Most talent development programs are linked to business measures. While business measures may improve after a program is implemented, unless evaluators take steps to isolate the effects of the project on that improvement, they have no credible claim to the improvement – leaving stakeholders to wonder, “What caused it?” In this session, Dr. Patti Phillips will explain techniques to isolate the effects of talent development programs so business partners may better allocate resources to different programs. Case studies will demonstrate each technique. Participants will calculate the improvement in business measures as described in the case studies.
 
Application on the Job (Objectives):
In this session, participants will learn how to:

1. Describe the importance of isolating the effects of programs.
2. Apply at least three techniques to isolate the effects of programs.
3. Determine when to use each of the techniques covered in this session.

 
Session Abstract: 
Sales of the latest handheld devices have increased by 50% in the last quarter. Senior executives ask the question, “What caused it?” Employee turnover declined by 20% in the past nine months. Senior executives ask the question, “What caused it?” Compliance discrepancies have decreased by 40%. Executives ask, “What caused it?” This simple question, “What caused it?” is asked frequently in organizations around the world. It is not an unfair question for senior executives to ask. Our ability to isolate the effects of projects and programs positions us to answer this important question credibly and reliably. Our inability to answer this question opens the door to allow others to answer it for us.
 
Isolating the effects of programs is not about isolating programs from other activities occurring within the organization. By isolating the effects of the program being evaluated, you build creditability that the investment in the program is actually driving the results you have presented by confidently explaining why. Isolating the effects of a program is a key step in providing evidence that programs drive improvement in business measures; it represents one of the five types of analytics projects. Knowing how to connect programs to results is a must if talent development professionals are to demonstrate the impact and ROI of their projects. This session describes techniques that can answer the question: What caused it?

Patti P. Phillips, Ph.D., is the co-founder and CEO of ROI Institute, Inc., a US-based consulting firm that serves for-profit, not-for-profit, government, and non-governmental organizations in 70 countries as they build capability in measurement, evaluation, and human capital analytics using the ROI Methodology®. An internationally recognized leader in measurement and analytics, her expertise is documented in more than 50 published books and business journals. 

Patti, along with her business partner and husband, Jack Phillips, received the 2024 Thought Leader Award from the Association of Learning Providers. They also received the 2022 Association for Talent Development Thought Leader Award and the 2019 Center for Talent Reporting Distinguished Contributor Award. In 2019, she was named among the top 50 coaches globally by the Thinkers50 organization and named a finalist for the Marshall Goldsmith Distinguished Achievement Award for Coaching. Patti serves as the vice chair and finance committee member of the United Nations Institute of Training and Research board of trustees; co-chair of the Institute for Corporate Productivity People Analytics Board; Senior Adviser for The Conference Board; Chair-elect of the International Federation of Training and Development Organizations, and board member of the International Society for Performance Improvement.