The Success Case Method: A Strategic Evaluation Approach to Increasing the Value and Effect of Training

TLDR

Effective HRD is essential, yet most organizations fail to evaluate training ROI, and conventional models that focus on scope rather than performance actually hinder organizational impact. This article argues that training impact should be assessed through performance management context rather than HRD alone, and introduces the Success Case Method to address this. The Success Case Method evaluates training by examining performance outcomes within the broader management context, as outlined and applied in the article. A recent SCM evaluation for a major business client demonstrates the method’s ability to illustrate training impact on performance.

Abstract

The problem and the solution. Despite the fact that effective human resource development (HRD) operations are vital to overall organization success, most organizations fail to evaluate the impact and return on training investments that they could and should. Traditional evaluation models and methods, with their focus on simply assessing the scope of training’s effect, do little to help reap greater performance and organizational impact from HRD and, in fact, can even undermine this purpose. This article argues that it is performance, not HRD, that achieves (or does not achieve) results, and thus impact evaluation must inquire more broadly into the performance management context. Consequently, the Success Case Method (SCM) is presented and discussed. The final portion of the article presents a case study derived from a recent SCM evaluation project for a major business client that demonstrates and illustrates the working of the method.