Totalling up costs

A process for selecting training methods

The problem with decision-making

Enter the tool

Defining the problem

What are the options?

Criteria for assessing alternatives

Ways of comparing methods

Making assumptions

Totalling up costs

Weighing up the options

The Training Methods Selector Tool

Totalling up costs

THE BLACK BOX CAN NOW be left to calculate the direct and indirect costs for implementing your training solution, for each of the twelve training methods. Based on the assumptions that you have made, and what you have specified about the numbers to be trained, the deadline and available resources, costs can be calculated under these headings: design, CBT development, audio development, video development, instructors, classrooms, travelling costs, costs of travelling time, hardware/equipment and off-the-shelf resources. There is insufficient space here to specify exactly how these calculations are made, but the process is purely arithmetic and involves no rocket science.

If you have specified that direct and indirect costs are the primary criteria by which you wish to measure the training alternatives, then this is as far as you need to go. The model will provide you with the following results:

£000	Indirect Cost	Direct Cost	Total
Self-instruction:
Web-based with on-line support	120	35	155
Stand-alone multimedia PC	124	35	159
Multimedia PC / on-line hybrid	124	35	159
Multimedia PC in small groups	174	35	209
Workbook alone	102	22	124
Video and workbook	110	22	132
Audio and workbook	108	23	131
On-job instruction:
One-to-one instruction	242	22	264
Instruction in small group	202	22	224
Classroom training:
Class with only basic visual aids	357	397	754
Class with full audio-visual support	361	397	758
Class with a/v & actual equipment	364	397	761
Weighting	2	1

Fig1: Sample results table showing cost comparisons

Next: Weighing up the options

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