Conducting a Training Impact Evaluation
There are several reasons for undertaking a TIE. You may want to conduct a TIE to:
- Assess a new training course to see whether it has fulfilled expectations;
- Evaluate an existing course whose effectiveness may have diminished over time, such as when there have been considerable changes in the external environment;
- Identify tasks or topics for which refresher training is required;
- Respond to doubts about the usefulness of a particular training course expressed by an organization that has sent staff to be trained;
- Address concerns about job performance that have been raised through routine monitoring of field activities, staff supervision, or other worksite observations.
When one or more of these reasons exist, TIE can be initiated by any stakeholder: the manager of either organization, trainers, supervisors of trained staff, or program officers. The process will work most smoothly if the members of your TIE team represent the perspectives of all interested parties. The team members should familiarize themselves with the content and methodologies of the training program or course being evaluated, and with the general requirements of the trainees’ jobs. They can set the stage for their work by discussing the reasons for undertaking the TIE, clarifying their expectations of the process, and soliciting any needed support from their organizations.
To do a thorough training impact evaluation, you need to follow all the steps of the TIE process. The TIE process is a cycle that continuously links job performance with training. Before beginning the cycle, you should gather and review performance information from the worksite, usually from supervisory or monitoring reports. This information suggests performance areas to be considered for evaluation.
