Whether you’re just starting to measure impact or are aiming to calculate return on investment (ROI) from your learning programs, this guide walks you through the complete planning process. It reflects the best practices from Cognota’s ROI Evaluation Planning Workbook and helps you build a credible, stakeholder-ready evaluation.
1. Clarify Program Objectives and Audience
Begin with a clear view of:
Target audience (who is the training for?)
Organizational need (what business goal does this solve?)
Learning objectives (what should participants be able to do?)
Expected performance change (what shift should happen?)
This forms the foundation of your alignment analysis.
2. Conduct Organizational Readiness Assessment
Evaluate whether your organization is prepared to conduct ROI evaluations by rating areas such as:
Executive support for measurement
Stakeholder availability
Access to performance and financial data
Evaluation culture and experience
Use a 1–5 scale to determine strengths and gaps.
3. Select the Right Program for Evaluation
Pick a program that is:
High-cost, high-visibility, or high-risk
Aligned with strategic business priorities
Likely to demonstrate measurable results
Use the Program Selection Matrix to rank and prioritize based on business value, feasibility, visibility, and resource availability.
4. Follow the 12-Step ROI Process
The workbook guides you through this well-known sequence:
Align to business needs
Set objectives
Select appropriate evaluation levels
Collect baseline data
Plan data collection
Isolate program effects
Convert data to monetary value
Tabulate costs
Calculate ROI
Communicate results
Use results
Improve programs
Each step has a corresponding planning worksheet to guide execution.
If you'd like access to a free ROI Bootcamp to learn these concepts in further detail, please contact your Customer Success Manager.
5. Build Your Evaluation Collection Plan (Steps 3–5)
Create a table that documents:
Evaluation questions and data sources
Time of collection (pre, post, 30 days later)
Collection tools (surveys, interviews, tests)
Responsible parties
This plan should span across all relevant evaluation levels (1–5).
6. ROI Analysis Planning (Steps 6–10)
Use the built-in tables to forecast:
Percent improvement from the program
Attribution (% due to the training)
Confidence level in your estimate
Then isolate intangible outcomes (e.g., improved morale, fewer complaints) and—if credible—convert them to dollars using expert input, industry standards, or internal benchmarks.
7. Convert Data to Monetary Value
Use structured methods to assign dollar values:
Productivity gains → based on time and salary
Cost savings → based on prior expenses avoided
Quality improvements → tied to rework reduction
Intangibles → estimate using ranges, expert judgment, or linked KPIs
Each conversion should include a justification for credibility.
8. Tabulate Fully Loaded Costs
Include both direct and indirect costs:
Program design, development, and facilitation
Participant time and salaries
Technology, materials, travel, and facilities
Administrative overhead and evaluation cost
Break down costs as either prorated (e.g., design) or expensed (e.g., materials).
9. Plan Communication (Step 10)
Document how you’ll share results:
Audiences: Executives, HR, managers, participants
Formats: Report, presentation, executive summary
Frequency: Post-program debrief or quarterly review
Consider tailoring messaging by stakeholder group.
10. Create an Improvement Plan (Step 12)
Based on your findings:
Recommend actionable improvements
Identify owner(s) for each action
Track progress and report back
This ensures ROI evaluation leads to meaningful change.
11. Use Project & Implementation Plans
The workbook includes built-in planning tools for:
Pre-program forecasting (predict ROI before launch)
Project timelines (track all evaluation-related steps)
Implementation action plans (who does what, and when?)
You can adapt these to fit into your Cognota project workflows.
Final Takeaways
Think strategically: Start with the end in mind. What business impact are you trying to prove?
Plan early: Pre-program forecasting and baseline data are critical.
Don’t overcomplicate: Start small, pilot your approach, and expand.
Be transparent: Use confidence levels and clear attribution logic when reporting.
Tie back to performance: Always link learning to on-the-job application and business outcomes.
Check out this ROI Evaluation Planning Workbook to help get started! Download it here.
