Evaluating Human Capital Projects

Jane Massy is the Founder Director and CEO of abdi Ltd.Jeremy Harrison is a Director of abdi Ltd.

• 1. Introduction: Why and what do we Need to Improve? 2. Planning the Investment for Impact Outcomes 3. Who Needs to do what/to what Standard? 4. Know what, know how, Confidence 5. Engagement: Do they get it? 6. Full Cost: Let’s Account for it! 7. Tracking: How to Leverage Data to Improve the Results 8. Measuring the Results: When to go all the Way? 9. So how do you know it was Anything to do with you? 10. Monetising: Proxies are out: Take a Reality Check 11. Proof: It’s your Credibility we’re Talking about Here 12. Everyone Subject to the same Rules 13. Aggregate, Compare and Contrast 14. Pulling Multiple Strands Together: Groups of Stakeholders, Several Sub-Projects 15. From Proof to Predict 16. A Final Word: Just Do

‘This is a well written and much needed book that addresses the ‘black hole of accountability’ – how we evaluate the huge sums spent on HR each year. It offers a structured and thoughtful approach to understanding and refining the organization through evaluation and implementation. With the inclusion of practical examples and case studies Evaluating Human Capital Projects is recommended reading for those responsible for evaluation – from CEOs to Project managers; from consultants to thinking practitioners.’ – Monica Lee, Visiting Professor, Newcastle Business School, University of Northumbria, UK‘Harrison and Massy have produced a valuable addition to the evaluation literature with a book that is of practical value to many practitioners in commerce, development, health and local government. The book's strength is its focus on people and their importance in driving change. In particular they recognize the importance of gaining buy-in, learning, and application to the workplace before sustainable change can be achieved. There is no automatic link between spending money and achieving an outcome. The authors provide a practical guide to systematically measure impact based on the logic model of Donald Kirkpatrick and adaptions by Jack Phillips. The book is packed with examples which relate the evaluation process to one of continuous improvement. They successfully distance evaluation from the days when it was seen as a 'one-off' activity taking place long after the original intervention.’ - Dr Colin Jacobs, President UK Evaluation Society