We believe users of all HRD Online training courses should be invited to take part in reviews by their manager. These reviews should look at all the training courses from various aspects e.g.

what is going well, what difficulties are being experienced and why, how can acquired knowledge be best implemented, and can any of the training courses be improved to enhance its effectiveness and relevance to the organisation.

Ideally clients should create User Forums to help the review process.

Whilst it is always difficult to evaluate ROI for productivity improvement may have many sources nonetheless there are two assessments that can directly be attributed to their HRD Online learning experience:

1. Knowledge Tests
2. Work Based Assignments
   

Overall programme review and evaluation meetings should be convened on a regular basis between the programme sponsor and line managers. These ROI reviews would function well if user feedback reports were evidenced - and we will be glad to attend occassional review meetings

Evaluation is a process of seeking and gathering appropriate evidence, analysing and interpreting that evidence and then making a judgment. The benchmark is the learning objectives assigned to enhance behaviour and competence.

The evaluation of all training courses and benefits arising is essential and as a result:

• management are made aware of the extent to which the training courses have satisfied their operational needs
• the training function's contribution to operating results and the organisation's improvement is identifiable
• participants are made aware of the contribution of the training courses to their own performance

At its simplest, evaluation is a de-briefing with ones line manager soon after a training course is completed. Beyond that evaluation questions whether the required changes have taken place and whether the organisation has got the return it sought and if not why not and what remedial action is required, or maybe what new initiatives whether training courses or what change might be initiated from learning experiences.

The critical issues are how should an auditor:

• collect appropriate evidence to, for example, demonstrate compliance with the organisation's defined values and behaviours
• collaborate its validity, currency, sufficiency and authenticity
• and make their judgments

There is a risk that evidence omission or bias may present a distorted picture and one that perhaps is contrary to the company's values and behaviours - critics have many motives!!!

Also sometimes feedback on training courses can say more about the originator rather than the object - so knowledge of the person and corroborating evidence from several independent sources is needed.

	"Between what matters and what seems to matter, how should the world we know judge wisely?" - Edmund Bentley