TAP®: L&D Consultancy (APMG)

Learning requests often begin with a proposed solution, such as a course, workshop or eLearning programme. However, the requested intervention may not address the underlying performance challenge. Effective learning and development (L&D) consultants investigate the need, validate the evidence and identify the outcomes the organisation wants to achieve before recommending a solution.

TAP® L&D Consulting Skills develops the practical consulting skills needed to work effectively with sponsors, investigate business needs and recommend solutions aligned with organisational goals. You will explore the TAP® L&D Consulting process, practise questioning and active listening techniques, analyse evidence, establish measurable business benefits and learn how to present recommendations that gain stakeholder support.

Using a realistic business scenario, you will apply the consulting process to create and propose a solution to a validated learning need. You will also identify workplace actions and prepare to demonstrate how you have applied your learning through the TAP® Award process.

Prerequisites

The supplied course information does not specify mandatory prerequisites or previous qualifications. The course is designed for professionals who work with stakeholders, sponsors or organisational capability needs and want to strengthen their consulting approach.

Experience in learning and development, learning design, training or business partnering may help you relate the practical activities to your role.

Target audience

This course is suitable for:

• Trainers who want to move into L&D consultancy or a learning business partner role
• Learning designers who want to extend their influence beyond solution design
• Learning and development professionals who work with stakeholders and sponsors
• Business partners responsible for identifying and addressing capability needs
• Existing L&D consultants who want to strengthen their consulting skills

Day 1: Investigating the need

Explore the role of the L&D consultant and develop the skills required to investigate a sponsor's request before deciding on a solution.

Introduction to L&D consulting

• Understanding the role of the L&D consultant
• Recognising the difference between consulting and acting as an order-taker
• Taking a sponsor-centred approach
• Understanding performance improvement needs
• Applying the TAP® L&D Consulting process

Core consulting skills

• Building rapport and trust with sponsors
• Applying questioning techniques and active listening
• Exploring Transactional Analysis
• Developing assertiveness
• Building effective consulting behaviours and mindsets

Obtaining the sponsor's brief

• Understanding the sponsor's role and requirements
• Planning effective consulting meetings
• Applying the three-step interview process
• Using past, present and future questioning
• Creating purposeful interview questions to clarify the brief

Validating the need

• Understanding why learning needs must be validated
• Distinguishing learning needs from wider performance issues
• Working with primary and secondary data
• Exploring qualitative and quantitative evidence
• Selecting appropriate data collection techniques
• Applying thematic analysis and root cause analysis
• Using performance analysis approaches to investigate challenges

Case study practical

Apply the consulting process to a realistic business scenario. Analyse the available information, review the sponsor's input, investigate evidence and begin validating the learning need.

Day 2: Creating and proposing solutions

Use the findings from the investigation to formulate a suitable solution, demonstrate its business value and develop the skills needed to gain stakeholder support.

Establishing the business benefit

• Aligning learning recommendations with organisational goals
• Exploring business benefits and Return on Expectation (RoE)
• Writing measurable business benefits
• Identifying the behaviour changes required
• Using success measures to define intended outcomes

Formulating a solution

• Generating and comparing potential solutions
• Selecting appropriate learning methods and delivery media
• Considering non-learning interventions where appropriate
• Comparing solution approaches against the validated need
• Creating a draft solution
• Aligning recommendations with sponsor requirements

Winning support

• Building stakeholder buy-in
• Presenting recommendations clearly and persuasively
• Using Feature, Advantage and Benefit statements
• Linking proposed solutions to sponsor needs
• Handling objections constructively
• Influencing decision-making through relevant evidence and benefits

Evaluation and project debrief

• Exploring the Kirkpatrick Model
• Measuring business impact and evaluating learning solutions
• Comparing process-based and results-based evaluation
• Planning and conducting sponsor debriefs
• Demonstrating project value through evaluation findings

Award preparation

• Reviewing the TAP® Award requirements
• Identifying actions to implement learning in the workplace
• Gathering evidence of implementation and stakeholder feedback
• Preparing the TAP® Award submission

Exams and assessments

Assessment focuses on applying the TAP® L&D Consulting process to a realistic business scenario and demonstrating its use in the workplace.

During the course, you will work through a consulting case study and identify actions to apply in your own role. To complete the Award application, you will need to demonstrate how you have put your learning into practice.

Within two months of attending the course, you must submit evidence of implementation and stakeholder feedback as part of the TAP® Award application. Successful learners will be eligible to achieve the TAP® L&D Consulting Skills Award.

The supplied information does not specify a formal examination or detailed assessment pass criteria.

Hands-on learning

Practical activities run throughout the two-day programme. You will work with a realistic business scenario to investigate a sponsor's brief, examine available evidence, validate a learning need and formulate a proposed solution.

You will also practise consulting conversations, develop measurable business benefits, prepare recommendations and explore how to evaluate outcomes. The Award process extends this learning into the workplace, requiring you to identify implementation actions and gather supporting evidence and stakeholder feedback.

By the end of the course, you will be able to:

• Explain the role of the L&D consultant and apply the TAP® L&D Consulting process
• Build rapport and trust with sponsors using effective questioning, active listening and other consulting skills
• Plan and conduct sponsor meetings to clarify briefs, expectations and business needs
• Validate learning needs using qualitative and quantitative evidence from multiple sources
• Analyse performance challenges, investigate root causes and distinguish learning needs from wider performance issues
• Establish measurable business benefits and define outcomes linked to organisational goals
• Formulate appropriate solutions by comparing learning methods, delivery media and non-learning interventions
• Present recommendations, demonstrate benefits, respond to objections and gain stakeholder support
• Evaluate learning solutions, assess business impact and conduct meaningful project debriefs with sponsors