Global L&D Project Management: How to Audit Your Provider

Why effective execution is key to global L&D success

In today’s fast-moving business environment, UK L&D teams face immense pressure to achieve more with fewer resources. They must close skills gaps rapidly, demonstrate measurable impact, and engage managers and employees who are already stretched. Even well-designed learning programmes can fall short if execution is inconsistent or poorly coordinated.

Delivering training effectively isn’t just about copying a programme from one region to another. A course that excites learners in London may not resonate with teams in Shanghai if local cultural or business contexts are ignored. Strategic project management ensures every stage – from design to delivery – accommodates these differences while maintaining consistent global standards.

Often, training fails not due to poor content but because it overlooks the learner’s reality – their work environment, context, culture, and day-to-day pressures. Many L&D teams already adapt content for local markets, but without a cohesive project-managed approach, even strong initiatives risk inconsistency and reduced impact.

Why this matters now

Creating a successful global L&D programme isn’t only about content – it’s about shaping the conditions for impact and managing them effectively. Recent research highlights the urgency of structured execution:

• Employee engagement is low: Global engagement averages 21%, and manager engagement just 27%. Managers influence around 70% of team engagement, so their involvement is critical for learning to stick.
• Manager training gaps: Only 44% of managers worldwide have received formal management training, leaving many unprepared to reinforce learning in their teams.
• Retention relies on development: Employees who perceive strong learning opportunities are 2.5× more likely to stay. A visible, well-managed L&D programme enhances retention.
• Skills disruption is imminent: 39% of current skills may become obsolete by 2030. Agility is essential, and project management ensures global learning programmes can adapt efficiently.
• Scalability, relevance, and impact matter: Organisations cite scalability (55%), application in role (52%), and business impact (47%) as top priorities for L&D. Execution drives these outcomes.

Securing stakeholder commitment

No global programme succeeds without engagement from key stakeholders. Often, sponsorship is only obtained at a global level, leaving local managers disengaged. Without active involvement from regional leaders, programmes risk being seen as top-down mandates.

Securing buy-in is less about signatures and more about shared ownership. Focus groups, interviews, and pilot initiatives create credibility. When regional leaders contribute to design, they become advocates, not gatekeepers.

What successful global L&D execution looks like

1. Learner engagement by design
Learners need to understand the purpose, and managers must reinforce learning consistently. Best-practice engagement includes:

• Executive-led launch sessions to set vision and strategy.
• Manager briefings to protect learner time and embed behaviours.
• Post-module check-ins to monitor application and accountability.

At Skyscanner, Tack TMI integrated these touchpoints into the High-Flying Manager programme. Small accountability pods allowed managers and peers to discuss progress, embedding learning into daily work.

2. Localisation as strategy
Translation is not localisation. True localisation involves adapting content to local case studies, sector examples, and cultural norms. In one manufacturing client project, factory-floor supervisors helped redesign leadership modules, reframing behaviours around safety and shift management. Adoption increased because the programme reflected learners’ daily realities.

3. Trainer onboarding with context
Trainers require more than content briefings; they need immersion in local business context and culture. Structured onboarding discussions with stakeholders ensure relevance. Subtle cues regarding hierarchy, communication, and feedback style are critical to building trust.

At Henkel, European trainers attended Faculty Day at Düsseldorf headquarters, connecting with the brand story, touring the Innovation Centre, and engaging leaders. This prepared them to deliver training that aligned with both global strategy and local realities.

4. Cadence and governance
Global projects can quickly fall apart without structure. Effective learning providers maintain weekly progress calls, flag potential risks, and manage issues proactively. This predictability prevents small problems from escalating into programme-threatening crises.

5. Pilot-then-scale
Pilots are essential to test assumptions, generate local success stories, and build political support for broader rollout. Choosing pilot sites strategically ensures influence and complexity are considered. Skipping this stage often leads to costly rework later.

6. Measurement architecture
Impact must be designed into the programme, not added afterwards. Combine lead indicators (manager participation, learner engagement, application in role) with lag indicators (retention, productivity, performance improvement).

Unilever’s Factory Frontline Leadership Programme illustrates the power of measurement: factories saw a 10% uplift in Overall Equipment Effectiveness, 83% engagement in the UniVoice survey, and an NPS of 9.7. Linking leadership development to tangible outcomes turns measurement into a retention and performance driver.

Where execution fails

Common pitfalls include:

• Rushed programmes undermining adoption.
• Training only in English, limiting accessibility.
• Trainers deployed without local context.
• Managers uninformed and unable to reinforce learning.
• Measurement added post-launch, leaving executives unconvinced of impact.

These are not minor issues; they are systemic risks that can undermine global learning investment.

From audit to action

The critical question for UK HR and L&D leaders is not whether your provider has project managers, but whether project management is treated as a strategic discipline. A strong provider:

• Designs engagement structures.
• Orchestrates stakeholders effectively.
• Adapts to local culture while maintaining global alignment.

Anything less increases the risk of programme failure.

Project Management Audit Checklist for Global L&D

Use this checklist to assess your provider’s ability to manage and deliver global programmes. Mark ‘Yes’ for each capability they demonstrate; unchecked boxes highlight where improvement is needed.