Evaluation Strategy

 Best-Practices Board Meetings

This evaluation is based on the following aspects of the project design for this particular client:

1) As a volunteer board, the stimulus for the training arises directly from the board itself. The board is motivated to shorten its meetings and reduce a backlog of action items. At the same time, the board welcomes the social aspects of these gatherings and does not wish to impose a “strictly business” approach to its meetings. Evaluation methods attempt to balance these two goals.

2) It is recognized that significant change may come after repeated practice of the skills, and that — with expected turnover — follow-up training will be needed to reinforce best practices in meeting facilitating.

3) In keeping with adult learning principles, immediate feedback is an important part of the evaluation. Since it is unlikely the board will be able to engage in training with a paid facilitator, the evaluation has been structured to allow the board to continually assess its own performance.

This course will use Kirkpatrick’s four levels of evaluation Level  1 (reaction),  Level 2 (learning), and Level 3  (application) and Level 4 (organizational impact).  Evaluation methods include a simulation and observation, pre- and post-tests, a post-training survey and the trainer’s observation of how well the board members implement their new knowledge.

Level 1

Upon completion of the training, participants will take an end-of-training questionnaire (Likert scale) evaluating how helpful the training was to them as a  board or EpCom member: Click here for the evaluation of the training workshop: (PDF File)

Level 2

The trainer will grade the participants on a five-part scale (1 excellent-5 poor)  on implementation of key concepts and provide  immediate feedback after role-play exercise. In this 45-minute exercise,  board members will handle a typical board situation (angry homeowner appeal) and attempt to implement best practices introduced by the trainer. 

Participants will also rate themselves pre-and post-training and discuss their participation styles in group sharing time at the end of the workshop — click here for the pre- and post-training self-evaluation.

Level 3

The trainer  will observe the March board meeting (one month after the training, and traditionally the busiest of the spring season) and provide written feedback of how well the board performed in  implementing  the processes and techniques that were the subject of the training session. The training will include feedback on duties unique to officers and others with special roles and responsibilities on the board.  Click here for the evaluator’s assessment sheet. (PDF File)

Level 4

The best measure of the board’s success in learning new process and procedure for handling community business will be whether it has closed the performance gap identified early in the process. At the one-year mark, the board will conduct the same analysis of board meeting minutes produced for the front-end analysis, evaluating:

a) the average length of meetings (was it reduced to the desired 90 minutes?)

b) whether meetings began on time and ended on time (most meetings begin at about 7:15 and end well past 9 p.m.)

c) the number of action items voted upon/the number of action items delayed: (About 40 percent of action items are carried over to the next meeting)

d) member attitudes concerning  the new practices.  If the board has become more efficient in its practices, but has not retained the community-building aspect of this organization, then there could be problems with retention and morale. A short poll on attitudes will be conducted to ensure that the board has retained the positive social benefits of board service.