One constant challenge for learning professionals is being able to demonstrate the return on investment of their training programs.  A number of methodologies have been proposed to address this problem. Six Sigma, The Impact Measurement Framework, and ADDIE are but a few.  All of these solutions typically begin with some type of needs analysis and conclude with some kind of reporting mechanism.  The needs analysis portion of these methodologies are often supported by tools, templates and/or checklists that are intended to help ensure that all of the right questions are asked.  The challenge with these templates, tools and checklists is that too often they are written in trainer or HR speak and do not provide enough assistance in helping the interviewer to decode the real business problems that need to be addressed.  Failure to diagnose the real business problem results in a failure to prescribe the appropriate learning prescription.  Failure to apply the appropriate learning prescription results in a loss of credibility for the learning organization, wasted time and money, and an elongated period of time that the business problem continues to exist.

One tool that has proven very successful at decoding business problems and aligning the appropriate learning solutions is the Issues, Impact, Recommendations, Rational (IIRR) template that was developed at the Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation (DTCC).  The IIRR is a simple four column template that can be produced in a word processing template or a spreadsheet.  The columns are titled as the template name implies.  The title of the first column is issues.  The second column title is impact and so on.  The template is used as follows: Rather than asking the business customer what type of training they think they need, the interviewer asks the customer “What business issues are you facing?” The response is then noted in the row titled “Issues.” If the customer replies “My team needs training on…” the interviewer simply replies “I’ve noted that what is happening that makes you think that your team needs to be trained on…..?” The interviewer then notes the symptoms that the customer expresses.  He or she then asks “What else is happening that makes you think that you need training?” This line of questioning is continued until the issues or symptoms that the customer is facing have been exhausted.  The interviewer then recaps all of the issues that the customer has stated to make sure that 1) they correctly describe the problem that the business is facing and 2) all of the issues have been addressed.

At this point in the process the interviewer turns the attention to the first issue that the customer described and asks the question “What impact does this problem have on your business or your ability to deliver?” The answer to that question is then listed in the column titled “Impact” aligned next to the corresponding issue.  The questioning continues until there is a corresponding impact next to every issue.  The conversation concludes with the interviewer recapping the findings and validating that all of the issues and their impacts have been uncovered and that they accurately reflect what is occurring in the business.

The analyst is then responsible for taking the findings and sharing them with the learning team or instructional designer.  This team is responsible for recommending a solution for each of the issues that have been expressed by the customer along with the rationale of how the solution will make the “impact” disappear.  The recommendations and rationale are aligned in the template next to their corresponding issues and impacts. If the issues cannot be addressed with a learning solution it is noted in the recommendation next to the corresponding issue.  The rationale for why training cannot solve the problem would be spelled out in the corresponding rational column.

A typical IIRR might read as follows:

Once the IIRR is completed, a second interview is scheduled with the business partner.  At this meeting the recommendations that the team has come up with and their rationale are discussed.  The fact that the recommendations and rationale are aligned with and specifically address the issues that were articulated by the customer makes it easy to align the business impact of training.  If the problems go away the training has been successful.  If the problems do not disappear, the training has failed.  It also provides a framework for discussion when a customer requests a training solution that will in no way address the problem that the customer articulated.  Experience has shown that simply asking the customer to explain how they think their proposed recommendation will address the business issue that they have articulated is successful at redirecting the conversation away from “Give me this type of training” to “How do we solve this business problem?”