Acknowledgments

No work is solely the result of individual effort. A team of motivated people, excited about the topic of measurement and evaluation, created this publication.

Many thanks go first to Cat Russo who had the original idea and asked for my involvement. I was thrilled to be a part of such a project. Of course Tora Estep, Jacqueline Edlund-Braun, Dean Smith, and the rest of the ASTD publishing team were more than instrumental in making this happen. Their guidance and support are the foundation for this much-needed publication and the supporting elements that will make this product useful to learning professionals for years to come.

To say thank you isn’t enough for the willingness of Rebecca Ray to develop the podcast series, Voices. Rebecca’s enthusiasm for the project was contagious. Her willingness to interview world-renowned experts and develop the summaries found in the book is representative of the fervor with which Rebecca tackles a project. Her idea to “tweet” about the interviews and continue supporting the book for perpetuity goes well beyond the call of duty—and is much appreciated!

Speaking of Voices, many thanks go to the world-renowned experts. These people cleared the path for the rest of us interested in showing the value of training and development. They took time out of their busy schedules to participate. To have Don Kirkpatrick, Jack Phillips, Robert Brinkerhoff, Dana Robinson, Jac Fitz-enz, Bill Rothwell, Mary Broad, and Roger Kaufman share their views on the past, present, and future states of measurement and evaluation is a prize for us all.

Of course, there would be no book without the contributors. What a group of professionals! Every one of them was immediately willing to take a part in this project. I have known many of the contributors for a period of time and am familiar with their work in measurement and evaluation. Others, I only met during this project, and I am grateful for the opportunity to have done so. The good work going on in training measurement and evaluation is worldwide. Saying thank you is not enough for what each person contributed not only to this book, but for what they contribute to our profession.

To the staff at the ROI Institute: Thank you. Without you very little would be accomplished. Special thanks go to our in-house editors, Alison Frenzel and Beth Phillips. Their tireless support is unprecedented.

Finally—my most heartfelt thanks go to Jack. Yes, you are a leader in the industry, you have written a lot of books, you’re considered a guru in many circles, and you’re world renowned. You are also the inspiration that drove me to embrace training measurement and evaluation. But more than any of that, you are the person who challenges and encourages me, brings me coffee every morning, and keeps me laughing. Thank you!

Patricia Pulliam Phillips
April 2010