Beyond Kirkpatrick | John Whitfield
*** šØ Discussion Piece šØ ***
Is it Time to Move Beyond Kirkpatrick & Phillips for Measuring L&D Effectiveness?
Did you know organisations spend billions on Learning & Development (L&D), yet only 10%-40% of that investment actually translates into lasting behavioral change? (Kirwan, 2024)
As Brinkerhoff vividly puts it, "training today yields about an ounce of value for every pound of resources invested."
1ļøā£ Limitations of Popular Models: Kirkpatrick's four-level evaluation and Phillips' ROI approach are widely used, but both neglect critical factors like learner motivation, workplace support, and learning transfer conditions.
2ļøā£ Importance of Formative Evaluation: Evaluating the learning environment, individual motivations, and training design helps to significantly improve L&D outcomes, rather than simply measuring after-the-fact results.
3ļøā£ A Comprehensive Evaluation Model: Kirwan proposes a holistic "learning effectiveness audit," which integrates inputs, workplace factors, and measurable outcomes, including Return on Expectations (ROE), for more practical insights.
Why This Matters:
Relying exclusively on traditional, outcome-focused evaluation methods may give a false sense of achievement, missing out on opportunities for meaningful improvement. Adopting a balanced, formative-summative approach could ensure that billions invested in L&D truly drive organisational success.
Is your organisation still relying solely on Kirkpatrick or Phillipsāor are you ready to evolve your L&D evaluation strategy? | 34 comments on LinkedIn