Jack and Patti Phillips Workplace Learning and Performance Institute | News | Workplace Learning Challenges

Latest ROI Trends
By Dr. Patti Phillips,
Adjunct Faculty The University of Southern Mississippi

The ROI in workplace learning and performance (WLP) trend began in the early 1980s when Jack was asked to provide evidence that the investment his company president was making in training was worth it. Bottom line: The CEO wanted to know the return on investment -- ROI.
Today, the ROI Methodology is the leading evaluation methodology used by private sector and public sector organizations in 41 countries. ROI is used to evaluate:



• Apprenticeship Programs
• Competency Systems
• E-Learning
• Information Assurance Programs
• Gain sharing Programs
• Organization Development
• Safety & Health
• Technology
• Career Management Programs
• Diversity Programs
• Executive Coaching
• Management Development
• Leadership
……………………………………and many others.

The use of ROI as a tool to show results for WLP programs and processes continues to grow. Never before has there been such a level of interest – not only from the private sector and public sector but interest by academic institutions and community and faith-based organizations is growing.

The Southern Miss Workplace Learning and Performance Institute (WLPI) has been involved in a number of ROI studies in recent years including a major study for NASA’s Office of Education, the implementation of ROI in Jones County Junior College, and an ROI study on the Department of Labor’s Geospatial Technology Apprenticeship Program (GTAP).

Along with these studies, the WLPI’s Workforce Analysis students conducted an ROI study for the State of Alabama’s Citizen Corps program.

But the WLPI doesn’t stop at applying ROI to external programs. The WLPI does for itself what it does for others – conduct ROI studies on its own programs. For example in 2004 the WLPI applied the ROI Methodology to its Training and Development Certificate Program, a comprehensive learning experience design to build WLP competencies. The WLPI also applies concepts and principles of the ROI Methodology to the Workforce Training and Development academic programs.

Outside the state of Mississippi, ROI is booming. Since January 2005, we have:
• Conducted studies on leadership development, human performance improvement programs, human resources programs, SAP implementations, and capacity building programs such as AmeriCorps.
• Helped organizations developed evaluation strategies that include ROI.
• Taught over 2,000 people how to conduct ROI studies using the ROI methodology.

Recently, through ASTD’s ROI Certification Program, we conducted a two-day ROI workshop with Harvard’s Center for Training and Development (CTD). This is one of the first academic institutions to look at their administration’s training programs to ensure that resources are being applied to the right programs. This is Harvard, folks – there are no funding issues at Harvard; they just want ROI because it is the right thing to do.

Outside of workplace learning and performance, the ROI Methodology is the only evaluation methodology used in the meeting planning industry.

So what does this mean to you?

You may be already using ROI as a tool to evaluate the success of your programs. If you are, take advantage of the opportunities to further develop your skills through the WLPI, ASTD and the ROI Institute™.

If you are not using ROI, check your readiness for ROI by taking the brief assessment found at www.roiinstitute.net.

ROI is an important tool for WLP evaluation. Is it easy? Not necessarily. Is it effective? You bet. Through the ROI Methodology thousands are not only reporting comprehensive results of their WLP programs, but improving their programs through the use of results-based data.

Back to Connections: Summer 2005