Responding to David Stoesz's invited article criticizing the Children's Bureau and the National Child Welfare Workforce Institute (NCWWI), the author's inaccurate assertions are challenged, and new information is provided about the significant work underway to support the child welfare workforce. The Children's Bureau has made historic investments…

Parsons describes benefits and limitations of using financial analysis tools to evaluate human resource development programs, suggesting the additional dimension of values. Brinkerhoff's reaction emphasizes the flaws of impact evaluation, suggesting ways to reframe training evaluation. (SK)

Asserts that a large part of the labor pool from which businesses draw employees is poorly educated. Suggests that a good way to get help is to create strategic alliances with government agencies and private organizations. Presents examples of an alliance that was formed to address labor deficiencies in South Carolina. (JOW)

A major problem faced in program evaluation of vocational education is the lack of a national manpower policy. This concern involves workers' acquiring and developing occupational skills which are needed by society and demanded by employers. Federal legislation specifications spell out program requirements which educators must keep in mind. (CT)

Contains suggestions for designing a program for developing small scale enterprise managers or promotion staff: define the problem, identify the weaknesses, identify the best method of assistance, hire suitable consultants, identify the best source of financial support, and ensure that the program is effectively implemented and evaluated. (CT)

Four human resource managers present their recommendations for establishing training/human resource development departments. They discuss the following elements: chief executive office support, the role of formal needs analysis, the role of operating managers, market research, and having a sense of teamwork. (CT)

This article introduces the main objectives of special public works program and presents the major findings of evaluations of a number of such programs implemented in developing countries with the assistance of the International Labour Organization in regard to design, organization, training activities, technical aspects, and employment and income…

Addresses issues related to the evaluation of community colleges' economic development efforts, describing the context for evaluation in terms of the external environment and college management/governance; practical realities guiding evaluation; steps in designing an evaluation programs; and the application of results to decision making. (DMM)

This innovative session provides a vehicle for facilitating dialogue and practical application of effective tools for linking human resource development (HRD) strategies with business/organizational strategies. The primary goal is to provide an increased understanding of and skill using practical, research-based approaches and techniques to build…

This article addresses the evaluation of new British programs designed to bring more experiential and active learning into the higher education curriculum. Some of the difficulties of assessing these programs are examined and political influences on evaluation are discussed. (MSE)

A useful, values-oriented human resource development (HRD) program evaluation approach is one that is empirical with its orientation derived from a social/technical perspective. The optimum mix between the technical skills of evaluation and the required social skills of evaluation delivery is crucial for the quality assurance process. The core to…

Basic issues in workplace education evaluation can be structured into five discussion questions. The first is who wants to know what information for what purpose. The "who" constitutes the program's stakeholders both at and beyond the program level. Further inquiry is then needed to determine what kind of information these stakeholders typically…

Includes 26 articles on increasing workforce quality and competitiveness, the primary task of employment and training professionals. Looks at the larger picture, strategies, and decentralized national employment and training programs internationally. Examines debate over research methods, national research, and state and local efforts. Includes…

The National Alliance of Business (NAB) reported recently on the National Workforce Assistance Collaborative that works with community colleges and other educational institutions to build their capacity to develop the work force of the 21st century. NAB had conducted a series of focus groups with participants from business, industry, education,…

The Skills Standards Projects have provided further emphasis on the need for benchmarking U.S. vocational-technical education (VTE) against international competition. Benchmarking is an ongoing systematic process designed to identify, as quantitatively as possible, those practices that produce world class performance. Metrics are those things that…