Assignment 2: An Effective Training Evaluation Plan Instructions: In the online
ID: 3492358 • Letter: A
Question
Assignment 2: An Effective Training Evaluation Plan Instructions: In the online lectures in Module 3 and your textbook readings ("Training and Development", Leadership", and "Motivation, Job Satisfaction, and Job Involvement") you learned about the importance of training your employees. However, training is only effective when employees can retain the information and incorporate what they learn to improve their job performance. You have just learned that your company is looking for ways to cut back expenses. One of the cost cutting measures being considered is to terminate the training department, as the company considers this an expense and they do not believe training is contributing to the profitability of the company. As the head of the training department it is your job to defend the value of the department. You realize that well trained employees perform their jobs more efficiently and consequently can contribute to higher productivity and profits for the company. One way to show the value of training is to have tools that will allow a manager to track the performance of an employee both before and after they have received training. Report Write a report that will be shared with senior management on why training is a very important part of the company’s overall financial success. Discuss the advantages of having well-trained employees. Evaluation Tool Using what you have learned about transfer training and the evaluation of training programs create an evaluation tool which can be used to evaluate how effective any given employee training program is in terms of: Increasing the level of transfer of knowledge (knowledge retention) Monitoring the effectiveness of the skill performance in the job performance improvement Include common attributes in your evaluation tool which could be applicable to most employees at the organization such as: employees showing concern for saving the company money or consistently turning in error free work. Your training tool should contain a minimum of 10 evaluation criteria. Your training evaluation tool must be included with your report defending the value of the training department. You know that your report will be shared with senior level managers and eventually to the board of directors. However, you are uncertain whether or not you will be allowed to present your work at a later time or in a different manner. Therefore it is important that your report is well written and professional. Report Details The report should be 5-7 pages in length and include: Executive Summary highlighting all the factors in the scenario. Justification of the importance of retaining the training department in the company and explanation of how the training department is important to the overall success of the company. Training Evaluation Tool to evaluate knowledge retention and job performance improvement (10 criteria minimum). Explanation of how the evaluation tool will be implemented. Describe how the evaluation tool will help evaluate the level of transfer of knowledge and skill performance for current training programs as well as, monitor and improve planning for future training effectiveness. Summary and conclusion of tool’s effectiveness.
Explanation / Answer
Developing Your Evaluation Plan
WHO IS THE AUDIENCE FOR THIS WORKBOOK?
The purpose of this workbook is to help public health program managers, administrators,
and evaluators develop a joint understanding of what constitutes an evaluation plan,
why it is important, and how to develop an effective evaluation plan in the context of the
planning process. This workbook is intended to assist in developing an evaluation plan but
is not intended to serve as a complete resource on how to implementprogram evaluation.
Rather, it is intended to be used along with other evaluation resources, such as those
listed in the Resource Section of this workbook. The workbook was written by the staff of
the Office on Smoking and Health (OSH) and the Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity,
and Obesity (DNPAO) at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). However,
the content and steps for writing an evaluation plan can be applied to any public health
program or initiative. Part I of this workbook defines and describes how to write an effective
evaluation plan. Part II of this workbook includes exercises, worksheets, tools, and a
Resource Section to facilitate program staff and evaluation stakeholder workgroup (ESW)
thinking through the concepts presented in Part I of this workbook.
WHAT IS AN EVALUATION PLAN?
An evaluation plan is a written document that describes how you will monitor and evaluate your program, as well
as how you intend to use evaluation results for program improvement and decision making. The evaluation plan
clarifies how you will describe the “What,”the “How,” and the “Why It Matters”for your program.
The “What” reflects the description of your program and how its activities are linked with the intended effects. It serves to clarify the program’s purpose and anticipated outcomes.
The “How”addresses the process for implementing a program and provides information about whether the program is operating with fidelity to the program’s design. Additionally, the “How” (or process evaluation), along with output and/or short-term outcome information, helps clarify if changes should be made during implementation.
An evaluation plan is a written document that describes how you will monitor and evaluate your program, so that you will be able to describe the “What”, the “How”, and the “Why It Matters” for your program and use evaluation results for program improvement and decision making.
Developing an Effective Evaluation Plan
The “Why It Matters” provides the rationale for your program and the impact it has on public health. This is also sometimes referred to as the “so what” question. Being able to demonstrate that your program has made a difference is critical to program sustainability.
An evaluation plan is similar to a roadmap. It clarifies the steps needed to assess the processes and outcomes of a program. An effective evaluation plan is more than a column of indicators added to your program’s work plan. It is a dynamic tool (i.e., a “living document”) that should be updated on an ongoing basis to reflect program changes and priorities over time. An evaluation plan serves as a bridge between evaluation and program planning by highlighting program goals, clarifying measurable program objectives, and linking program activities with intended outcomes.
