Measuring the Assumptions
If we assume (and we do), that training has a positive impact on an organization’s goals, then the goal of a training measurement plan is to measure our assumptions about that impact wherever possible.
We know that:
- Training enables knowledge and skill
- Knowledge and skill enable job performance
- Job performance enables business process success
- Business process success enables organizational / financial success
In each of these items, the purpose of the training measurement program is as much as possible, to reduce the distance between “enables” and “causes”. Because causal relationships are rare outside of experimental conditions, our primary goal is to balance the cost of measurement with the minimum information needed to make informed decisions and take action.
Existing training measurement maps into these assumptions as well:
- Training enables knowledge and skill – Kirkpatrick Level 2 (knowledge transfer)
- Knowledge and skill enables job performance – Kirkpatrick Level 3 (behavior on the job)
- Job performance enables business process success – Kirkpatrick Level 4 (business results)
- Business process success enables organizational / financial success – Kirkpatrick Level 4 & Phillips ROI.
Number 4 maps to both Kirkpatrick and Phillips, although in application I believe that both those approaches are lacking at this level. Kirkpatrick’s original work definitely called out business metrics and financial success at Level 4, but he didnt’ break out business process-level measures from organizational measures (the difference between increasing sales and increasing profit). Phillips ROI model produces a percent ROI calculation that I think is misleading, although the path to that calculation is incredibly useful for understanding the interplay between training and other organizational activities.
~Geek~
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