Training Program(s) Evaluation: Current Practices in Abu Dhabi Local Government

Abstract

The current study investigated the state of training evaluation in Abu Dhabi government entities. The research adopted a mixed-method approach anchored on the pragmatist philosophy of research wherein quantitative and qualitative data were collected and analyzed. A survey questionnaire based on the Kirkpatrick four level training evaluation framework was modified and deployed to collect the numerical data. On the other hand, an interview protocol closely related to the survey questionnaire was deployed to gather descriptive data. A total of 334 human resource professionals and trainers from all the governmental entities in Abu Dhabi were targeted to participate in the quantitative phase of the research, while a percentage of those who had participated in the quantitative phase were requested to provide further insight into the qualitative phase. The research received data from 80% of the targeted population and applied statistical measures such as correlation and frequency analysis to analyze the collected data. The findings from the study showed that only about 53% of organizations in the Abu Dhabi government sector applied the Kirkpatrick four levels training evaluation model in the evaluation of training programs’ effectiveness. The research also found that the major barriers to the effective implementation of training evaluation across the Kirkpatrick four levels training evaluation stages include the lack of training for performing evaluation across the different levels, the complexity of the analytical techniques required across the levels, and the absence of training evaluation policy in the Abu Dhabi government organization. The research culminates with four main recommendations to fortify the implementation of training evaluation in the Abu Dhabi government entities.