Follow our step-by-step guide for a robust, recognised process to help measure and evaluate the effectiveness of meetings

THE Phillips ROI Methodology, endorsed by the MPI identifies five levels of measurement:
1. Reaction and satisfaction
2. Learning
3. Application
4. Business impact
5. Return on investment

It also includes a method to isolate the effects of meetings. “End of meeting ‘Happy Sheet’-type evaluations cannot assess whether any learning has taken place or even if those new skills have been applied to generate a positive business impact,” says Peter Haigh of Hamilton Haigh Associates, a performance improvement consultant. Follow his steps to help you improve your meeting evaluation.

STEP 1: Clarify your objectives from the start. Determine why you are holding the meeting and what you want to accomplish. Do you want the attendees to learn something, to network or to be motivated? If it’s a combination of all three, then make sure your budget is spent in proportion to your objectives in these three areas. Identify the stakeholders including budget holders, speakers, sponsors and attendees and understand what expectations each of them have for the meeting. Pre-event research is important to assess attendees’ levels of knowledge and understanding of the subject matter.

STEP 2: For Level 1 Reaction and Satisfaction evaluation consider an ongoing evaluation: try quantifying meeting ratings, allow ample time for completing the form; put the information collected to use; collect information related to improvement. “Measure not just the attendees’ reaction and satisfaction of the meeting or event’s facilities and content, but also what they plan to do as a result of attending this meeting,” advises Haigh.

STEP 3: Conduct post-meeting research about 60-120 days after the event, depending on the project. “Unlike the ‘Happy Sheets’, this will assess what was learnt and whether it has been applied,” says Haigh.

Use follow-up surveys, interviews with participants, performance records and focus groups to evaluate the effectiveness of your meetings.

Ask questions such as, How did you apply what you learnt at this meeting? What was the impact of these efforts at your place of work? What measures were changed? What is the monetary value of the changes? What percentage of these improvements were actually caused as a result of this meeting?

Haigh advises that to improve the response rate for your questionnaires, provide advance communication on the process, clearly communicate the reason for the questionnaire, indicate who will see the results of the questionnaire and, above all, keep it short and simple.

STEP 4: Analyse the data you have collected to include in your post meeting report. Decide who is going to receive the report. Communicate the results of your meeting to all stakeholders to help gain support and obtain commit-ment for future events and to build credibility.

Further information about the Phillips ROI Methodology and courses on the subject can be found at www.eventroi.com and www.mpiuk.org

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