Individual needs must be prioritised against the strategic priorities. Individual needs that fit under the strategic priorities should be given high priority.
After prioritising against strategic priorities, line managers should allocate resources for staff development needs in a fair and consistent way. The table opposite gives some questions that can help a manager to prioritise development needs in their team. ‘Principal questions’ refer to areas that should be the highest priority for any organisation. The ‘Return on investment’ questions help managers to use judgement and balance the costs and benefits of particular options. The ‘Resources’ questions raise issues of funding.
It is important to set aside a reasonable amount of money for staff development such as three percent of staff costs. Even when this happens, there will often be learning opportunities that the organisation cannot afford to support. Staff time is also limited. Due to these constraints, prioritisation of needs is an essential process.