Evaluation & Metrics

"Managers get what they measure."

Establishing the correct metrics and evaluation criteria for business units is critical. Meaningful metrics are essential to execution of the business strategy. They tell us how well we're performing on the path the company has chosen to travel. For businesses to operate effectively, they must create achievable metrics mapping directly to the business strategy. We drill down through the non-essential items to a roadmap of meaningful business & training metrics that accelerate the execution of the business plans.

Evaluation and Training
Evaluation goes far beyond just the training organization, but since we do so much work with training groups we feel it's necessary to highlight this area. The use of Kirkpatrick's Levels 1 through 4 for training evaluation is quite sufficient - when correctly applied. Unfortunately, we often see this evaluation model applied either incorrectly or at least only partially.

Levels 1 & 2, Reaction & Learning, are often applied (although we see many opportunities to increase the meaningfulness in these evaluations).

But Levels 3 & 4, Behavior & Results, are rarely applied. The common themes in justifying not doing Level 3 & 4 evaluations are: it's too hard, it takes too much time, and it's too expensive.

We believe exactly the opposite is true and in fact, we believe it is even essential that Level 3 & 4 evaluations be adopted. We believe they don't have to be so hard, and they don't have to be extensively time consuming or expensive.

Why do we believe Levels 3 & 4 are essential? Because they are the avenue for the training organization to justify the ROI they provide. And training groups should be held just as accountable for business performance results as all the other business groups. Training groups that cannot justify their contribution to measurable increases in company performance are destined to be constantly criticized, cut and undervalued.

In fact, if we correctly apply Kirkpatrick's model then no training should be created without first identifying what the Level 4 evaluation criteria is. We should be working backwards through the evaluation model before we ever begin to design training. What exactly are the business results you're expecting to achieve by creating this training unit or curriculum? If you can't answer that question, then how would you know what your learning objectives should be as you begin to design and develop the training?

Level 4 - What specific business Business Results are we expecting to achieve by creating this solution? How will we know when we're there?
Level 3 - What type of Behaviors on the job are necessary to achieve these results? How do those desired behaviors differ from what we're seeing now?
Level 2 - What Learning transfer of skills and/or knowledge would need to be gained and demonstrated (if any) to achieve the specific behavioral changes on the job?
Level 1 - What employee Reaction is needed to indicate the experience might have the desired performance effect?

When you look at it from this perspective you can see how important Levels 3 & 4 are, and how relatively less important Levels 1 & 2 are in comparison. (By applying these levels in reverse, you may even come to the conclusion that creating training will not be the most effective way to achieve the desired behavior changes and business results.)

Now this is really no different than projects that occur in other parts of the business. You want to do a project and receive funding and resources to complete it. The business wants to know your justification for investing in that project. What will it ultimately achieve for the business strategy and performance? This is exactly the same for training. In order to justify the investment in creating training, there should be a clear business outcome from it. And that's your Level 4 evaluation criteria in a nutshell. If you can't measure it, then maybe you shouldn't be doing it.

But the good news is, as we've said, it can be measured and it doesn't have to be overly time consuming or costly. It's essential, it can clearly be done, and implementing this positive attitude toward Levels 3 & 4 evaluation in your training organization will supercharge the performance, output, and credibility of your training group!