Human resource management practice I also available by michael armstrong

Part 

5

  Learning and Development

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defining expectations on the impact that the event 

will  make  in  terms  of  criterion  behaviour  (the  

performance  standards  or  changes  in  behaviour  

on-the-job to be achieved if a learning process is to 

be regarded as successful) and terminal behaviour 

(the  actual  work  behaviour  of  learners  when  they 

complete  their  learning  programme).  The  aim  is  

to  establish  the  extent  to  which  the  event  has 

achieved its purpose. At the same time, it is necessary 

to consider how the information required for evalu-

ation should be obtained and analysed.

The areas that need to be evaluated are:

 

●

Planning – the extent to which needs were 

properly evaluated and objectives set.

 

●

Conduct – how well the programme or event 

was organized and managed, the degree to 

which the inputs and methods were 

appropriate and effective, and its cost 

compared with the budget.

 

●

Reactions – what participants felt about the 

event.

 

●

Outcomes – the impact the event made on 

individual, departmental and organizational 

performance.

Evaluation can take place at different levels, starting 

with  immediate  reactions  to  the  learning  event  

and completed with an assessment of the impact it 

has  had  on  organizational  performance.  The  best 

known and most used system of levels was developed 

by Kirkpatrick (1994).