Training Needs Analysis Template
A TNA workbook that works the org, task and person levels, sizes each need and turns it into a plan. Fund the training that fixes a real gap, not the training somebody happened to ask for.
- Three levels of analysis in one workbook: organisation, task and person
- Each need sized and prioritised, so you fund the ones that matter
- A split between what training can fix and what it cannot
- A clean output: a short list of validated needs ready to become a plan
What is inside
-
A workbook that works the three levels of analysis in order
organisation, task and person, so a need is traced from a business goal down to the individual.
- A sizing step that scores each need on business impact and how many people it affects, so priorities are clear and defensible.
- A training versus non-training split that rules out gaps caused by process, tools or incentives, which training cannot fix.
-
A clean output
a short list of validated, evidence-backed needs, ready to hand to a training plan.
Who it is for
Anyone who has to decide what training is worth commissioning, and prove it was.
- L&D and training teams
- HR business partners
- Heads of function and department
- People managers and team leads
- Learning consultants
- Operations and delivery leads
- Talent and capability teams
- COOs and HR directors
The three levels of analysis
A sound TNA works from the top down. Each level asks a different question, and each one narrows what the level below is looking for. Skip a level and you end up training people on the wrong thing, well.
| Level | The question it answers | Inputs | Output |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Organisation | Which business goals need new capability? | Strategy, KPIs, incidents, change plans. | The capability areas that matter. |
| 2. Task | What must the role actually be able to do? | Role profiles, standards, observation. | A defined bar of good performance. |
| 3. Person | Who is short of that bar, and by how much? | Assessments, manager input, self-rating. | The individuals and the size of each gap. |
| Filter | Is this really a training problem? | Process, tools, clarity, incentives review. | Only the gaps training can close. |
| Output | Which needs are worth funding first? | Impact and reach scoring. | A prioritised, validated needs list. |
When the validated needs become learning in an LMS, you can watch whether the person-level gap actually closes, completion, assessment scores and on-the-job signals, so the analysis is proven right or corrected, not just filed.
The TNA process checklist
Ten checks that keep a needs analysis rigorous instead of a rubber stamp on a training request. Tick items as you work through yours, it stays in this browser. The download has the same list with an owner column.
- Each need traced to a business goal or riskOrganisationEvery need
- Capability areas agreed with leadershipOrganisationWhole TNA
- A bar of good performance defined per roleTaskEach role
- Standards written as observable behavioursTaskEach role
- Current performance assessed against the barPersonEach group
- Managers and the affected people consultedPersonEach group
- Non-training causes explicitly ruled outFilterEvery need
- Each need sized on impact and reachOutputEvery need
- Needs prioritised into a short listOutputWhole TNA
- Findings signed off before a plan is builtGovernanceWhole TNA
The most common failure is skipping the filter. A gap caused by a broken process or unclear ownership will not close with training, and the failed course gets blamed for a problem it was never able to fix.
Needs by team and level
The levels find the needs. This matrix shows where they cluster. Score each team on the capability areas the analysis surfaced, so you see which team and which area to prioritise. In Excel the readiness and gaps calculate as you type.
| Team | People | Product depth | Systems | Compliance | Service | Data / reporting | Ready |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Support | 90 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 100% |
| Sales | 120 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 80% |
| Operations | 160 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 60% |
| New hires | 40 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 30% |
| Field team | 110 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% |
| Coverage at required | 40% | 40% | 40% | 40% | 20% | 54% |
The field team is the exposure here: a need across every capability area, which usually means it was never given a structured onboarding path. That is the highest-priority need to size and fund first.
The TNA timeline
| Timing | Action | Owner |
|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Agree the business goals and capability areas with leadership. | L&D and heads of function |
| Week 2 | Define the bar of good performance for each affected role. | Managers and L&D |
| Week 3 to 4 | Assess current performance and consult the affected people. | Managers |
| Week 4 | Rule out non-training causes for each candidate need. | L&D and Ops |
| Week 5 | Size and prioritise the needs, then sign off the findings. | L&D and sponsors |
| After sign-off | Hand the validated needs list to the training plan. | L&D |
How to use it
- Start at the organisation level
Ask which business goals need new capability. If a gap does not trace to a goal, it is not a priority.
- Analyse the task
For each affected role, define what good performance actually looks like, in observable terms.
- Assess the person
Compare current performance against that bar to find who is short, and by how much.
- Rule out non-training causes
Check whether the gap is really about skill, or about process, tools, clarity or incentives. Training cannot fix those.
- Size and prioritise each need
Score each genuine need on impact and reach, so the biggest, most business-critical gaps come first.
- Hand off a validated needs list
Output a short list of evidence-backed needs, ready to become a training plan and a curriculum.
Disprz customers see up to 8X training ROI, the return you get when the learning you commission is aimed at needs a rigorous analysis has already validated, not at a request nobody checked.
Common mistakes this template prevents
- Commissioning training because someone asked, without checking it is the real problem.
- Jumping straight to the person level, so training is aimed at the wrong capability.
- Treating every gap as a training gap, when some are about process, tools or incentives.
- Needs with no sizing, so the loudest request wins instead of the highest-impact one.
- An analysis that never gets signed off, so the plan is built on unvalidated assumptions.
Which format should you use?
| Format | Best for | What is inside | Editable | Size |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sharing and print | The full template, formatted to print or circulate | No | 54 KB | |
| Word | Editing the wording | Every section as editable text you can adapt | Yes | 86 KB |
| Excel | Filling it in live | The grid and scoring set up as a working spreadsheet | Yes | 65 KB |
Questions people ask
What is a training needs analysis?
What are the three levels of a TNA?
Is this a course or a template?
Does the Excel version work in Google Sheets?
Do I have to fill the form three times?
A needs analysis says what to build. Building it so people finish is the part we run.
Bring your validated needs to a 30-minute working session. We will show how Disprz turns each need into short mobile learning aimed at the exact people who are short, and tracks whether the gap actually closes, so the analysis pays off instead of sitting in a deck.