Train and Gain-----Workshop of Needs Assessment and Evaluation for Training Organizations
Training is an investment in the future and its importance is becoming more and more obvious to the public. How to provide training tailored to the needs of an individual or organization and achieving the expected outcome is the main goal of a training organization.
In view of this, a workshop entitled “Needs Assessment and Evaluation for Training Organizations” was jointly held by the Asia-Pacific Finance and Development Center (AFDC), the World Bank Institute (WBI) and the China Economic Information Network from June 11th to 16th at the Shanghai National Accounting Institute. The opening ceremony was chaired by Dr. Peng Runzhong from AFDC. Deputy director-general Dr. Li Kouqing from AFDC and Regional Coordinator for East Asia and the Pacific at the World Bank Institute Philip Karp each spoke at the welcoming ceremony.
The WBI sent an experienced teaching team to the workshop. Facilitated by three teaching assistants, the team members included evaluation officer Maurya Meiers from WBI, associate professor Ryan Watkins from George Washington University, and senior education specialist Jiping Zhang and senior training specialist Sheng Li both from WBI. Eighty people with backgrounds in training participated in the workshop, coming from universities, training agencies, training departments or human resource departments of banks.
A complete training program consists of needs assessment, learning design and evaluation. In this four-day workshop, the participants focused on needs assessment and evaluation. Through diversified learning methods such as case studies, role playing, group discussion and presentations, the participants gained a better understanding of and acquired the techniques and tools for needs assessment and evaluation. The highlight of the workshop was on the last day when each group delivered their presentations and took on challenges from other groups. The presentation was an opportunity to put into practice what they had learned in the workshop to design a training program and implement it.
With regard to the third element of a complete training program, learning design, the AFDC and WBI held a workshop "Designing Learning Interventions That Last” in June of last year.
