Brinkerhoff DOES TRAINING WORK The causes of this

Brinkerhoff

DOES TRAINING WORK? “The causes of this variability of impact have more to do with the performance system and organizational environment factors than they do with factors inherent in the training and content itself”(p. 14). Brinkerhoff, R. & Dressler, D. (2002). Using evaluation to build organizational performance and learning capability: A strategy and a method. Performance Improvement, 41(6), 14 -21.

HOW COME? Two organizations could use the same training program purchased from a vendor – the training works very well for one and not for the other. Brinkerhoff, R. & Dressler, D. (2002). Using evaluation to build organizational performance and learning capability: A strategy and a method. Performance Improvement, 41(6), 14 -21.

DIFFERENCES IN SUCCESS “Clearly, the training program itself is not the major factor in success. What accounts for the difference is the manner in which the company (or business unit) uses the training, as well as the influence of the prevailing cultural and systemic factors”(p. 15). Brinkerhoff, R. & Dressler, D. (2002). Using evaluation to build organizational performance and learning capability: A strategy and a method. Performance Improvement, 41(6), 14 -21.

WHO OWNS IT? “These systemic factors are owned by the management systems and leadership of the organization and cannot be directly manipulated by learning leaders or training departments”(p. 15). Brinkerhoff, R. & Dressler, D. (2002). Using evaluation to build organizational performance and learning capability: A strategy and a method. Performance Improvement, 41(6), 14 -21.

LEARNING CAPABILITY ♠ “organizational cultural and systemic factors that influence training success” (p. 15). Brinkerhoff, R. & Dressler, D. (2002). Using evaluation to build organizational performance and learning capability: A strategy and a method. Performance Improvement, 41(6), 14 -21.

SILVER BULLET? ♠ Training is NOT a silver ♠ bullet. However, the “language” of evaluation implies that only the training function is being evaluated. Brinkerhoff, R. & Dressler, D. (2002). Using evaluation to build organizational performance and learning capability: A strategy and a method. Performance Improvement, 41(6), 14 -21.

WE NEED YOU! ♠ Training professionals must send a clear message to stakeholders: ♦ “We cannot do this alone. Without you (the rest of the key players) training cannot succeed” (p. 16). Brinkerhoff, R. & Dressler, D. (2002). Using evaluation to build organizational performance and learning capability: A strategy and a method. Performance Improvement, 41(6), 14 -21.

WHAT ARE WE EVALUATING? ♠ “At level 3 and beyond, when we evaluate whether trainees are using their learning, we are no longer evaluating training; we are evaluating the larger performance improvement process in which training plays only a small role” (p. 16). Brinkerhoff, R. & Dressler, D. (2002). Using evaluation to build organizational performance and learning capability: A strategy and a method. Performance Improvement, 41(6), 14 -21.

ISOLATING TRAINING? ♠ “On the one hand, we (…) are trying desperately to create a systems-based, partnership-focused approach to performance improvement(…). Why would we want to turn this mental model upside down and invest evaluation energy to somehow isolate and prove just the part that training played? ” (p. 16). Brinkerhoff, R. & Dressler, D. (2002). Using evaluation to build organizational performance and learning capability: A strategy and a method. Performance Improvement, 41(6), 14 -21.

ARE WE OVER FOCUSING? “The four-level framework does not guide inquiry directly to the performance environment, nor does it aim to identify and assess the most critical performance factors that make the difference between success and failure” (p. 16). Brinkerhoff, R. & Dressler, D. (2002). Using evaluation to build organizational performance and learning capability: A strategy and a method. Performance Improvement, 41(6), 14 -21.

SENDING FEEDBACK TO THE WRONG PEOPLE? ♠ “Senior leadership and supervising ♠ managers are the owners of the performance environment” “The traditional four-level framework focuses on training … (and) is conceived to provide feedback primarily to the training function as if it alone were responsible for performance improvement” p. 16 Brinkerhoff, R. & Dressler, D. (2002). Using evaluation to build organizational performance and learning capability: A strategy and a method. Performance Improvement, 41(6), 14 -21.

TARGETED FEEDBACK “If we want to evaluate transfer or behavioral change from training, we must evaluate the managerial and performance system, not training” (p. 16). Brinkerhoff, R. & Dressler, D. (2002). Using evaluation to build organizational performance and learning capability: A strategy and a method. Performance Improvement, 41(6), 14 -21.

THREE QUESTIONS 1. How well does our 2. 3. organization use learning to guide performance? What is the organization doing that facilitates transfer? What is the organization doing or not doing that impedes transfer? Brinkerhoff, R. & Dressler, D. (2002). Using evaluation to build organizational performance and learning capability: A strategy and a method. Performance Improvement, 41(6), 14 -21.

CAPABILITY BUILDING MODEL Brinkerhoff & Dressler, 2002, p 17.

“SUCCESS CASE” MODEL ♠ Purposive (not random) sampling – look for exceptionally successful and unsuccessful trainees Brinkerhoff, R. & Dressler, D. (2002). Using evaluation to build organizational performance and learning capability: A strategy and a method. Performance Improvement, 41(6), 14 -21.

“SUCCESS CASE” MODEL 1. Purposive (not random) sampling – look for exceptionally successful and unsuccessful trainees. Send a survey to trainees to identify such cases. Brinkerhoff, R. & Dressler, D. (2002). Using evaluation to build organizational performance and learning capability: A strategy and a method. Performance Improvement, 41(6), 14 -21.

“SUCCESS CASE” MODEL 2. Interview cases identified. Look for “performance context factors” that facilitated success or failure Brinkerhoff, R. & Dressler, D. (2002). Using evaluation to build organizational performance and learning capability: A strategy and a method. Performance Improvement, 41(6), 14 -21.

“SUCCESS CASE” MODEL ♠ Look for “in depth ♠ stories” (p. 18) of impact. These stories can be shared with the organizational stakeholders. Brinkerhoff, R. & Dressler, D. (2002). Using evaluation to build organizational performance and learning capability: A strategy and a method. Performance Improvement, 41(6), 14 -21.

SUCCESS CASE EVALUATION METHOD Retrieved from http: //www. kenblanchard. com/img/pub/new sletter_brinkerhoff. pdf

SUCCESS CASE Retrieved from http: //www. kenblanchard. com/img/pub/new sletter_brinkerhoff. pdf

SIX-STAGE MODEL 1. Goal setting 2. Program design 3. Program implementation 4. Immediate outcomes 5. Usage outcomes 6. Impacts and worth Brinkerhoff, R. O. (1988). An Integrated Evaluation Model for HRD. Training & Development Journal, 42(2), 66. Note: See actual model on page 67 of article.