Figure 5.1 The four levels of evaluation of ALT in organizations*

Level 1
Evaluation of satisfaction Did people "like" the training?
Level 2
Evaluation of what was learned What knowledge and techniques were learned and what attitudes were changed?
Level 3
Evaluation of changes in daily practices and participation as a result of ALT What observable changes have been made in daily practice as a result of ALT?
Level 4 Footnote 61
Evaluation of the impact of the activity on the organization and on the attainment of its objectives What are the spin-offs of the program for the organization's activities? What are the benefits of this investment in terms of productivity and quality improvements? Did the activity make it possible to change the culture of the organization with respect to continuing professional development?

* based on Kirkpatrick (1998)

To what extent, then, are the evaluation and monitoring strategies — the 'downstream' phases of ALT engineering — developed in Quebec? What monitoring and evaluation activities exist in Quebec firms? How do they position themselves in relation to the four levels noted above? Why are the downstream strategies concealed in certain situations and in certain companies?

The latest survey of employers subject to Bill 90 in Québec (Lapierre et al., 2005) made the following findings: in 2002, 49% of the employers who funded ALT evaluated all or some of the ALT activities, compared with 59% in 1998. In 2002, fewer than 15% of employers subject to Bill 90 frequently evaluate their activities at one or more levels of the Kirkpatrick model. Based on the results of the study by Lapierre et al. (2005), it would appear that 30% of employers evaluate satisfaction, 35% the skills acquired at the end of the training and 29% the transfer of learning to the work situation. Level 4 of the evaluation, which looks at the impact on the organization and its activities, is virtually non-existent.

It is interesting to compare these results with similar data from the United States (see Dunberry, 2006, pp. 9-10): while more American businesses report ALT activities (over 70%) than do Quebec companies, they are more inclined to limit evaluation to the first level whereas Quebec firms that conduct evaluation tend to do so at Levels 1–3, which enables the companies to better judge the benefits of their ALT activities. It should be noted that Quebec firms tend more frequently to evaluate work behaviour following the training, which testifies in many cases to the active participation by production units in the evaluation of ALT interventions.

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Return to note 61 Dunberry (2006), following Phillips (1991), adds a fifth level: financial return.