and the students’ ability to grasp the various concepts. This section should describe in detail the testing and/or evaluation requirements expected of all students being trained. This may include required scores and grades, subject matter being tested on, or other evaluation methods and criteria.

At the conclusion of the three day Agile Training Program, all students will be given a thirty (30) question test to demonstrate their ability to master various Agile concepts. All students must achieve a raw score of at least twenty-four (24) correct answers. The test will consist of questions pertaining to the following:

• General Agile Concepts and Theory
• Knowledge of Kanban Board Theory and Practice
• Knowledge of Scrum Theory and Practice
• Knowledge of Extreme Programming Theory and Practice
• Implementing Agile Methodology

Upon achieving a passing test result, students will receive certification as an Ace Consulting Agile Project Management Practitioner. If a student fails to achieve a passing result, no certification will be awarded and the student will have the opportunity to take the training again with a subsequent re-test at their manager’s discretion.

Training Schedule

All training events should have a formal schedule established. This provides students, facilitators, and management with awareness of the course of instruction. The schedule should be formally planned and include all blocks of instruction as well as planned breaks. The section from this template should provide a detailed layout of the training schedule.

Ace Consulting’s Agile Training Program will span three (3) days in accordance with the following training schedule:

Day 1:

Day 2:

Day 3: