Quality Assurance and Impact Evaluation in Learning and Development

Many learning and development functions work hard but struggle to prove their value. Needs analysis is replaced by course catalogues and nomination lists, programmes are bought on reputation rather than evidence, providers are managed on price and feedback forms, and evaluation stops at the end of the classroom. When budgets are reviewed, L&D cannot show which programmes changed behaviour or results and which did not.

This programme treats quality and impact as one connected system. It moves through five stages: setting up quality assurance for the learning process, analysing needs and designing for transfer, assuring the quality of delivery and providers, evaluating behaviour change and business impact, and reporting results in a way that informs investment decisions.

Built on recognised practice. The programme references ISO 10015 guidance on competence management and people development, ISO 30422 on learning and development, ISO 29993 on learning services, human capital reporting concepts from ISO 30414, the Kirkpatrick four levels of evaluation, the Phillips ROI Methodology and the Success Case Method. Participants learn when each approach is appropriate and what it costs to apply.

Decisions this programme improves. Which learning requests deserve investment; how to define success before a programme starts; which programmes need deep evaluation and which need only basic monitoring; how to select and manage training providers; when to redesign, continue or stop a programme; and what to report to executives about the value of learning.

How it is delivered. Twenty hours across five sessions, built around one running case: a leadership development programme requested by a business unit. Participants test the request, define success measures, review the design for transfer, build an evaluation plan with data sources, isolate the effect of training in a sample dataset and prepare an impact report for the executive committee.

In-house option. For organisations, the programme can be tailored to your own learning policies, learning management system data, provider contracts and priority programmes, and delivered to L&D and HR business partner teams together.

Who Should Attend

L&D leaders: heads of learning and development, training directors and managers of corporate academies

L&D practitioners: training coordinators, instructional designers and learning evaluation specialists

HR leaders: HR business partners and talent management managers who sponsor learning programmes

Quality and excellence staff responsible for reviewing HR and learning processes

Public sector training institutes: managers in government training centres and institutes

Objectives

Design a quality assurance framework that covers the full learning cycle from needs analysis to evaluation

Conduct a performance-based needs analysis that separates skill gaps from other causes of poor performance

Agree measurable success criteria with business sponsors before a programme is approved

Review programme designs for learning transfer and remove common transfer barriers

Set quality standards and a review process for internal facilitators and external training providers

Build an evaluation plan that selects the right level of evaluation for each programme

Measure behaviour change and business results using appropriate data collection methods

Apply techniques to isolate the effect of training and convert results into monetary value where justified

Calculate and interpret return on investment and state its limitations honestly

Prepare impact reports and learning dashboards that support investment decisions

Course Outline

Quality Assurance for the Learning Function

Why L&D struggles to show value: activity measures versus outcome measures
The learning cycle as a managed process: analyse, design, deliver, evaluate, improve
ISO 10015, ISO 30422 and ISO 29993 as reference points for L&D quality
Learning policies, governance and roles of L&D, managers and sponsors
Quality indicators for the learning function
Internal review and audit of learning processes

Starting with Performance: Needs Analysis and Design for Transfer

Performance consulting: questioning training requests
Organisational, role and individual needs analysis
Defining success criteria and evaluation measures at the start
Designing for transfer: manager involvement, practice and application plans
Blended, digital and workplace learning choices
Design quality reviews and pilot testing

Assuring Delivery: Facilitators, Providers and Learning Technology

Quality standards for facilitators and content
Selecting training providers: specification, evaluation and due diligence
Provider contracts, service levels and performance reviews
Observation, peer review and learner feedback that goes beyond satisfaction
Learning management system and learning experience platform data quality
Responsible use of AI in content creation and personalised learning

Evaluating Behaviour Change and Business Impact

Kirkpatrick levels, the Phillips ROI Methodology and the Success Case Method compared
Choosing evaluation depth by programme cost, visibility and strategic importance
Data collection: surveys, observation, performance records and interviews
Isolating the effect of training: control groups, trend analysis and estimates
Converting data to monetary value and calculating ROI
Intangible benefits and when not to calculate ROI

Reporting Impact and Improving the Learning Portfolio

Learning analytics and dashboards for executives
Impact reports and storytelling with evidence
Human capital reporting and the link to workforce metrics
Portfolio review: continue, redesign or stop decisions
Building evaluation capability in the L&D team
Action plan: a quality and impact roadmap for your organisation

Competencies

Quality assurance of the learning cycle

Performance-based training needs analysis

Success criteria agreed with business sponsors

Design for learning transfer

Training provider selection and performance management

Evaluation planning across Kirkpatrick levels

Isolation of training effects and ROI calculation

Learning analytics and impact reporting

Learning portfolio review and investment decisions

Paris

Access Elite Academy’s complete training portfolio in Paris. As a major global business and institutional capital, the city provides a strong setting for organizations and professionals seeking expert-led learning, with upcoming scheduled courses and other programs available on request. Paris is one of Elite Academy’s international training destinations and gives organizations and professionals access to our complete portfolio of training programs across all disciplines. As a major global business and institutional capital, the city offers a professional setting for focused learning. Participants can choose from upcoming scheduled courses in Paris or request any other program from the Elite Academy portfolio to be arranged in the city, subject to scheduling and delivery requirements. Browse the upcoming schedule below or explore our training areas to identify the program that best matches your organization’s development priorities or your own professional goals.