Fixing Shallow Training

Fixing Shallow Training

by Meghan SchiedelNo Comments
Many training professionals have gotten the feedback that there wasn’t enough time or that the training content was shallow. There is so much to cover and too little time! Our instinct in preparing a training curriculum for when you have limited time and resources is to give them a bit of information on many things, but I would argue that this leaves your team feeling overwhelmed and ill-prepared for the hard work they will face post-training. These types of training can be frustrating for employees and can contribute to burnout and turnover. So how do we fix this mile-wide and inch-deep training problem? Here are five things to consider when planning to preempt shallow training.  5 Things to Fix Shallow Training  Prioritize application of knowledge in instruction over covering generalized topics at intermittent times. When you only have an hour, spend 10 minutes on new information and 50 minutes applying this new content. Help participants make connections to other training. For example, if...
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Setting Baselines and Targets

Setting Baselines and Targets

by Meghan SchiedelNo Comments
If you have created a logic model and are in the process of developing indicators of success as part of your evaluation plan, you must understand the process of setting baselines and targets. Targets Targets are pre-established goals set for the program, and they help create a path and end destination for what you hope to achieve with a program or service (the intervention). Often defined in numbers or percentages, they indicate success. Include these numbers in your logic model to help all stakeholders see how success is measured. For example, if your team is creating a STEM career internship for girls, a sample target might be that 90% of participants completed the full three-month internship. This completion rate target is SMART and indicates success in the short term. If you want a target that helps you show long-term impacts of the intervention -the internship- you might wish to a follow-up interview after five years, where you look for 50% of interns...
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Developing Indicators of Success

by Meghan SchiedelNo Comments
Success indicators (see my previous post) are crucial to monitoring and measuring the success of a program or service. In this post, I will explain how to develop indicators of success and help you to identify when to use them. Step 1: Identify Your Team  The research staff should develop indicators of success during the planning phase of your program design process in close collaboration with the program staff. If you don’t have a research team, designate who will be responsible for the oversight of the research. If any government or NGO counterparts are designing the program and have explicit knowledge of the program goals and objectives, you will want to include them.   Step 2: Identify What to Measure  Next, determine which inputs, outputs, or outcomes (see my post: What is a Logic Model?) of the program are most important to track. A program will likely use many indicators to assess the change that results from the intervention. These can be pulled from the...
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Success Indicators

Success Indicators

by Meghan SchiedelNo Comments
I’ve shared about logic models in previous posts; these are visual tools to help you develop successful programs or services. One of the critical pieces within a logic model is developing agreed-upon outcomes that indicate that the program is successful. To measure these, we need tools called success indicators.  How do they assess the outcomes of a program?  They do this by defining its characteristics or variables and then tracking those characteristics over time or between groups. Clear success indicators are the foundation of any effective monitoring and evaluation system. Organizations need success indicators for two reasons. The first is to track how a program is working and moving toward progress in reaching specific goals. Program staff and the program leadership team need to measure this change over time and make adjustments in real-time to help achieve the desired outcomes. The second reason these clear indicators are required is for accountability. Key stakeholders may contribute to the design of a program, but it is ultimately...
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Guiding a Team to Build a Logic Model

Guiding a Team to Build a Logic Model

by Meghan SchiedelNo Comments
Facilitating a group through the process to build a logic model can feel overwhelming. I have some tips and tricks to make the process easier when leading a team through the process of creating a logic model.  Who should be involved?  Try to limit the group to as few people as possible but ensure that you have representation from project/program staff, evaluation staff, and, when possible, leadership teams. Groups larger than ten often struggle to come to a consensus. If your group has more than ten people, think about how you structure each work session; there may be a way to design each session so that every member does not have to be present at every meeting.  Where should we meet?  You will want a flexible space that allows for small group and large group discussions. You will also want a whiteboard or another method to collect ideas. If your room doesn’t have a whiteboard, post-its can be a powerful tool for brainstorming as...
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The Survey Workshop

The Survey Workshop

by Meghan SchiedelNo Comments
I have enjoyed collaborating on this workshop with Kyle Bowen, the founder of SuperHelpful, a research firm devoted to helping museum leaders create more innovative organizations through research. Why a survey workshop? The short and honest answer: Because a survey is what your museum wants to use to listen to its audience. We would like to help you make an effective survey and use the opportunity to work with you to help your organization identify its strategic goals and develop new evaluation skills that your team will use long after completing the workshop.  The beauty of this remote workshop series is that there is no limit to the number of participants from your organization, and whoever you choose to participate in will have customized learning opportunities based on your organization and goals. Yes, you will have a ready-to-use survey tool when you complete this series. Just as importantly, you will also have a team that is more confident in openly talking about...
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Zoom Breakout Rooms

Zoom Breakout Rooms

by Meghan SchiedelNo Comments
I love breakout rooms. I know they aren’t for everyone, but I think they are essential when working with larger teams. Many of your team members might be intimidated to speak in front of the larger group, but when placed in small groups, they can open up and share ideas or be task-focused. I thought this was a premium feature on zoom, but I did some research, and it turns out breakout rooms are included in all accounts; you just have to go into the web portal and then the more advanced settings to turn this on! I have the written steps to do this below, but I found that confusing, so I looked for a video tutorial to assist you.    Steps to enable the breakout room feature for all members of your organization: Sign in to the Zoom web portal as an administrator with the privilege to edit account settings.In the navigation menu, click Account Management, then Account Settings.Navigate to the Breakout Room...
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