Measurement and Evaluation on a Shoestring

Are you being asked to measure and evaluate the effectiveness of the learning programs you created for your company, but don't know where to start and have limited resources?

Measure Learning Impact Despite Limited Resources

Year after year, talent development professionals report that lack of time, lack of support or partnership from stakeholders, and limited budgets are key barriers to measuring and evaluating their learning programs. Measurement and Evaluation on a Shoestring offers TD professionals a process to measure what matters to the organization with the tools and resources they have available. M&E pro Alaina Szlachta applies the Build-Borrow-Buy approach to provide guidance, quick tips, and shortcuts for making measurement easier while still demonstrating the value and impact of organizational learning.

With this book, you will learn to ask the right questions, brainstorm metrics to evaluate learning, and build a measurement strategy that fits your needs. It also guides you on integrating measurement and evaluation into your instructional design approach from the beginning as well as using and analyzing data sources you might already have. You'll discover how to build stakeholder relationships to secure buy-in and when to look beyond your expertise for external support and technology.

The Association for Talent Development's On a Shoestring series helps professionals successfully execute core topics in training and talent development when facing limitations of time, money, staff, and other resources. Using the Build-Borrow-Buy approach to problem solving, this series is designed for practitioners who work as a department of one; for new or "accidental" trainers, instructional designers, and learning managers who need fast, inexpensive access to practical strategies that work; and for those who work for small organizations or in industries that have limited training and development resources.

List of contents

Introduction

Part 1. Build

Chapter 1. Simplifying Measurement With the Impact Hypothesis

Chapter 2. Aligning Your Measurement Strategy: Models and Tactics

Chapter 3. Boosting Data Literacy to Overcome Core Measurement Challenges

Part 2. Borrow

Chapter 4. Saving Time by Integrating Measurement With Instructional Design

Chapter 5. Evaluating and Improving Your Programs With New and Existing Data

Chapter 6. Getting Buy-In and Measuring Impact Without the Ideal Support System

Part 3. Buy

Chapter 7. Investing (or Not) in External Expertise

Chapter 8. Leveraging Technology and AI to Demonstrate the Value of Learning

Bringing It All Together

About the author

An academic turned entrepreneur, Alaina Szlachta, PhD, is
the founder of By Design Development Solutions, a consulting firm specializing
in data enablement. Drawing on her background as a researcher and public health
educator, she partners with learning and operations teams to integrate
measurement and evaluation systems into their daily practices, providing
continuous feedback loops that enhance quality, efficiency, and profitability.
Alaina brings a wealth of experience to her work. Her
diverse client portfolio spans higher education, diversity and inclusion,
finance, victim services, real estate, healthcare, and SaaS. She holds a
bachelor’s degree in communication and marketing from Seattle University, as
well as master’s and doctorate degrees in education and health education from
Widener University.
Alaina’s passion lies in culturally responsive teaching,
demonstrating the value of learning through data enablement, designing
curricula that facilitate behavior change, and championing excellence in
education. She generously shares her expertise through writing, speaking
engagements, and as the host of Measurement Made Easy, a free community of
practice that guides practitioners in refining their impact measurement
strategies.

When not revolutionizing data practices, Alaina can be found
exploring her adopted hometown of Austin, Texas, where she embraces an active
lifestyle, running and kayaking around the scenic Lady Bird Lake.

Summary

Are you being asked to measure and evaluate the effectiveness of the learning programs you created for your company, but don’t know where to start and have limited resources? 

Measure Learning Impact Despite Limited Resources

Year after year, talent development professionals report that lack of time, lack of support or partnership from stakeholders, and limited budgets are key barriers to measuring and evaluating their learning programs. Measurement and Evaluation on a Shoestring offers TD professionals a process to measure what matters to the organization with the tools and resources they have available. M&E pro Alaina Szlatcha applies the Build-Borrow-Buy approach to provide guidance, quick tips, and shortcuts for making measurement easier while still demonstrating the value and impact of organizational learning.

With this book, you will learn to ask the right questions, brainstorm metrics to evaluate learning, and build a measurement strategy that fits your needs. It also guides you on integrating measurement and evaluation into your instructional design approach from the beginning as well as using and analyzing data sources you might already have. You’ll discover how to build stakeholder relationships to secure buy-in and when to look beyond your expertise for external support and technology.

The Association for Talent Development’s On a Shoestring series helps professionals successfully execute core topics in training and talent development when facing limitations of time, money, staff, and other resources. Using the Build-Borrow-Buy approach to problem solving, this series is designed for practitioners who work as a department of one; for new or “accidental” trainers, instructional designers, and learning managers who need fast, inexpensive access to practical strategies that work; and for those who work for small organizations or in industries that have limited training and development resources.

Foreword

• ATD actively promotes ATD Press books to its audience via emails and its book catalog sent to members and contacts.


• ATD ensures that authors write practical and timely blog posts related to their books for posting on our site.


• ATD invites authors to participate in relevant ATD podcasts and encourages them to speak at ATD conferences (such as ATD’s International Conference & Exposition, TechKnowledge, and OrgDev) and events.


• ATD authors are experts in the talent development field and are active speakers at many conferences (such as DevLearn, The Learning Leaders Conference, Training Magazine’s annual conference, and various leadership conferences and forums). They are active podcast and webinar guests. They promote their books via social media, websites, newsletters, and other industry networks.


• ATD helps authors line up select podcasts and uses ATD podcast channels, blog posts, and magazine articles to promote their books.


• ATD creates a unique campaign with each of our authors. The timing of article placements, podcasts, and webinars, among other activities, are pursued on a rolling basis starting three months prior to the publishing of a book and continuing well after the publication of the book.

Product details

• Authors: Alaina Szlachta
• Publisher: American Society for Training and Development
• Languages: English
• Product format: Paperback / Softback
• Release: 26.11.2024, delayed
• EAN: 9781957157726
• ISBN: 978-1-957157-72-6
• No. of pages: 200
• Series: On a Shoestring
• Subjects: Guides > Law, job, finance; Social sciences, law, business > Business > Miscellaneous; BUSINESS & ECONOMICS / Organizational Development, Organizational theory & behaviour