Absolute and Relative Project Management Training Success Factors

Even if you have full endorsement to proceed with your project training effort, you will want to start as soon as possible to target not only training objectives but also other factors that will satisfy those objectives. Training success is not just delivering a set of dynamite workshops that your participants adore (though this is a good start), it is also meeting other important objectives, often within such specified constraints as time, numbers of participants, or level of training delivered. Other success factors may be desired outcomes related to the training that are less easily quantifiable but are also desirable. We sometimes refer to these constraints as absolute and relative success factors.

Some examples of absolute success factors:

We must train all 250 programmers and analysts in the IT department before November 10.

Total costs of training cannot exceed $60,000, including travel expenses.

All students must complete the preliminary overview training. All product developers must also receive the detailed scheduling and cost estimating modules.

Examples of relative success factors:

Participants will have a variety of options for participating in the training, resulting in the fewest disruptions to work schedules.

Participants may review materials online after the training in a facilitated refresher session.

Participants may “test out” of the overview, using a prescreening test administered online.

As you can see, the relative success factors might in some organizations become absolute requirements; your needs analysis will verify which training elements must be included and which are “nice to have.”

Article added at: 11.17.2006 by Kelly Huston