Team building and development - Ensuring team members are adequately trained

Learning Outcomes

After reading this article, you will be able to explain how a project manager ensures team members are adequately trained by identifying skill gaps, selecting appropriate training options, planning and allocating resources for training, and verifying improved capability. You will be able to apply these principles in both plan-driven and adaptive environments, supporting team accountability and efficient project delivery for PMP-style scenarios.

PMP Syllabus

For PMP, you are required to understand how to ensure team members and stakeholders are adequately trained to perform their project roles. Focus your revision on:

• Determining required competencies and assessing training needs for the team.
• Selecting appropriate training options based on project approach, requirements, and context.
• Allocating project resources—time, budget, facilities—for effective training.
• Integrating training activities into the project plan without disrupting critical work.
• Supporting continuous learning and removing skill gaps for team accountability.
• Measuring and verifying training outcomes relative to project objectives.
• Adjusting training practices for predictive, agile, and hybrid project methods.

Test Your Knowledge

Attempt these questions before reading this article. If you find some difficult or cannot remember the answers, remember to look more closely at that area during your revision.

1. What is the first action a project manager should take to ensure team members are adequately trained?
   1. Allocate the training budget
   2. Assess team training needs based on project requirements
   3. Deliver online courses
   4. Conduct a performance review
2. In an adaptive (agile) environment, which statement best describes the approach to team training?
   1. One-off formal training at project start
   2. Training is provided on-demand and incrementally
   3. External consultants always deliver the training
   4. All team members are pre-certified before work begins
3. Which of the following best measures the success of team training activities?
   1. The number of training hours logged
   2. Completion rate of online modules
   3. Demonstrated improvement in job performance
   4. The cost of training per team member

Introduction

Building a high-performance team extends beyond selecting skilled individuals. The project manager must proactively ensure that all team members possess the knowledge and capability needed for project success. This means actively identifying skill gaps, planning relevant training, managing resources, and verifying that learning translates into improved performance.

Key Term: Training Needs Assessment A systematic process to identify skill or knowledge gaps within the team relative to project requirements and determine what targeted training is needed.

Determining Required Competencies and Training Needs

The project manager should first review project deliverables, scope, and technical requirements to define what skills, certifications, or compliance knowledge are necessary. Next, assess the current strengths of each team member and compare them to the needs of specific work packages. Self-assessments, one-to-one conversations, and past performance data can guide this step. It is also important to consider organizational, regulatory, and safety requirements.

Skill gaps identified at this stage should be documented as clear training needs, forming the basis for subsequent action.

Selecting and Planning Training

Once required competencies have been established, identify relevant training options. These may include workshops, instructor-led classes, on-the-job coaching, peer mentoring, eLearning modules, cross-training between team members, or external certification programs. For compliance or safety, mandatory training sessions are often required.

For plan-driven (predictive) projects, training may be scheduled upfront during project initiation or aligned with phase gates. In adaptive (agile) methods, training is often delivered just-in-time, focused on the team’s current work, and revisited frequently as requirements change.

Budget, time, and facility constraints must be considered when choosing training methods. The project manager is responsible for ensuring minimal impact on critical project work while supporting learning.

Key Term: Continuous Learning A recurring process in which the team regularly updates skills and knowledge to meet emerging project and business needs.

Allocating Resources and Scheduling Training

With training requirements and methods selected, the project manager must secure and allocate sufficient resources. This includes:

• Budget: Covering course fees, materials, travel, and external trainers if needed.
• Time: Scheduling training during less critical work periods to avoid resource shortages on the project.
• Facilities: Reserving rooms or technology for in-person or remote training.

The project manager should integrate training into the project plan, updating calendars and resource allocations to reflect these activities.

Key Term: Accountability Each team member’s obligation to take ownership of applying new skills gained from training to their assigned project tasks.

Delivering and Supporting Training

Training should be conducted in a manner that sets clear expectations: the goal is not just attendance, but application in project work. The project manager communicates the relevance of training to both individual growth and project goals. Peer learning, knowledge sharing, and collaborative problem-solving all encourage a deeper understanding and long-term retention.

Team members should be encouraged to bring forward emerging training needs during retrospectives or regular team meetings, especially in agile projects, enabling rapid response to change.

Evaluating and Measuring Training Outcomes

Training has only been successful when it translates into improved team capability or performance. The project manager should define in advance how training effectiveness will be measured—such as through job performance, successful completion of key tasks, compliance records, customer satisfaction, or observed improvements during peer review.

Document completion of training and track subsequent performance data. Address any remaining or new skill gaps as needed.

Worked Example 1.1

A pharmaceutical project requires specialized compliance documentation, but several new hires are unfamiliar with the regulatory system. The project manager notices early errors in their work.

What should the project manager do to ensure compliance without causing delays in document submission?

Answer: Promptly identify the unfamiliarity as a skill gap. Arrange compliance training for those new hires, ideally during scheduled downtime so critical work is unaffected. Update the training records and schedule a job review after training. Monitor early work for improvement. If compliance is not satisfactory, provide further coaching or escalate the issue.

Worked Example 1.2

An agile software project introduces a new cloud technology midway through development. Only half the developers are familiar with this platform.

How should the project manager ensure the team can meet upcoming deliverables on time?

Answer: Assess which developers lack the required skills. Schedule peer-led workshops or pairing for hands-on learning. Encourage informal daily knowledge sharing, with dedicated time during sprints for upskilling. Track progress using pair programming outputs and code reviews. Ensure that only qualified members are assigned to high-risk tasks until the training gap is closed.

Exam Warning

Skipping formal assessment of training needs or failing to verify improved job performance may result in project delays, non-compliance, or safety risks. The PMP exam often tests your ability to catch and resolve skills gaps in scenario-based questions.

Revision Tip

Regularly review the competency of your team after each major delivery or change in project scope. Document training outcomes for future audits and lessons learned.

Summary

Providing adequate training is not a one-off event but a cycle: assess, plan, deliver, and verify. The project manager ensures the team has the capability and motivation to meet project challenges, reducing risk and improving overall delivery.

Key Point Checklist

This article has covered the following key knowledge points:

• Training needs must be assessed by comparing current team skills to project requirements.
• Training methods and timing depend on project approach (predictive or agile).
• Resource planning is required to schedule and fund effective training.
• Training is successful only if observable improvements in job performance follow.
• The project manager must document training activities and outcomes for team accountability.
• Continuous learning supports team flexibility and project adaptation.

Key Terms and Concepts

• Training Needs Assessment
• Continuous Learning
• Accountability