Early Bird pricing has been extended. Use code “EB2026” to save up to $900 by 1/9

Preconference Learning

Needs Assessment Certificate

Course Info

Racing to create course materials and rolling out training initiatives without an upfront analysis of what drives the training need or what organizational resources or constraints may exist is shortsighted. Needs assessment is an essential task in identifying, deciding upon, and developing successful training programs and other talent development solutions. A training needs assessment uncovers the cause of job performance gaps, and the results provide a roadmap for the talent development professional to create targeted training programs and learning solutions that achieve desired outcomes at both the individual and organizational levels.

In this practical course, learn a systematic approach for moving through a comprehensive needs assessment process so that you may confidently address employee training program requests—and be prepared to ask deeper questions and offer alternative paths when developing training programs is not the right answer. The program covers everything you need to conduct a thorough needs assessment, including what data to collect, how to collect it, how to gain acceptance for the findings, what to do in the face of stakeholder resistance, and how to effectively transition from the needs assessment stage to project initiation and implementation.

Research-Backed Content: This certificate on training needs assessment is based on the Instructional Design Capability of the Talent Development Capability Model™. The concepts covered are reflected in the TDBok™ Guide, Talent Development Body of Knowledge, second edition, the definitive resource for the talent development profession.

Why Should I Attend?

Dates & Times

May 15, 2026 – May 16, 2026, 08:30 AM – 04:30 PM, Pacific Time

Preconference Learning Price

ATD Member: $2,125
Non Member: $2,425

ABOUT THE FACILITATOR

Donald Ford

Donald J. Ford, Ph.D. is a training and performance improvement consultant specializing in instructional design, human resources and quality improvement. As President of Training Education Management LLC since 1997, he has consulted with clients like: ATD, ANSI, Amgen, Toyota, Nissan, Rockwell International, Samsung Electronics, Orange County Transportation Authority, Southern California Edison, Employers Group, Saudi ARAMCO, CompuCom, Central Bank of Egypt and Malaysian Institute of Training and Development. For these and other clients, he has developed custom classroom, structured on the job and web-based training on a wide variety of technical topics, conducted performance and needs analyses, facilitated groups, managed quality improvement projects, taught train the trainer, HR and leadership courses and evaluated results.

Prior to 1997, he held training management positions at Southern California Gas Company, Magnavox, Allied-Signal and Texas Instruments. Dr. Ford holds a B.A. and M.A. in history and a Ph.D. in education, all from UCLA. He also teaches graduate courses in Human Resource Development for Antioch University, Los Angeles. He has published 35 articles and four books on topics in training, education and management, including: Bottom-Line Training: Performance-based Results (2005). Dr. Ford has presented at the ASTD International Convention, ASTD Quality Symposia, ASTD L.A. Train the Trainer and Annual Conference, Academy of Management, International Society for Performance Improvement International Conference, International Quality and Productivity Conference, American Educational Research Association, Asian Regional Training and Development Organization and UCLA Industrial Relations Conference. He has worked extensively overseas in Asia, Middle East and Latin America.