WHY DO YOU WANT AN EVALUATION PLAN?
Just as using a roadmap facilitates progress on a long journey, an evaluation plan can clarify what direction your evaluation should take based on priorities, resources, time, and skills needed to accomplish the evaluation. The process of developing an evaluation plan in cooperation with an evaluation workgroup of stakeholders will foster collaboration and a sense of shared purpose. Having a written evaluation planwill foster transparency and ensure that stakeholders are on the same page with regards to the purpose, use, and users of the evaluation results. Moreover, use of evaluation results is not something that can be hoped or wished for but must be planned, directed, and intentional (Patton, 2008). A written plan is one of your most effective tools in your evaluation tool box.
A written evaluation plan can—
create a shared understanding of the purpose(s), use, and users of the evaluation results, foster program transparency to stakeholders and decision makers, increase buy-in and acceptance of methods, connect multiple evaluation activities—this is especially useful when a program employs different contractors or contracts, serve as an advocacy tool for evaluation resources based on negotiated priorities and established stakeholder and decision maker information needs, help to identify whether there are sufficient program resources and time to accomplish desired evaluation activities and answer prioritized evaluation questions, assist in facilitating a smoother transition when there is staff turnover, facilitate evaluation capacity building among partners and stakeholders, provide a multi-year comprehensive document that makes explicit everything from stakeholders to dissemination to use of results, and facilitate good evaluation practice.
There are several critical elements needed to ensure that your evaluation plan lives up to its potential. These elements include ensuring (1) that your plan is collaboratively developed with a stakeholder workgroup, (2) that it is responsive to program changes and priorities, (3) that it covers multiple years if your project is ongoing, and (4) that it addresses your entire program rather than focusing on just one funding source or objective/activity. You will, by necessity, focus the evaluation based on feasibility, stage of development, ability to consume information, and other priorities that will be discussed in Steps 3 and 4 in this workbook. However, during the planning phase, your entire program should be considered by the evaluation group.
HOW DO YOU WRITE AN EVALUATION PLAN?
This workbook is organized by describing the elements of the evaluation plan within the context of using the CDC’s Framework for Program Evaluation in Public Health (http://www.cdc.gov/eval/) and the planning process. The elements of an evaluation plan that will be discussed in this workbook include:
Title page: Contains an easily identifiable program name, dates covered, and basic
focus of the evaluation.
Intended use and users: Fosters transparency about the purpose(s) of the
evaluation and identifies who will have access to evaluation results. It is important
to build a market for evaluation results from the beginning. Clarifying the primary
intended users, the members of the stakeholder evaluation workgroup, and the
purpose(s) of the evaluation will help to build this market.
Program description:Provides the opportunity for building a shared understanding
of the theory of change driving the program. This section often includes a logic
model and a description of the stage of development of the program in addition to a
narrative description.
Evaluation focus: Provides the opportunity to document how the evaluation focus
will be narrowed and the rationale for the prioritization process. Given that there are
never enough resources or time to answer every evaluation question, it is critical to
work collaboratively to prioritize the evaluation based on a shared understanding
of the theory of change identified in the logic model, the stage of development
Developing an Effective Evaluation Plan
Methods: Identifies evaluation indicators and performance measures, data sources
and methods, as well as roles and responsibilities. This section provides a clear
description of how the evaluation will be implemented to ensure credibility of
evaluation information.
Analysis and interpretation plan: Clarifies how information will be analyzed and
describes the process for interpretation of results. This section describes who will
get to see interim results, whether there will be a stakeholder interpretation meeting
or meetings, and methods that will be used to analyze the data.
Use, dissemination, and sharing plan:Describes plans for use of evaluation
results and dissemination of evaluation findings. Clear, specific plans for evaluation
use should be discussed from the beginning. This section should include a broad
overview of how findings are to be used as well as more detailed information about
the intended modes and methods for sharing results with stakeholders. This is a
critical but often neglected section of the evaluation plan.
WHAT ARE THE KEY STEPS IN DEVELOPING AN EVALUATION PLAN USING CDC’S FRAMEWORK FOR
PROGRAM EVALUATION?
CDC’s Framework for Program Evaluation in Public Health (1999) is a guide to effectively evaluate public health programs and use the findings for program improvement and decision making. While the framework is described in terms of steps, the actions are not always linear and are often completed in a back-and-forth effort that is cyclical in nature. Similar to the framework, the development of an evaluation plan is an ongoing process. You may need to revisit a step during the process and complete other discrete steps concurrently. Within each step of the framework, there are important components that are useful to consider in the creation of an evaluation plan.