Successful learning and development (L&D) programs do not just happen. The changes and improvements you make to these programs often come from measurement, evaluation and good data. By incorporating a robust learning analytics process, you can uncover actionable insights that meet the needs of your learners and stakeholders while aligning with organizational goals. But what happens when you don’t have access to the data you need?

Improvements in software and technology have increased access to data from survey software, learning management systems and other business analytics platforms. However, barriers remain. Limited access may come from gatekeepers, approval processes or privacy concerns. Your access to data is not always a technology challenge, it can also be an organizational challenge.

So, how do you overcome these barriers? By building relationships with stakeholders, being transparent of your process and intent, and addressing stakeholder concerns.

Strategic Alignment

First and foremost, it is important to understand that gaining access to vital data is not just a technical concern, it is a strategic challenge. As stated in Training Industry’s Training Manager Competency Model, strategic alignment is a foundational responsibility for L&D leaders. When collaborating with stakeholders and gatekeepers, strategic alignment requires:

• Strategic Thinking: Showing how L&D contributes to strategic goals and priorities by providing learning insights.
• Influence and Negotiation: Approaching stakeholders as collaborative partners by connecting data access to their priorities and goals.
• Building Trust: Proactively engaging with stakeholders to build credibility by communicating how data-driven learning insights improve decision-making.

Do not just request data. Frame access to data as a partnership to improve organizational goals. This allows learning leaders to engage stakeholders as a trusted advisor.

Building Relationships With Data Gatekeepers

Collecting the right data for your training programs is as much about relationships as it is about access. Oftentimes, the data we need is stored outside of the L&D function. This data may include financial, employee and customer information, and the stakeholders and gatekeepers guarding this data may have legitimate concerns about privacy, misuse or legal issues. Data access is often improved by addressing these concerns, being transparent and building trust. Do not just request the data, start to build a collaborative relationship and foster data champions.

Improve your data relationships by:

• Clearly stating the objectives of the learning analytics project and how it aligns with the organizational strategy and goals.
• Identifying key stakeholders from various departments early in the project. Involve them in the planning and seek their input to ensure their needs are addressed.
• Providing concrete examples or case studies demonstrating the value and potential impact of what you intend to do with the data.
• Proactively addressing any concerns or objections raised by stakeholders regarding data privacy, security or potential resistance to change (more on this later).
• Developing a clear communication plan and keeping stakeholders informed throughout the project.
• Celebrating key milestones and wins during the project.

Map Your Data Needs

Before requesting data, you will need to have a clear idea of the data you have, the data you need, where the data is located and who maintains the information. This can be done by creating a data systems map to help you navigate your organization’s data landscape:

• Identify the data you need, where it is stored and who owns it.
• List the contact person or stakeholder, any potential barriers and current access level for each data source.
• Create a data audit checklist for your training programs and ask:
  • What data do I currently have?
  • What key performance indicators (KPIs) and measurements are missing?
  • How often do I need access?
  • How often does the data need to be refreshed?
• Note any potential privacy issues or personally identifiable information (PII).

Address Privacy and Confidentiality Concerns

Your gatekeeps may hesitate to share data due to valid concerns for data privacy and compliance. If the data is shared, you are ultimately responsible for its privacy and security. This is both a legal consideration and an ethical responsibility. By having a proactive strategy and approaching stakeholders with transparency, you can gain access to the data you need while building relationships and trust.

Some strategies include:

• Limit access to PII.
• Aggregate data where possible (i.e., looking at the average number for a department rather than each individual’s number).
• Anonymize or redact data that is not required for your reporting whenever possible before sharing or publishing.
• Avoid filtering data that may unintentionally reveal identities (e.g., filtering by small departments).
• Use the data only for your original purpose unless you have made a new request.
• Offer data-sharing agreements that outline scope, usage and storage.

Create Data Champions

Start your discussions with stakeholders when they are requesting training. Use time upfront to determine what success looks like and build out those metrics in the form of learning objectives during the instructional design phase. Once training concludes, ensure those KPIs are included in surveys or assessments so that you can measure results and report back on the metrics that matter most to your stakeholders. This helps improve the quality of the data you gather, creates alignment between your training programs and organizational goals, and begins relationship building.

Engaging stakeholders early and being transparent throughout the training process gives them a vested interest and increases the likelihood of gaining access to the data you need. Involving them in each step of the process will not only help you get buy-in but also helps you define clear metrics and builds champions for your reporting efforts.  As stakeholders gain a better understanding of the learning analytics process, they will better understand the success of their programs, thus becoming your data champion.