Abdi newsletter

Issue 25 - May 2009

Greetings from abdi
abdi ltd has a depth of experience unique in the UK in impact measurement and ROI studies to assess investment in human capital. abdi ltd undertakes external evaluations and trains key individuals in private and public sector organisations to measure return on investment in HR interventions of all sorts including learning and development, change programmes and international assignments. Check out our website www.abdi.eu.com




From inputs to outcomes

We don't do politics, but we do listen carefully to political language.

The day after the budget David Cameron, appearing on the Today Programme, said that we now have to shift from focussing on inputs to thinking about outcomes.

This could have been significant language, because if he really meant it the consequences would reverberate throughout the public sector, and well beyond.

We know that the public sector says it plans with outcomes at the forefront of its mind. But even if the language of policy refers to outcomes, unless these are accompanied by specific metrics there is no chance of being able to report impact.

The best that can be hoped for is that the costs will be fully recorded alongside the process of spending the money and managing the process.

And even the costs are often less than the full story. Direct costs will be there, but the just-as-real, and often very large, indirect costs often go uncounted. 

Before you run away with the notion that this is a rant against the public sector, let me say that the private sector generally has very similar problems identifying its full L&D costs.

The problem is that unless you fully state what something costs you can not possibly make a credible comparison with any benefits you identify.

But if David Cameron seriously meant that, given the chance, he would shift the public sector from its preoccupation with inputs to tracking and reporting outcomes, no one should underestimate the size of the practical and cultural change that would launch.

As in any company, it would change the language and process of planning. It would mean that new policies and initiatives would not be launched without the data from previous experience.

It would enable policies and programmes to be improved as they were operated, and would transform the accountability of those responsible for them.

Exciting times. Why not join some of those who have already decided to be part of them by embarking on the abdi ROI 2 day Foundation Course in Cambridge on 15 and 16 June. You can book on www.abdi.eu.com or call us direct on 01223 360 240.

Jane Massy


Henry McLeish joins abdi board

The Rt Hon Henry McLeish, former First Minister of Scotland, has joined abdi as a working director. Henry completed ROI training in 2007 and has since been helping raise awareness of the need for impact and outcomes. He has recently chaired an influential commission into the future of Scottish prisons, and been member of another commission set up by the Scottish government into Scottish broadcasting. Alongside his commitment to abdi he is currently chairing the recently announced Scottish Football Review Committee. He is a visiting professor in the USA, is an author of books on Scotland's governance and position in the world, and writes extensively in Scottish press. We are delighted to welcome Henry to our growing organisation.


Volkswagen Group Learning Services - driving change management through ROI

David George is Head of Learning Services for Volkswagen Group, the department that delivers learning for Volkswagen, Audi, Seat and Skoda dealer networks.

Volkswagen is one of the UK's early adopters of the ROI Methodology, and is now well into the process of embedding it into the planning, tracking and performance improvement of its extensive learning and development operation.

'We are very much in the infancy of using the methodology', he says. David says that his colleagues at Volkswagen very quickly saw the sense of the methodology. 

'In the past large commercial training programmes were based on people's supposition that they were the right thing.

'For example, training has a significant role in the launch of a new car. Now ROI forces us to ask the simple question about what we need people to do back in the workplace once they have had training on the new product.'

That, he points out, happens when a lot of hard work has been done, and when data, which was not previously available, has been assembled. But it is demanding.

'No one should underestimate the level of change involved.  It takes a lot of time and energy to take that first step. To deliver an absolutely 'pure' ROI model will take a lot of time.'

One problem he highlights comes from over-enthusiasm. 'The most important element is getting people to consider carefully what the performance problem is before we jump to a solution. We get caught up with trying to take everything to Level 5, and people do not always realise we are not going to do that with every project. What we need to know is that the performance will be different.'

Another, he admits, is that sometimes people feel they already know what the problem is behind an apparent training need. They may be right. 'From time to time we are going to need to short-circuit a bit to speed up a solution to a known problem'.

Can he see ROI adoption bringing cost benefits to Volkswagen Group? 'Yes, because it will reduce wastage - stop us designing and delivering courses that are not needed. It makes us ask, Is this aligned to business needs?

'And one of the really important long-term benefits is that we want to create real demand for our training from the dealer networks that we serve'


April Foundation graduates

Congratulations to eight more successful candidates. They all now have their Foundation Certificates on the way to them:

Lesley Aspden - Warwickhire College,
Puneet Sachdev – Visit Scotland
Nahid Askari – Kirklees Primary Care Trust
Paul McCann – Calderdale Primary Care Trust
Lucy Harmer – Barnsley Hospital NHS Trust
Bev France – Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Trust
Sara Pearson – Hull and East Yorkshire NHS Trust
Andrew Broadhead – Rotherham NHS Trust

Some of them are already planning to go to the next stage of ROI competence and get their abdi ROI Evaluator Certificates. If you have already completed the Foundation Course, why not join our next 3 day abdi ROI Evaluator Course on 17-19 June?
Book direct on www.abdi.eu.com or call us on 01223 360 240.


ROI Advanced Practitioners share L&D strategies

A couple of times a year we host a small gathering of the most active and experienced ROI Methodology users from our major partner and client organisations. On 23 April a group of 16 shared experience and insights from their approaches to the downturn and their plans for growing out of it. These conversations are all bound by Chatham House rules ensuring that what is said is not attributed. There were guests from Singapore (L&D policy) as well as experts from finance, sport, health, telecommunications and the not-for-profit sector. The consistent message was the emphasis these varied disparate businesses and organisations are placing on a constructive response to the economic crisis: boosting leadership and management skills, hanging onto smart staff and taking the opportunity to improve skill levels.


Building a library 

This month we are looking beyond hard and soft covers, and beyond the conventional printed page to some of the smartest online sources of essential reading. One we always look at is www.mckinseyquarterly.com (The McKinsey Quarterly). Root around in the back numbers.

Those who have worked with us know how strongly we emphasise the need to adopt good change management techniques when implementing the ROI Methodology. Two change management articles caught our eye.

One from 2007 - Building and effective change agent team by Philippe Arrat, Arnaud Despierre and Gautam Kumra. They relate the cautionary tale of an Asian pulp and paper company whose silo culture resisted change. From their work in Canada, Singapore and India respectively they highlight three key elements of a successful change management programme: a thoughtful design, the careful recruitment and development of personnel, and close integration between the change agent team and the organisational areas targeted for transformation.

Another from 2006 - Organising for successful change management: a McKinsey global survey. What did respondents regard as the key elements of successful change programmes? Defining clear goals, communicating, integrating goals into key processes and regularly and publicly acknowledging successes.

Anyone else like to share favourite sources or smart articles?


Reminder

For places on the Foundation or the Evaluator Courses in the week of 15 - 19 June, or for any other enquiries about or services, go to www.abdi.eu.com or call 01223 360 240


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