A 90-Day Plan for Installing an L&D Ecosystem

education, leadership, organizational leadership

(excerpt from Building the Scalable L&D Ecosystem for Business Excellence by Dr. Christopher Cone (Agathon University Press, 2026)

 

…Now that we have covered essential components of an L&D ecosystem, including first principles (three levels of detail), the role of learning and development as support within a department and organization, needs assessment and prioritization processes, foundational concepts for the ethical implementation of learning technology and AI tools, and evaluative principles and processes for assessing outcomes and organizational impact, it is time to build and launch our L&D ecosystem. For feasibility and fit within existing corporate cultures, we will use a 90-day critical path to launch format. There are just a few more methodological aspects to consider before we start the clock.

To create a successful L&D ecosystem, we will begin shaping the culture to prioritize learning across all roles. We will emphasize learning as part of work, encouraging leadership involvement and example, recognizing and rewarding learning outcomes, promoting knowledge sharing (e.g., SME certification), and normalizing continuous improvement, learning, and development. Achieving buy-in at all levels will be vital for the success of the learning architecture and true enculturation of the L&D ecosystem. This won’t end in the first 90 days – it will be an ongoing emphasis for the growth of people, and the success of the organization.

The initial plan for the learning architecture follows the Cycle for Excellence, and includes the stages of assessment, contextualization, planning, budgeting, execution, and the next iteration of the Cycle, beginning with assessment:

PHASE 1 – ASSESSMENT (DAYS 1-20)

Days 1-10 – Align Learning with Organizational Strategy

We engage a period of Discovery to understand core principles (mission, vision, etc.) and current strategies for achieving each of those, and to develop prioritization for areas of major concern.

Identify strategic goals for the organization

  1. Map the competencies needed to achieve those goals (including major and minor competencies, e.g., speed to competency, product knowledge, data literacy, automation skills, etc.)
  2. Prioritize major competency gaps

 

Days 11-20 – Inventory Current Learning Architecture

We take an inventory of current learning paradigm including pathways, resources, tools, experiences, etc., to understand the current levels of improvement, satisfaction, and

 

  1. Inventory current curricular design and pathways
  2. Inventory data tools and evaluative resources to discern accessibility and reliability of quantitative metrics and statistics

 

PHASE 2 – CONTEXTUALIZATION (DAYS 21-35)

Days 21-30 – Design a Competency Framework

Based on organizational goals and strategy, we create a structured model and mapping of skills and behaviors, defining competency priorities and requirements by role, team, and organizational levels.

Define core, functional, and leadership competencies

  1. Establish proficiency levels (e.g., bronze, silver, gold / beginner, intermediate, expert, etc.)
  2. Align competencies to roles, team contexts, and career paths
  3. Define and map competency priorities and requirements by role, team, and organizational levels

 

Days 31-35 – Conduct a Competency Gap Analysis

We understand current competency levels of team members today vs. what is needed to fulfill the organization’s strategic goals: where employees are vs. where they need to be. We will focus on major competency areas to avoid wasting time on irrelevant topics.

 

  1. Assess against Competency Framework (developed above) current competency and personal satisfaction levels using surveys, assessments, and other performance data
  2. Identify gaps at individual, team, and organizational levels
  3. Develop gap prioritization based on organizational strategic goals and Competency Framework to guide planning of the learning architecture

 

PHASE 3 – PLANNING (DAYS 36-45)

Days 36-45 – Build an Individualized Learning Pathway Framework

Here we move away from one size fits all training, preferring role-based competency development, creating pathways that show progression in proficiency levels and career paths, and that foster team-member awareness of their next step in the learning and growth process.

 

  1. Map role-based and skill-based learning outcomes, journeys, and experiences
  2. Create adaptive learning opportunities where possible, to maximize individualized learning
  3. Blend formats (eLearning, workshops, webinars, mentoring, OTJ training), to connect with diverse learning styles
  4. Marketing: begin promoting through appropriate venues that the organization is planning to complement its culture of learning and growth with a new learning architecture.

 

PHASE 4 – BUDGETING (DAYS 46-55)

Days 46-55 – Choose the Right Technology Stack

We evaluate available budgetary resources against current learning applications to determine whether current technology is sufficient and if/how it should be augmented or replaced to enable learning at scale.

 

  1. Identify and acquire optimum LMS
  2. Identify and acquire optimum LXP
  3. Identify and acquire optimum skills intelligence platforms, considering integration with current HR systems
  4. Identify and acquire complementary tools to maximize learning success

 

PHASE 5 – EXECUTION (DAYS 56-90)

Days 56-60 – Install Competency Framework and Learning Pathways Framework

We build the Competency and Learning Pathways Frameworks into the LMS, LXP, and other selected tools, for scaling and input of high-quality content

 

  1. Implement learning architecture
  2. Implement learning pathways
  3. Implement proficiency systems
  4. Enable learning in the flow of work (integrate systems, implement just-in-time resource
  5. Implement Learning Glossary
  6. Marketing: remind of organizational commitment to learning and growth, begin promoting through appropriate media specific elements of the frameworks to increase interest, and incorporate feedback as it is received.

 

Days 61-80 – Create High-Quality Content

Based on our Competency Framework and Learning Pathways Framework, we build into the LMS, LXP, and other tools high-quality content that reflects the importance of curation as much as creation, is prioritized, engaging, and actionable for learning success and continuous improvement.

 

  1. Blend internal and external content (internal = eLearning, webinars, workshops, etc., external = mentoring, OTJ training)
  2. Emphasize microlearning, with short, focused learning experiences, to avoid content overload
  3. Create a scalable “always fresh” culture of content development
  4. Begin to populate the Knowledge Glossary
  5. Marketing: begin sending out helpful content blurbs from various SMEs to build interest and excitement

 

Days 81-89 – System Testing and Program Review

At this stage, with a viable amount of functional content within the pathways we test all aspects of the system to ensure an MVP that allows for a credible launch and immediate positive impact.

 

  1. Launch a beta test, including a few of the most enthusiastic and responsive team members (based on previous marketing initiatives) and including all relevant stakeholders (leaders)
  2. Document successes and failures (the most humorous of which might be utilized for post-launch marketing initiatives)
  3. Implement all needed changes, ensuring MVP, and leadership-tested readiness

 

Day 90 – Launch

We bring the system live, ramping up marketing efforts to maximize team-member awareness, and to begin the next stage of the Cycle for Excellence.

 

  1. Marketing: launch announced, with implementation of planned special events (e.g., contests, giveaways, other ways to heighten awareness)
  2. LAUNCH!
  3. Special attention given to responding to all feedback, positive and negative, to ensure functionality and correct bugs, errors, etc. with immediacy, to protect credibility and impact of the program

 

PHASE 6 (ALSO 1.1) – ASSESSMENT (DAYS 91+)

Days 91+ – Measure Impact and ROI, Ensure Scaling for Continuous Improvement

From launch point we track learning activity and outcomes to ascertain impact and ROI, the data from which assessment we use to continue the Cycle of Excellence and move to the next stages of improvement, implementation, and outcomes.

 

  1. Marketing: continued awareness initiatives, inviting feedback from all stakeholders
  2. Track learning metrics: engagement, completion rates, and skill progression
  3. Track organizational metrics: performance improvement, productivity, and retention
  4. Collect and contextualize feedback from learners and team leaders
  5. Use analytics to refine learning architecture continuously, to stay aligned with changing business needs, and to scale successful learning initiatives across the organization