Phase 4: Evaluation

Emphasis of Evaluation

A successful evaluation strategy comprises three components. Take steps to evaluate your:

Training cadre.
PD offerings.
Cadre members.

Now that your training cadre has taken action and performed specific tasks, it is time to refer back to the evaluation strategy you designed earlier in the process to evaluate your cadre.

Periodically review your evaluation strategy to:

Revisit your cadre’s mission, vision, and goals.
Determine what progress your cadre has made toward the stated goals.
Decide on specific adjustments that may be needed.
Communicate the results to your cadre.
Work with cadre members to perform any specific adjustments or changes in scope or direction.

You can use or adapt sample evaluation forms for your specific needs.

Evaluate Offerings

As your training cadre evaluates its PD offerings, you will want to measure:

Participants’ reactions.
Participants’ learning.
Organizational support and change.
Participants’ use of new knowledge and skills.
Outcomes.

Refer to the Professional Development Evaluation Framework [PDF – 71K] for guidance.

Regardless of the outcomes of your evaluations, it is crucial to share the results with the cadre. You can lead the cadre in a facilitated discussion that compares the actual results of the team’s efforts with the mission, vision, goals, and objectives originally established.

It is also important to update members on changes and emerging trends to sustain the ongoing efforts of the team. Additionally, share with the cadre any plans you have made for follow-up support.

Member Self-Evaluation

Self-Reflection

Self-reflection can be supported for individuals or groups.

Individuals:

Provide a safe environment to reflect.
Provide a conversational template to guide self-reflection.

Groups:

Mediate questions that invite the discovery of insights.
Ask questions that are open-ended, nonjudgmental, and focused on self-directed learning.

Feedback obtained through evaluation is an important element for growth and to make improvements. You should evaluate how you are doing as a team; however, members of the cadre should also evaluate themselves individually. You can use the evaluation checklists and forms to aid your evaluation efforts.

Self-observation is even more effective than feedback that comes from a source external to the individual. The practice of backing away and reflecting on our own experiences, realities, and effectiveness helps us to grow our expertise.
_{Source: Garmston, Robert J. Journal of Staff Development (Winter 1997, Vol. 18., No. 1)}

Some ways to incorporate self-reflection within the training cadre include:

Leader: Consider limiting verbal feedback as a part of coaching your team to avoid adopting a supervisory tone
Group: Provide feedback to fellow cadre members based on observations
Individual: Use conversational self-reflection tools that elicit reflective responses

Your evaluation processes may have helped identify development needs within the cadre itself. At this point, consider your evaluation results and decide if your cadre requires any skill-building training or other types of support to maintain and build capacity.

This can be determined based on:

Results of the evaluation process.
A revisit of the inventory tool, How Strong is Your Professional Development Infrastructure? [DOC – 44 KB].
A needs assessment of the training cadre itself, refer to Improving Professional Development Offerings: Steps to Conduct a Needs Assessment [DOC – 51 KB].

As the cadre leader, establish your own follow-up support plan for the training cadre. This will ensure the cadre receives the support needed to continue pursuing its goals and building organizational capacity.

Identify Barriers and Solutions

Consider asking yourself and colleagues:

What are barriers to evaluating the training cadre?
What are barriers to evaluating team members?
What are barriers to building capacity through trainings?
What are barriers to communicating regularly with the cadre?
What can be done to overcome these barriers?