Development projects
The projects we carry out aim to address development needs identified at the stage of their analysis. The implementation of a training project supports the achievement of the organization's objectives.
The idea for a development project can come from the organization’s management board, HR director or training manager, line managers, interested employees, and sometimes even customers or external partners (e.g., those reporting incompetence of a group of employees).
We implement training projects in four stages:
1. Needs analysis
In the first stage, we identify discrepancies between what is happening in the organization or a department and what should be happening according to the goals and strategy of the organization. The differences between what employees know and what they can do and what they need to know and what they should do are the basis for planning further actions.
The needs analysis leads to identifying the development needs of different departments. These indicate what kind of development activities the employees need (e.g., training, but the recommendation may be to offer the employees coaching or mentoring).
We use various tools to investigate the reasons for this, such as documentation analysis, observation, surveys, and interviews.
During the needs analysis, we diagnose external conditions that may impact the training process, e.g., economic changes, increasing customer demands, dynamic labor market, influence of politics, legal and social conditions, etc.
When analyzing internal conditions, we take into account three levels: the organizational level, the department level, and the individual level.
2. Planning the development project
At this stage, we define the objectives of the development project and the expected results, design the content (we select the content and work methods that meet the diagnosed needs and expected results), determine the duration and location of the entire project, and create a budget and schedule.
3. Implementation of the development project
At this stage, we carry out the project in a selected form, e.g., a training cycle. We also conduct accompanying activities, e.g., individual consultations.
When choosing a development method, we primarily bear in mind the organization's goal.
We use appropriate methods to achieve specific goals, such as training games, simulations, group exercises, individual exercises, and tests.
4. Evaluation of activities within the development project
The last stage is the evaluation of the effectiveness of the project, which consists of examining the changes that have occurred in the knowledge, skills, and attitudes of the participants.
This stage provides information about the degree to which the objectives formulated in earlier stages have been achieved. The information obtained as a result of the evaluation of actions taken is used for possible correction.
The aim is to compare the achieved results with the assumed objectives and to check to what extent it was possible to change the project participants' attitudes and increase their knowledge and skills.
To test the effectiveness of the development project, we use a comprehensive approach, i.e., a four-level evaluation process:
- Level 1. Reaction Assessment
We ask participants to assess the extent to which the content matches their learning styles, their perceived level of achievement of the training objectives, their motivation to transfer the acquired knowledge and skills to their work environment, and their level of self-efficacy. - Level 2. Evaluation of the learning process
We examine the level of knowledge acquired by the participants during the training. We use tests of knowledge and skills, exams, final tasks, as well as self-evaluation. Knowledge measurements are taken before and after training at set intervals. - Level 3. Behavioral assessment of the actual transfer of skills to the work environment
At this level, we evaluate the actual behavior of the participant after returning from training to the workplace: Has an employee started to do something different as a result of the training? Has an employee changed the way of performing tasks?
To evaluate the behavior, we use the observation of the actual transfer of skills to the work environment, but also interviews/surveys with coworkers, superiors, and self-assessment. - Level 4. Performance Evaluation
At this level, we examine how the training has affected the organization's performance (company or department): has it helped it function more efficiently, do the employees perform better, and does new skills generate any profits.
When evaluating the effectiveness of a training project, we take into account the following.
- the motivation of the participants (for training and transfer)
- support from supervisors
- the consistency of the training with procedures, technologies, or organizational culture.
We involve supervisors, managers, participants, also their coworkers, or even customers.
After returning to work, we ensure that the trainee has the right conditions to transfer the acquired knowledge and skills to the work environment. We design further actions that will allow participants to go from initiating the transfer to sustaining it. Trainees should naturally apply the new knowledge and skills while performing everyday tasks at work.
At CCIQ, we apply a systematic approach to the whole process, which helps achieve the organization’s strategy and solve its real problems
