TRUTHS ABOUT TRAINING EVALUATION

David Kelly, CPLP, CRP

A LITTLE ABOUT ME

Training Director for over 10 Years Director, Center for Learning at ACLD Certified Professional in Learning and

Performance (CPLP) Certified ROI Professional (CRP) Board Member of ASTD Long Island Member of ASTD’s National Advisors for

Chapters Member of the eLearn Magazine Editorial Board

TODAY’S DISCUSSION

A Brief History of Measurement in Learning and Development Programs

What do Trainers Measure? Does What We Measure Even Matter?

The Question of Credibility A Better Definition for Training Success

WHAT CAME BEFORE…

Why are we talking about ‘evaluation’ of training in the first place?

A BRIEF HISTORY OF TRAINING EVALUATION

Don Kirkpatrick – The Four Levels of Evaluation1. Reaction2. Learning3. Behavior4. Results

Jack Phillips – ROI Methodology5. ROI

(Benefits / Costs)

A BRIEF HISTORY OF TRAINING EVALUATION

WHY MEASURE TRAINING?

CAPITAL INVESTMENTS

NON-CAPITAL INVESTMENTS

Buildings Equipment Tools Vehicles Companies Some Technology

Marketing Human Resources Quality Some Technology Staff Support Processes

ROI is usually measured

ROI is not typically

measured

WHY MEASURE TRAINING?

CAPITAL INVESTMENTS

NON-CAPITAL INVESTMENTS

Buildings Equipment Tools Vehicles Companies Some Technology

Marketing Human Resources Quality Some Technology Staff Support Processes

~15% of Total Expenditures

~85% of Total Expenditures

SATISFACTION WITH MEASURES OF SUCCESSOF LEARNING AND DEVELOPMENT

To what extent are you satisfied with the measures (value) of learning and development?

1. Very Dissatisfied – 8%2. Dissatisfied – 45%3. Satisfied – 41%4. Very Satisfied – 6%

*CEO Survey—Fortune 500 and Large Private Companies, ROI Institute

WHAT METRICS ARE YOU USING?

COMMON LEARNING METRICS

Cost per Employee or Hour

Course Completions

Learner Satisfaction

Attendance Test Scores

Do these metrics REALLY matter?

MEANINGFUL PERFORMANCE METRICS Decreased Time

to Performance Reduced

Performance Cycle Times

Quality Improvements

Increased Customer Satisfaction

Increased Sales

HERE’S MY TWO CENTS…

Measurement for measurement’s sake is a waste of time. Ask yourself… “Will I be doing anything with the data we’re collecting?”

THE CREDIBILITY ISSUE

The truth is most training evaluation data is either irrelevant or does not hold up to

scrutiny*Bozarth-Ferguson Magic Formula used with permission

THE CREDIBILITY ISSUE

Training: “Sales increased 40% after Training.”Marketing: “That wasn’t training, we ran advertisements during that period.”

Training: “Turnover has decreased 25% as a result of our new orientation programs.”Human Resources: “That wasn’t training, we updated hiring criteria.”

THE CREDIBILITY ISSUE

Source: http://elearningindustry.com/subjects/free-elearning-resources/item/256-free-elearning-roi-calculators

THE BOTTOM LINE

ROI and the metrics used for Training Evaluation are driven by companies and consultants with a vested interest in people believing these metrics matter.

In most cases, the data collected isn’t really relevant to business outcomes.

HERE’S MY TWO CENTS…

It’s not about Learning; It’s about Performance

It’s not about what people KNOW; it’s about what people DO.

HERE’S MY TWO CENTS…

Most executives that ask for an ROI, DO NOT WANT AN ACTUAL ROI. They want to know that the efforts had value.

MAYBE IT’S NOT ABOUT EVALUATION…

What other ways can we determine success besides traditional training evaluation?

The Program Stakeholders Executives Management Approving Financing of

Training Learning and Development

Professionals Program Participants Managers of Program Participants

WHO DECIDES WHAT SUCCESS MEANS?

HERE’S MY TWO CENTS…

The time to think about how you will define success is during the DESIGN of a program, not after it’s completion.

WHAT’S YOUR STORY?

A strong testimonial from a participant or executive on how training helped workers perform better is often more powerful than any number on a spreadsheet.

A STRUCTURED APPROACH

THE SUCCESS CASE METHOD

Step 1. Identify targeted business goals and impact expectations.

THE SUCCESS CASE METHOD

Step 2. Survey a large representative sample of all participants in a program to identify high impact and low impact cases.

THE SUCCESS CASE METHOD

Step 3. Analyze the survey data to identify: a small group of successful

participants a small group unsuccessful

participants

THE SUCCESS CASE METHOD

Step 4. Conduct interviews with the two selected groups to: Document the nature and

business value of their application of learning

Identify the performance factors that supported learning application and obstacles that prevented it.

THE SUCCESS CASE METHOD

Step 5. Document and disseminate the story: Report impact Applaud successes Use data to educate

managers and organization

IT’S NOT ABOUT HOW MANY SEATS ARE FILLED

It’s not about the Training, it’s about the Performance Improvement. It’s about an ongoing process, not an event.

“Evaluating training is like evaluating the wedding instead of the marriage.”- Robert Brinkhoff

IT’S NOT ABOUT HOW MANY SEATS ARE FILLED

Most learning and performance improvement takes place informally, and on the job.

The success of a training program is not determined via a test; it is determined by how effectively trainees use the training when they return to their work.

SUMMARY

Data is critical to show the value and effectiveness of Learning and Performance Programs

Performance is what happens after a Learning Program, so the most important data pertains to how work has changed

SUMMARY

Success starts with identifying desired impacts during the needs assessment

Managers of program participants are the key stakeholders for driving successful learning and performance programs

QUESTIONS?

David Kelly E-Mail:

LnDDave@gmail.com Phone: (516) 474-1852 Twitter: @LnDDave Blog: http://davidkelly.me Also connect via LinkedIn or Facebook