Evaluation: Level 5 - Return on Investment (ROI)

Answers the questions – What is the return-on-investment (ROI) for the stakeholder based on outcome measures identified at organizational analysis? These are the cost-returns attributed to performance. Metrics can include profit-gains and cost-reductions such as cost savings in travel, time saved on-task, reduction in error, reduction in resource usage, decreases in down-time, quality in production and customer service, etc… Data from reaction, learning, behavior, and/or results evaluations can be mapped back into an LMS, a best practices library, and/or design to continuously improve the learning value of the training product and to adapt to the ever-changing needs of the stakeholder in a competitive global economy.

Evaluation: Level 4 - Results/Performance

Answers the questions – Did participants perform better and by how much? While the previously described behavior measures assess how and what gets done, performance measures assess the outcomes. Think of the difference between how a baseball player swings a bat, a behavior-based skill – what he does; and whether he hit the 'sweet spot' or 'knocked one over the fence' - performance outcomes. Performance measures tend to be based on the individual or departmental levels. Measured on an interval basis (by day, week, month, quarter, year, etc.), common examples can include increases in:

• Production
• Bookings
• Revenue
• Margin
• Number of customer interactions
• Average time spent with each customer
• Closures to sale
• Customer satisfaction
• Percentage of total tickets closed
• Project milestones hit

Or decreases in:

• Product defects
• Over expenditure
• Time spent on task
• Customer complaints
• Issues/tickets opened
• Project milestones missed

Again, based on the nature of these measures, sound methodology includes pretest and posttest measures while accounting for extraneous variables.