Even the smallest training departments do some sort of post-training evaluation, and maybe even an occasional ROI analysis. But many departments lack a systematic approach to analysis and a regular means of communicating the results to senior management. In today’s competitive environment with each business function vying for its share of the budget, that can be a mistake.

A training annual report can answer both needs. First, it forces training managers to develop a systematic analysis approach, so that they can clearly demonstrate their results. Second, it provides a vehicle for communicating those results to senior management.

Training professionals know that their budgets are often the first to suffer when business takes a downturn. Consistently reporting data on training’s positive effect on business goals can help break that pattern and put training managers in a stronger position to negotiate and defend their budgets,