How to Measure Training Results : A Practical Guide to Tracking the Six Key Indicators [Hardcover]

Jack Phillips (Author), Ron Stone (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 27, 2002

How to Measure Training Results presents practical tools for collecting and measuring six types of data critical to an overall evaluatin of training. This timely resource:

• Includes dozens of reproducible tools and processes for training evaluation
• Shows how to measure both financial and intangible/non-financial results

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Jack Phillips, Ph.D., is the founder of Performance Resources Organization, now the world's leading consulting firm specializing in accountability issues. The author or editor of more than 200 books and 100 articles, including The Handbook of Training Evaluation and Measurement, he has served as a bank president, Fortune 500 training and development manager, and professor of management at a major state university. His clients in 20 countries include such internationally respected companies as AT&T, Federal Express, Lockheed Martin, Motorola, and Xerox.

Ron Drew Stone is an author, international consultant and presenter, and one of the world's most recognized and accomplished authorities on improving and measuring training and performance improvement interventions. His company, the Center for performance and ROI, Inc., provides consulting services in performance analysis and improvement, linking training to business measures, designing training for results and ROI, and measuring results. Ron certifies practitioners in measurement and ROI and conducts public and in-house performance analysis and measurement workshops. Ron has over 30 years of diverse experience in economic development, engineering, training, and human resources. He has authored several books and has contributed to numerous published case studies and resource books. He is a certified change consultant. He has a BBA from Georgia State University.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 300 pages
• Publisher: McGraw-Hill; 1 edition (February 27, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0071387927
• ISBN-13: 978-0071387927
• Product Dimensions: 9.7 x 7.7 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #232,019 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Leslie, March 21, 2006

By 

Avid Reader "Flmom" (Melbourne, FL United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: How to Measure Training Results : A Practical Guide to Tracking the Six Key Indicators (Hardcover)

I have read many articles and books on this topic. While most books cover the evauluation levels defined by Kirkpatrick, this book goes one step further by providing lots of practical examples on how to actually evaluate training at each level. Every page contains at least one useful tip!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The best program for measuring training results that I have seen, July 25, 2008

By 

Craig Matteson (Saline, MI) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: How to Measure Training Results : A Practical Guide to Tracking the Six Key Indicators (Hardcover)

I always feel for training folks. They do important work that, when done well, truly adds value to the corporation. However, when good things happen, the credit stays closer to those who did the work rather than with those who helped them learn how to do it. Then, when times are tough, the hatchet chops closer to things like training than it does to the place where the ball was actually fumbled.

There are many books that try to help training programs justify their existence and quantify their value to the corporation. Of those I have read, I think this one comes closest to having a workable and solid program for capturing the value training creates.

I also like the sensible approach the authors take to the cost and time such measurement programs take. So, there are programs of short duration and of limited value that require one kind of measurement (maybe just smile sheets) where other, expensive, long, and strategic programs really are intended to produce long term value. You need to measure its effectiveness so you can document the value your training program added to the company.

The authors have a five level process for information. Levels 1 & 2 are the things you collect during training. Levels 3 & 4 are collected (and measured) after training. Level 5 is calculating the return on investment by using the information collected in levels 1-4 plus their monetary values and the collection of cost data.

I like their emphasis on reliable data, conservative estimates, and hard numbers.

Reviewed by Craig Matteson, Ann Arbor, MI 48103

2 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Money Talks . . ., July 31, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: How to Measure Training Results : A Practical Guide to Tracking the Six Key Indicators (Hardcover)

Jack J. Phillips' has been writing several books on assessing the impact of training and his latest book, co-authored with Ron D. Stone, is among the best ones, it is indeed a very good introductory book on evaluating training.
The more experienced training practitioner, who may have been using Kirkpatricks 4 levels, will also get a lot out of the book. It adds tools to Kirkpatricks levels but it also completes the Kirkpatrick model by adding a fifth lev, a ROI analysis. However, not everything may be measured in $ so the authors also include some ideas on how to present intangible assets in the reports.

A lot of the concepts have been presented in previous books, but here they are taken a step further when the authors give examples from their long experience within the field. Downloadable forms, worksheets, and checklists (at the publishers website!!), that may be adapted to various needs is a definite valuable add-on for practitioners who do not have an urge "to do it all on their own".

The book starts off with taking a look at the need for measurement and evaluation and presents the ROI-process as a framework for 6 types of measures, (Kirkspatricks' 4, the ROI and intangible assets). Then all levels, possible measurements etc are presented throughout the book, finishing off with key implementation steps. It is all wrapped in the ROI-process, a step-by-step "receipe" for planning, building and implementing the evaluation process.

So when the top management want to know if a training program is worth the money . . .
Reading the book may get you on the track. It may help you talk the language of Money a way that senior management understands.
This is in addition to building better programs.