Week one forum
This week we begin with an overview of an effective training program as a means for determining the resources needed to perform and effective program evaluation. Then, we begin thinking about how to mobilize important resources for evaluating the success of programs: managers and other stakeholders. Finally, we begin identifying resources and planning components for the evaluation.
Upon completion of this module, you will be able to:
1. Identify the different types of Human Resource Development (HRD) programs that you could possibly evaluate.
2. Discuss the key aspects of an effective program for the purpose of generating data points (or aspects to measure).
3. Draw conclusions about what to do before planning an HRD evaluation.
4. Begin devising a plan of an HRD program using a logic model approach to evaluate participants, reactions, learning, and behavior, as well as the results.
Module 1: Overall Objective
The objective by the end of week one is to have met with your group to discuss an organization you plan on working with. The discussion on the different types of organizations is to get you thinking about who you would like to work with. I suggest you reach out to group members as soon as possible.
Additionally, please connect with your intended organization as soon as possible, discussing which HRD or WD program that you will plan a program evaluation for. As part of the experience, you will need to meet with your organization, perhaps virtually, at least three times. The meetings can comprise of an introduction and two working meetings. Read the resources indented below, including the links and documents.
To achieve these objectives:
1. Read Kirkpatrick and Kirkpatrick (2007) Chapter 1 Analyzing your Resourcesand Chapter 2 Getting Your Managers on Board (by Wednesday).
2. Read Basarab’s (2011) Chapter 6 How to Get Started Implementing Predictive Evaluation (by Wednesday).
3. Participate by posting your answer in the “Types of HRD Programs” discussion below and conclude with an idea of which HRD or WD program your group wants to plan to evaluate in this course (first post due by Thursday and last post due by Sunday).
4. Contribute your critical thoughts about the week’s readings and multimedia in the discussion forum (first post due by Thursday and last post due by Sunday).
5. Evaluation is an ongoing process, not a one time event, that offers feedback. Making sense of the data from an evaluation at any given time can be quite a process!
6. The needs of stakeholders must be accounted for in the evaluation plan. However, determining who the key stakeholders of an organization is tricky. Please check out this 3-minute video about defining key stakeholders.
7. https://youtu.be/IIeqIN90dK0
Please discuss the types of human resource development (HRD) and workforce development (WD) programs at non-profit organizations, state agencies and private corporations that may be worth evaluating. This list of HRD and WD programs does not need to be exhaustive, just bullet two to five possibilities.
You may have some questions about what a non-profit organization is. Please check out this website, created by a graduate student named Kate Luckert for Case Western Reserve University, that contains a definition and some examples of non-profit organizations: http://learningtogive.org/papers/paper41.html. For the purposes of this class, we are defining non-profit organization broadly.
You may find it helpful to browse the following websites to glean ideas for various types of HRD & WD programs in the world:
• Association for Talent Development (ATD) (http://www.astd.org/) (This professional association was formerly known as ASTD.)
• Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology (SIOP) (http://www.siop.org/)
• Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) (https://www.shrm.org/Pages/default.aspx)
• National Association of Workforce Boards (NAWB) (http://www.nawb.org/)
Please feel free to post additional websites that may be helpful for this exercise in the discussion forum.
Please also discuss the local non-profit, government entities and private corporations that you could choose for your project. For this course, your services will involve creating an evaluation plan for one of the organization’s HRD or WD programs (You don not have to execute the plan for the purpose of this course). The completed plan is the major assignment of this course and the goal of all assignments throughout this course.
At the end of your discussion, please surmise which organization your group will choose to work with in this course. The first post is due by Thursday and your final post is due Saturday, in week one. Please initiate contact with your organization and meet with them as soon as possible.