Beginning on November 8^th, OPM will host a series of monthly evaluation learning sessions.  These sessions will showcase effective and innovative evaluation practices and tools that will increase your evaluation ability, and help improve training program management. These sessions are intended to integrate theory with practical applications on the following training program evaluation topics: 

• Theory of Change
• Logic Models
• Learning Design
• Decision Making 

The learning sessions will be facilitated using a blended-learning format and provide networking opportunities with evaluation experts (see event information below).  

Who should attend?

• Federal learning and development professionals, especially those with program evaluation responsibilities. 

What are the intended outcomes?

Participants of the Evalu-Add learning sessions will:

• Increase knowledge of the diversity in evaluation design and practices to guide the development of a training program evaluation.
• Gain knowledge about universal evaluation principles.
• Increase awareness of evaluation professionals within the collective federal evaluation community (whether or not those professionals work in “training”).
• Increase capacity to collect accurate and reliable evaluation data to use in making data driven decisions.
• Determine the role and impact of evaluation in risk management and program effectiveness. 

Why is OPM planning this event?

These sessions are a part of OPM’s ongoing efforts to provide agencies support in meeting the President’s Management Agenda, “Workforce of the 21st Century” Cross-Agency Priority Goal. These sessions will provide Federal employees’ evaluation guidance and resources that aid in their continuous program improvement initiatives. 

Additionally, agencies are required by regulation to “evaluate their training programs annually to determine how well such plans and programs contribute to mission accomplishment and meet organizational performance goals”.  The lack of evaluation capacity, use of evaluation practices, and ability to evaluate training program impact greatly compromises the integrity of training evaluation data and its use in making data driven decisions. 

How can I find additional information?

• OPM Training Program Evaluation page (see event information below).
  
• Federal Training and Development Listserv email updates. Click the link, http://listserv.opm.gov/wa.exe?A0=LEG-POL, to subscribe to the listserv and select “Join”.

Please e-mail any questions to SESDevelopment@opm.gov. 

FED Evalu-Add Learning Session

Demonstrating Learning’s Value: A Multi-Disciplinary Approach

Monday, March 25, 2019
9:00 A.M. – 4:00 P.M. EST
Office of Personnel Management (OPM)
1900 E Street, NW, Room 1350
Washington, DC 20415

Proving that learning makes a difference is a continual journey (and some might even portend it’s a battle). This workshop provides insights into proven evaluation techniques, and uses the logic model as a centerpiece of an effective evaluation strategy. In addition, there are several other organizational dynamics that may get overlooked in conversations on learning’s value proposition. Dynamics such as strategy, talent management health, organizational change, resources, and how learning is positioned within agencies are major contributors to that conversation. This highly interactive workshop will expose you to these concepts and engage you in a rich discussion.  At the end of the workshop, you will be able to proficiently identify and use an assortment of techniques to evaluate learning’s value and its connection with the agency’s strategies and talent initiatives.

Workshop Objectives

In this workshop, you will:

• Assess the health of your agency’s talent management practices.
• Explore the role of organizational change and diagnosis as it relates to learning.
• Explore the crucial role of needs analysis.
• Consider the business of learning in the context of evaluation.
• Develop a branding strategy for learning to promote its role as a strategic business partner.
  
• Identify stakeholders and assess relationships.
  
• Discover evaluation concepts.
  
• Apply concepts to real-world talent development initiatives in your home agency.
  
• Engage in a number of activities at the individual, small group, and workshop-wide level.

About the Presenter

• Dr. David Rude, Chief Learning Officer (CLO) for the U.S. National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA)
  
• Cynthia Way, Chief Learning Officer for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
  
• Priscilla Novak, Management and Program Analyst with the Office of Personnel Management (OPM)

Registration

Space is very limited, and will be first-come, first-serve. Click the link, https://evaluadd_learning-value.eventbrite.com, to register for the workshop. 

Event Pre-work

Prior to attending the workshop, please:

• Complete the Talent Management Health Index. Click the link, https://feedback.opm.gov/Community/se/076F441031768A61, to access the index.
• Come prepared to discuss a recent, current, or emerging real-world talent development initiative within your portfolio. You will refer back to your initiative throughout the workshop to amplify relevance and practical application of learned strategies and techniques.

For questions about the workshop, please email SESDevelopment@opm.gov.