Making the Learning and Development Business Case

Course Overview

Presenting costed business proposals to senior managers for funding and other resources is now a crucial capability for todays L&D professionals.

However, presenting costs and budgets is only part of a successful business proposal. To fully make the business case for L&D requires the ability to sell proposals, produce a rationale for the use of proposed resources and demonstrate both tangible and intangible returns on the required investment and resources.

These resources will include some, if not all, of the fixed costs of the function, such as the cost of internal and external learning and development practitioners, learning resources, equipment, facilities and venues. And some learning and development solutions will also incur variable costs such as opportunity costs and additional learning and development expertise.

This course provides the knowledge and skills required to establish a robust L&D business case and maximise the resources available to L&D within your organisation.

Audience

L&D practitioners who are regularly required to present proposals internally to senior managers to gain funding and commitment for learning and development solutions. External L&D consultants and outsourced providers of learning and development who wish to build on their skills and knowledge in presenting business proposals to potential and existing clients.Introductory level course - geared towards those who need an introduction to the subject and assumes limited or no previous experience.

Skills Gained

By the end of the course, you will be able to:

• differentiate between a cost, profit or outsourced centre
• assess the right financial basis for your own organisation
• establish and manage a budget
• conduct a cost benefit analysis
• assess relevant external sources of funding appropriate to your organisation
• present a proposal on the business case for L&D solutions in your own organisation.

Course Outline

Cost, profit or outsourced basis?

• differentiating between cost centres, profit centres and outsourced provision
• which is the right financial basis for your organisations needs?

Establishing and managing a budget

• traditional versus alternative methods of budgeting zero-based project-based incremental budgeting
• how to conduct a cost benefit analysis
• the range of external sources for L&D funding and how to access appropriate funding for your organisation needs.

Costing learning and development solutions

• fixed and variable costs
• market rates for external providers
• the opportunity costs of those involved
• break even analysis
• conducting a cost benefit analysis.

Presenting your business case

• what is a proposal?
• writing a business case
• how to demonstrate the financial and non financial justification and rationale for your business proposal using a range of techniques such as: payback, payforward, added value, cost reduction, cost avoidance, return on Investment
• what makes for a winning proposal?

Practical skills development

• presenting a proposal
• demonstrating your skills in communication, persuasion and influencing skills
• demonstrating your business understanding
• applying key learning skills to assess your own development self-assessment, reflective thinking giving and receiving peer feedback constructing development plans personal development records developing learning plans.

Making the Learning and Development Business Case / CM025276