Our reviewers provided the following comments and examples from their experiences in conducting training impact evaluation.

On reaching agreement about training . . . One reviewer emphasized, "It is important to understand the difference between negotiating when a new course is being developed and when a course will be held again. Negotiations for a new course center around clarifying expressed needs or perceived problems and provide a great deal of information that make negotiations around a repeated course easier. It is also important to realize that negotiations differ with the staff involved. Administrative staff who handle programming and training logistics may not be interested in the content of a course, while trainers will be deeply concerned about course methodology and content and may even use a specialized vocabulary."

On lessons learned about TIE . . . One reviewer communicated, "One TIE lesson was that where observation of practices is essential and trainees are dispersed throughout the country, the evaluation will take the evaluators a great deal of time. More time may be spent in traveling than in actual data collection. The TIE budget will escalate with evaluators’ travel allowances and per diems. A second lesson indicated that funding agencies and NGOs can resist TIEs because they mistake the internal TIE of a specific course with an external evaluation of clinical activities of NGO supported sites. Open communication and clarification is essential for avoiding such misunderstanding.

On meeting trainees’ practice needs . . . Another reviewer reported, "When trainee interviews revealed that trainees thought they had insufficient time and too few clients for practice during training, practice sessions were moved to the worksite where trainees could practice with more clients.

On meeting organizational objectives . . . Another reviewer related, "When service statistics revealed that IUDs were not offered, further inquiry showed negative attitudes of staff trained in inserting IUDs and deployment of staff to departments where they could not use these skills. As a result, group training was changed to on-the-job training; IUD services were integrated with screening for genital and urinary tract infections.

On making strong oral presentations . . . Another reviewer reported, "When Ministry of Health staff did not have a strong opinion about the quality of work performed by the trained volunteers of a Community-Based Distribution project (CBD), the CBD project staff made sure that their project evaluation results were presented in the framework of the CBD project’s objectives and qualitative accomplishments. To make the presentation dynamic, project staff used successive speakers and displayed project materials, such as surgical gowns and field backpacks, in the meeting room. They captured audience attention by playing an IEC radio-spot translated from Quechua, a language spoken in many of the communities where the CBD volunteers worked. The Ministry staff left the presentation with new respect for the commitment of the CBD volunteers to promote health care among their people.