L&D Program: "Culture on Course"
137% of the target KPI.
The challenge
The client wanted to launch a large scale learning and development program but lacked the people, expertise, and operational system to make it happen.
At the same time, the sector itself had little trust in professional development. Training was often perceived as little more than mandatory hours to complete rather than an opportunity for meaningful growth. There was a real risk that, despite a substantial budget, the initiative would become a formal exercise with little impact on knowledge or professional practice.
My approach
Instead of delivering a wish list of requested courses, I conducted a skill gap analysis involving more than 85 employees. This allowed me to identify the most critical capability gaps and define three core competency pillars that became the foundation of the learning strategy.
- Discovery and skill gap analysis: Instead of delivering a wish list of requested courses, I conducted a skill gap analysis involving more than 85 employees. This allowed me to identify the most critical capability gaps and define three core competency pillars that became the foundation of the learning strategy.
- Designing a no-code learning infrastructure: Existing processes were rigid and fragmented, so I designed and built a self-service course catalog with an integrated booking system using WordPress and Elementor. I also created the communication strategy that guided participants seamlessly through the entire learning journey.
- Delivery and continuous optimization: I led the end-to-end delivery of 68 learning activities and coordinated collaboration with more than 50 experts. Ongoing analytics enabled me to release and reallocate 25% of the project budget. I invested these resources in introducing AI into everyday practice. Through workplace shadowing and interviews, I mapped critical workflow bottlenecks and worked with experts to redesign them. The resulting improvements were immediately translated into new learning activities.
Key takeaways
Aligning learning strategy with organizational priorities: I designed the learning portfolio around a competency framework and strategically prioritized courses that addressed both organizational needs and the approval criteria of managers. At the same time, I wanted to challenge the perception of learning as a low value administrative requirement. By partnering with high quality providers, I created a premium learning portfolio that addressed previously unmet needs and transformed mandatory training into a sought after development opportunity.
Removing barriers to participation: Even the best learning portfolio would have failed without frictionless delivery. The custom self-service catalog replaced fragmented industry practices, removed participation barriers, and created a seamless entry point into the program.
Risk management as a driver of flexibility: While preparing the funding proposal, I intentionally allocated resources conservatively to well justified topics while strategically planning for approximately 25% unused capacity. This built in flexibility allowed me to respond quickly to emerging needs and rapid technological change, most notably the unexpectedly high demand for newly introduced AI courses.
Reflection
This project taught me that even the best learning design cannot succeed without reliable operations and supporting infrastructure. I realized that becoming the architect of your own solutions is sometimes the only viable path.
My biggest takeaway, however, was the value of combining disciplines. Integrating project management, including budget and risk management, with UX research methods such as workplace shadowing enabled me not only to deliver the project successfully but to fundamentally change how people worked in their day to day practice.