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List of Figures, Tables, and Performance Support Tools xv <p>Acknowledgments xvii</p> <p>Introduction: Getting the Most from This Resource xix</p> <p><b>PART 1</b> <b>The Challenge</b></p> <p><b>Chapter 1: Full-Scope Evaluation: Raising the Bar 3</b></p> <p>Evaluation: The Full Scope 5</p> <p>Comparing the Four Types of Evaluation 11</p> <p>Evaluation: Full-Scope Model 15</p> <p>Challenges to Full-Scope Evaluation 17</p> <p><b>Chapter 2: Confirmative Evaluation: A Model Guides the Way 21</b></p> <p>Confirmative Evaluation Model 22</p> <p>Challenges to Implementing Confirmative Evaluation 29</p> <p>Why Bother? 33</p> <p><b>PART 2</b> <b>Meeting the Challenge</b></p> <p><b>Chapter 3: Preplan: Assess Training Program Evaluability 41</b></p> <p>When to Plan Confirmative Evaluation 43</p> <p>How to Plan a Confirmative Evaluation 45</p> <p>Assess Evaluability 48</p> <p>Challenges to Evaluability Assessment 68</p> <p><b>Chapter 4: Plan: The Plan's the Thing 73</b></p> <p>What's in a Confirmative Evaluation Plan? 75</p> <p>Review, Validate, and Approve the Plan 101</p> <p><b>Chapter 5: Do: For Goodness' Sake 107</b></p> <p>Jump-Start Data Collection 108</p> <p>Focus Data Collection 112</p> <p>Collect the Data 116</p> <p>Train the Data Collectors 127</p> <p>Store the Data 127</p> <p>Manage the Data-Collection Process 128</p> <p><b>Chapter 6: Analyze: Everything Old Is New Again 133</b></p> <p>Get Ready, Get Set 134</p> <p>Prepare the Confirmative Evaluation Data 135</p> <p>Now Analyze 137</p> <p>Interpret Confirmative Evaluation Results 143</p> <p>Make Results-Based Recommendations 146</p> <p>Report Confirmative Evaluation Results 147</p> <p><b>Chapter 7: Improve: Now What? 157</b></p> <p>Focus on Utilization 158</p> <p>Assume the Role 162</p> <p>Accept the Challenge 163</p> <p>Alignment: The Last Word 168</p> <p><b>PART 3</b> <b>Lessons from Oz</b></p> <p><b>Chapter 8: Case Study: Lions and Tigers and Bears, Oh My! 175</b></p> <p>The Case Study 176</p> <p>Meta Evaluation 186</p> <p>Final Thoughts 188</p> <p><b>Chapter 9: Conclusion: We’re Not in Oz Anymore 191</b></p> <p>Issues That Challenge Confirmative Evaluators 192</p> <p>Evaluation as an Emerging Discipline 197</p> <p>Improving the Process 198</p> <p>Put Yourself in the Picture 199</p> <p>Glossary 203</p> <p>References 211</p> <p>Index 221</p> <p>About the Authors 227</p> <p>About the Series Editors 229</p> <p>About the Advisory Board Members 233</p>

<b>Joan Conway</b> Dessinger is founder of and senior consultant with The Lake Group, a performance improvement consulting firm. She is the coauthor of two books with James L. Moseley and Darlene Van Tiem. The books won the 2001 and 2003 Award for Excellence in Instructional Communication from the International Society for Performance Improvement. She is also a contributor to <i>Distance Training</i> and <i>Sustaining Distance Training</i>, both from Jossey-Bass. <p><b>James L. Moseley</b> is an associate professor of community medicine at Wayne State University and is also on the faculty of the College of Education, in the instructional technology department. He has won numerous awards for teaching and mentoring and frequently consults with business and industry on program evaluation and needs assessment.</p>

<b>Your Guide to Confirmative Evaluation</b> <p>At a time when no expenditure is going unquestioned in organizations, training professionals are under increased pressure to prove the continuing efficiency, effectiveness, impact, and value of training programs as well as the continuing competence of the learners.</p> <p>This much-needed book offers trainers, consultants, evaluation professionals, and human resource executives and practitioners a hands-on resource for understanding and applying the proven principles of confirmative evaluation. Confirmative evaluation is a marriage of evaluation and continuous improvement. Unlike other types of evaluation–which are used during the design of a learning program or applied immediately after conducting a program–confirmative evaluation follows several months after the program is implemented. It tests the endurance of outcomes, the return on investment, and establishes the effectiveness, efficiency, impact, and value of the training over time.</p> <p>Throughout <i>Confirmative Evaluation</i> the authors show how to:</p> <ul> <li>Develop a complete, accurate, and useful confirmative evaluation plan</li> <li>Assess the evaluability of the training process</li> <li>Use a flowchart, a rating form, and other performance support techniques and tools to support confirmative evaluation</li> <li>Employ hard and soft technologies to conduct an efficient and effective confirmative evaluation</li> <li>Seamlessly add confirmative evaluation to your repertoire of knowledge and skills</li> <li>Interpret the data and communicate the results</li> </ul> <p>This book provides an on-the-job guide for planning and conducting confirmative evaluation of training programs and is filled with useful tables, figures, performance support tools, references, a glossary, and a thorough case study.</p>

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