Any organization with a comprehensive training program has a leadership development curriculum. These programs include everything from conventional classroom learning with guest speakers to high-tech simulations and lavish retreats. There also may be mentorship thrown in, as well as multiple job rotations. Despite the well-rounded curricula, many…

Describes the Participant Action Planning Approach (PAPA) process that requires each trainee to prepare a list of concrete actions or changes he or she plans to make back on the job once the training program is over. Benefits of PAPA are discussed, including transfer of learning, verbalization, and commitment. (CT)

Serious studies are underway that may help outdoor experiential training (OET) shed its faddishness and gain credibility as a legitimate instructional methodology. Only those programs that include clear objectives, skilled facilitation, a plan for transferring training back to the job, and credible evaluation and followup will be effective and…

A standardized training valuation system (TVS) is built around a set of analytic tools and employs a four-step process: situation, intervention, impact, value. The methodology identifies specific, current, and potential values as well as value obtained. It also helps determine why a training program failed. (JOW)

To justify their programs, trainers should plan follow-up surveys of trainees and their supervisors which answer the questions, (1) How accurately did the training address the exact job requirements? (2) How successfully are trainees performing tasks learned? and (3) What unintended consequences have occurred? (SK)

Discusses ethics training in terms of expected outcomes, contribution to the organization, value, effectiveness, and evaluation methods. Addresses what is known about ethics training, the renewed emphasis on ethics, and what works. (JOW)

Training can be measured at four levels: trainee reactions, acquisition of intended skill or knowledge, use of new skill or knowledge on the job, and impact on the organization. Evaluation of training is meaningful only if it is conducted within the context of a performance improvement system. (SK)

Discusses the peer-training model, opposition to the plan, major objectives of the model, strategies for motivating employees to train and for making training a priority, training the trainer, ongoing training in the work units, and benefits of the program. (CT)

Evaluation can help turn training into a powerful force that is of value to an organization. It should be based on what the organization values; its impact should not be limited to return on investment, and causal chains should be used to measure impact. (Author/JOW)

The best way to increase the value and impact of an evaluation system is to provide immediate feedback to the instructors and an innovative training climate that allows change. (SK)

Discusses the pros and cons of using computer-assisted instruction for training and the difficulty in evaluating various programs. (JOW)

The author discusses the problem of training programs that do not meet all employees' training needs. She points to faulty needs assessment as the cause. (CH)

Among the reasons why training and development fail are lack of alignment with needs, failure to recognize nontraining solutions, lack of objectives, expensive solutions, lack of accountability for results, failure to prepare for transfer, lack of management support, failure to isolate the effects of training, lack of executive commitment and…

Discusses the application of objective evaluation criteria to training programs. Suggests evaluating a presentation by asking: What is the speaker's goal? Does the delivery achieve it? What information is superfluous? What information undermines the goal? and What tactics are being used to engage listeners? (JOW)