Planning HRD Interventions; What,Why, and How

There is a large body of literature on the instructional design process but little information about the planning practices of Human Resource Development (HRD) practitioners, those who may be devising training or organization development interventions. This article describes qualitative research conducted on the planning processes of five experienced HRD practitioners. Results indicate that subjects had similar mental models of the planning process, portraying the general framework as: a) discerning the desired outcomes, b) understanding the current situation, and c) designing a process to meet the needs. They characterized the planning process as holistic and iterative, involving the use of scenarios, and paradoxical in nature. This paper will identify how the subjects' values, beliefs, and principles of practice influenced their planning. It will also describe techniques used by the subjects to enhance their planning, which involved activating internal resources (prior experience), seeking external resources (reading, talking to others), and tapping into their subconscious for insights or answers. Implications for education, practice, and further research on the planning practices of HRD practitioners will be proposed.