L&D projects: 5 levers for defining global and local responsibilities

Skills development knows no borders, but training teams spread across multiple continents is a complex exercise. How can organisations maintain global consistency without weakening local stakeholder engagement? To achieve this, flexibility is your greatest ally.

The Specific Challenges of International Training Projects

Fragmentation

In international organisations, the main challenge faced by L&D teams is geographical, cultural and technological fragmentation. Tools, languages and levels of digital maturity vary from one region to another. Developing skills in these conditions requires a specific instructional approach.

Different Governance Models

There are several governance models for international training projects:

On one side, centralised projects
Everything is decided at headquarters level: strategy, content, platforms, and more. This enables consistency across projects and economies of scale, but may result in solutions that are disconnected from operational realities.

On the other side, decentralised projects
Local entities operate with full autonomy. This encourages agility and engagement, but often leads to duplication, increased costs and a lack of consistency.

In reality, international projects are rarely 100% centralised or decentralised. L&D leaders usually create hybrid models in which Corporate and regional teams share responsibilities.

The success of these projects depends on the L&D department’s ability to define this distribution effectively.

The Lever Method: 5 Adjustment Variables for International Projects

When managing these complex ecosystems, there is no miracle solution. Every academy or project requires a balance tailored to its own context.

In response to this challenge, Jonathan Mohadeb Lysobycki, Head of International Projects at Cegos, developed the lever method.

This framework identifies five fundamental variables to support clear decision making:

• Adaptability
• Ownership
• Budget
• Culture
• Dependency

Lever No. 1: Adaptability

This lever defines what belongs to the common core and what needs to be adapted.

The first step is deciding which proportion of the programme will remain universal: 100%? 85%? 70%?

Most importantly, it involves determining what should be adapted: which elements will be contextualised, by whom, and according to which principles?

Take the example of a programme designed to train sales teams following a major recruitment campaign. At first glance, a fully standardised programme might seem appropriate because the company sells the same products everywhere, to similar customers, using the same CRM system. But on closer inspection, are the French, Japanese and Brazilian markets really identical? In this case, the organisation could retain a common structure such as duration, delivery formats and core topics including company positioning, product ranges and processes. However, some content elements could be adapted, such as case studies, exercises or the proportion of role plays.

Lever No. 2: Ownership

This variable clarifies the level of constraint, in other words the extent to which Corporate imposes requirements. Some initiatives may be shared across all regions. Others may be left to local entities, which can choose whether to adopt them, adapt them or develop their own solutions.

The challenge is finding the right balance between global alignment and local accountability.

Some strategic initiatives are viewed by Corporate as mandatory, such as cybersecurity or compliance with international standards. However, an overly authoritarian approach can discourage employees and create disengagement.

Another option is to provide local entities with a clear direction and objective, without imposing strict obligations. This can be highly effective when Corporate gives meaning to the project and when there is a strong level of trust between headquarters and local teams.

Carefully analyse your corporate culture and current situation to determine the right level of constraint.

Lever No. 3: Budget

Centralised budget management improves efficiency and consistency by creating synergies.

Conversely, local budget management strengthens ownership of the project by subsidiaries, as each entity makes decisions based on its own context.

Budget allocation is a political decision because budgets confer decision making power. In return for this autonomy, local entities must demonstrate compliance with specifications or achievement of objectives.

Be careful not to rely on assumptions. If a programme is mandatory under the “ownership” lever, one might assume that headquarters should cover all costs. However, it is still possible to require local entities to finance localisation or specific adaptations.

Lever No. 4: Culture

Speaking the same language does not always guarantee the same understanding. Cultural codes and learning methods vary significantly depending on the context.

For example, even when Spanish is used as a common language, differences in interpretation remain between Spanish and Argentinian speakers. Should the materials be identical? Is a local trainer needed to communicate messages more effectively?

Here again, a blended approach can work well. For example, organisations may choose to use a single English-language support document to ensure message consistency, combined with facilitation in the local language to maximise understanding.

The localisation of materials and the language used for delivery directly influence training impact. Working with local experts helps tailor the message so that it resonates with teams.

Lever No. 5: Dependency

This lever identifies the volume of resources, particularly trainers, required for deployment. The challenge is ensuring scalability.

Using a limited number of experts guarantees strong control over the message. However, it slows deployment and creates risk if one of those experts leaves. Mobilising a broad network of trainers enables organisations to reach more people quickly. However, this requires greater coordination and governance efforts. The challenge is balancing consistent quality with the ability to deploy at scale.

Two Key Considerations When Using the Levers

The Interdependence of the Levers

The levers never operate independently. Changing one inevitably affects the others.

Take the “culture” lever as an example. A training manager initially chose to deploy a programme exclusively in English. As the project evolved, localising it into ten languages proved more relevant. This required changes to the “dependency” lever, as it became impossible for one trainer to deliver the programme everywhere. It also raised new questions regarding the “budget” lever: should localisation costs be covered by Corporate or by local entities?

Every Deployment Requires Adaptation

There is no standard configuration guaranteed to work for all projects.

A setting that works effectively for a pilot project may become unsuitable during wider rollout. Similarly, a programme that succeeds in one country often requires all levers to be reassessed before expansion into additional countries.

Be prepared to adjust your settings continuously. Flexibility is the key.

Conclusion

Managing international training projects is an ongoing exercise in balance, and the lever method helps define responsibilities clearly. The challenge is not to find the perfect model, but to build coherent, deliberate balances aligned with your organisation’s priorities.

And you, which lever do you find the most difficult to adjust correctly?

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Expert

Jonathan Mohadeb Lysobycki

His mission consists in ensuring we provide our global clients the L&D solutions they need to boost their results. Jonathan works to create synergies across our teams, fostering international collaboration, harmonizing ways of working and sharing best practices. His job, with the Cegos' team is to effectively decode our clients’ stakes and challenges, define the best learning strategy and programmes and safely deploy them worldwide.In other words: identifying and deploying the learning solutions that will improve our clients’ business results, talent engagement and upskilling/reskilling. Learn more