ABSTRACT
Managing the learning and development function as a business is an important part of the value-added equation. This chapter comprises four areas. The first is the budgeting process, which is necessary to develop the fiscal plans and learning implementation strategy for the next year. The good news is that the budget is developed the same way as any other major function, thus underscoring the legitimacy of learning and development as a business. The second issue involves monitoring and controlling costs for maximum effectiveness and efficiency. A third, more challenging issue for the learning and development team represents utopia in terms of accountability – the development of the profit center concept. The fourth issue focuses on managing vendors and suppliers as partners for the learning and development team. The chapter focuses on evaluation costs which include developing the evaluation strategy, designing instruments, collecting data, analyzing data, and preparing and distributing reports.
