Training Management Plan and Instructional Design

The Training Management Plan (TMP) or as it is sometimes called, Course Management Plan, is created and implemented by ensuring the courseware, class setting, and staff are ready. The learners must be scheduled and notified. Any prereading material must be sent to them ahead of time. The training staff may require training (Train-The-Trainer) to perform their roles in the learning process by giving them time to prepare and rehearse their instruction:

Instructor Preparation Estimation Chart (Laird, 1985)

Course is five days or less - 3 hours of preparation for each hour of training
Course is between five and ten days - 2.5 hours of preparation for each hour of training
Course is over 10 days - 2 hours of preparation for each hour of training

The TMP informs the trainers of all factors related to a particular training process. New trainers who study the TMP should be able to deliver the instruction with little or no difficulties. The TMP should contain the following sections (U.S. Army Field Artillery School, 1984):

A clear, complete description of the course
A description of the target population
Directions for administering the course
Directions for administering and scoring tests
Directions for guidance, assistance and evaluations of students
Task List
Task Analysis Information Sheets
Course map or course sequence
POI (Program of Instruction), e.g. lesson plans and learner guides
Any other documents directly related to the administration of the course
Instructor/staff's training requirements (needed and accomplished)

The TMP should inform the instructors of all the factors that will have an impact on the manner in which they carry out the instructional function. It is the documentation that shows the designers, developers, and trainers' plan for actually delivering the course to the learners.

The steps for the implementation or delivery of the learning platform consists of:

The gathering of the TMP documents and the creation of needed ones
Train-the-Trainers
Prepare the training environment
Conduct the training
Document any deviations of the TMP

Note that step one and step five interlock with the other phases. That is, there is no real dividing line between the various phases of ISD — the building of the training documents in the developing phase fades into the gathering of the CMP documents in the implementation phase; and the documentation of training deviations fades into the evaluation phase.

References

Laird, Dugan (1985). Approaches To Training And Development (2nd ed.). Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley, (Chart is based on U.S. Civil Service estimate).

U.S. Army Field Artillery School (1984). A System Approach To Training (Course Student textbook). ST - 5K061FD92.

Next Steps

Go to the next section: Deliver the training

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