5-7 September 2011, Geneva, Switzerland.  In line with the Institute’s strategy to strengthen accountability, resource efficiency and programme effectiveness, UNITAR held a three-day intensive workshop on Measuring and Evaluating Learning Outcomes from 5-7 September. Organized jointly by the Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) and Human Resources sections, the workshop increased staff awareness and knowledge on a number of objectives, including formats for assessing learning, such as objective testing (pre-post, criterion reference testing) and performance assessments, in addition to other measurement and evaluation tools.

Results from a level 2 evaluation of learning show an increase in some 14 per cent in knowledge gained from the workshop, and staff confidence in achieving objectives increased by 30 percentage points, from 44 per cent prior to the workshop to 75 per cent upon completion. Participant feedback was equally encouraging in terms of the ratings given to job relevance and importance of the training, as well as the likelihood that staff would use the information presented during the workshop. The M&E Section will be undertaking a follow-up evaluation in the next several months to assess the extent to which knowledge gained has been applied on the job.