New solution to evaluation challenges from Ceres Management

PRLog (Press Release) - Jan. 10, 2012 - Results assessment specialist Ceres Management has launched an approach to evaluation that: defines what business success looks like; aligns evaluation goals with business needs; focuses evaluation around clear performance needs; defines success indicators, especially for behavioural outcomes, and is easy to apply and administer.

The approach – called ‘Results Assessment’ and developed from the work of Brinkerhoff, Holton, Kirkpatrick and others - has been refined for L&D practitioners following a workshop held in Oxford last year involving a number of specialist training, talent and HR consultants drawn from the private and public sectors. Facilitated by Dr John O’Connor, of Ceres Management, and Russell McCann, of Bright Beyond, the participants reflected on their evaluation needs and explored ways to improve the evaluation of training and development initiatives.

According to John O’Connor, of Ceres Management, there was agreement across the group that, to be effective, an evaluation model must:
•   Define what business success looks like
•   Align evaluation goals with business need
•   Focus the evaluation around clear performance needs
•   Define success indicators, especially for behavioural outcomes
•   Be easy to apply and administer

O’Connor then introduced Results Assessment and took the group on an interactive ‘test-drive’ to show its detailed workings.  Participants’ reactions were extremely positive, with special mention being made of the model’s innovative aspects and ‘business focus’.  

O’Connor commented: “Results Assessment has been specifically designed to link engagement to measuring value and provide practical ways to move beyond ‘level one’ measurement.”

For further details of Results Assessment, contact John O’Connor on +44-(0)7838165778 or at john@ceresmanagement.co.uk

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About Ceres Management

Ceres Management, which was founded, in 2009, by Dr John O’Connor, focuses on improving how we measure the impact of people development initiatives. It aims to enable clients to use the evidence of business results to make sound decisions about ongoing investments in people development.

Months of research, development and prototyping led to the launch of Results Assessment, a pragmatic, practitioner-centred evaluation model.
Results Assessment requires that ‘measurement’ be firmly situated at the forefront of every organisational development and training initiative. The model takes clients and stakeholders through an initial alignment exercise, which sets the roadmap for the remaining evaluation activities.
A practitioner in the field of learning and performance improvement for over 20 years, John O’Connor has a PhD in instructional design from Florida State University. He has worked internationally, with private as well as public sector clients, to design, deliver and measure high-impact learning & change initiatives.
Further information from:

John O’Connor, Ceres Management, +44 (0)78381 65778;
john@ceresmanagement.co.uk    

Bob Little, Bob Little Press & PR, +44 (0)1727 860405; bob.little@boblittlepr.com