The ROI Academy™ Ask Hedda
Academy Director Hedda Bird answers frequently asked questions about The ROI Academy™, ROI in training tools, and Return on Investment in training in general.
Hedda is Managing Director of 3C Associates and is passionate about communication in business. The ROI Academy™ brings together 3C’s considerable expertise in ROI and training evaluation with a range of resources to provide measurement solutions that are both statistically competent and easy for clients to implement.
If you have a question to ask Hedda, please click to email.
How much should I spend on evaluation?
Hedda says: “Most finance directors would consider spending of 2-3% of your budget checking that the other 97-98% is effective a good thing to do. You may need to spend more initially to set up your processes and learn any new skills. There are substantial economies of scale, so just measuring one programme may cost more.”
Why do you recommend building models for evaluation before the training starts?
Hedda says: “This is where most of the value comes from. The model will tell you what impact you can expect to have. You can look at different models to see which programmes are likely to give you the best value, make the biggest difference, or have the highest return. Even if you never check your model, you will have learnt a great deal to make the training more effective.”
Do I need to measure every programme?
Hedda says: “No! Choose those programmes that are most important, on which you spend most money, and which affect the largest number of people as a starting point. We recommend building basic models for up to 80% of the training you deliver (this will be far less than 80% of the programmes you deliver!)”
How does The ROI Academy™ relate to the Kirkpatrick model?
Hedda says: “Our models can be used to measure all four levels in the Kirkpatrick model, with particular emphasis on Levels 3 (change in behaviour) & 4 (business results).
More about our methodology>>
The Kirkpatrick model states that there are four ways of looking at the impact of training, which have become known as the Four Levels:
- Level 1 – Learner Reaction
- Level 2 – Actual Learning
- Level 3 – Change in Behaviour
- Level 4 – Business Results
In practice, most organisations measure Learner Reaction (through ‘happy sheets’) while very few measure Changes in Behaviour or Business Results.
The ROI Academy™’s tools will enable you to measure your training across all four levels. We focus on measuring Business Results and related Changes in Behaviour, as this is where business value can be found.”
How do I measure our Management Development programme?
Hedda says: “Before measuring any programme you need to be clear about what it is trying to achieve (‘better’ management is not enough). Is your programme trying to address specific issues in the organisation (start by building a Line of Sight) or are you building management capability (start by defining the ideal manager using The Performance Pound™ process)? Once you know clearly what you are aiming at, it will be easier to identify the ‘before and after’ measures to see what impact the programme has had.”
How do you value Health and Safety programmes?
Hedda says: “What is H&S worth in specific situations? Improving Drivers’ road sense is good value for everyone who drives on the job, but not so valuable for contact centre workers. Meeting H&S legislation is essential no matter what it costs.”
