Here, we provide tips about conducting a Business Value Assessment, answers to frequently asked questions about using the BVA Toolkit, and a way for you to submit your questions and comments.

Designing a Business Value Assessment

I have an idea for using BVA. How do I know if it’s right for BVA?

How do I know what outcomes to track and assessment methods to use, to assess the business value of my workforce services?

When is the best time to conduct a Business Value Assessment?

What sort of data will I need from my business clients?

How much time will it take my organization to conduct a Business Value Assessment? How much time will be required from a participating employer?

I work with multiple employers, rather than exclusively with any single employer. Can I conduct a Business Value Assessment for multiple employers?

These materials were developed in health care and manufacturing workplaces. I work in a different industry. Are these Business Value Assessment materials right for me?

All of my business clients want our workforce services to improve employee "soft skills." Can I measure the business value of "soft skills" with these tools?

Using the Excel Tool

What is the Excel Tool? How can it help us track our workforce development results with business clients?

When I open the Excel Tool I get a warning about "macros". What should I do?

BVA Training

How can I get training for the BVA Toolkit?

Still Have a Question?

If your question was not addressed by what you have seen on the web site, please submit your question using our online comment form.

Designing a Business Value Assessment

For step-by-step information about planning an assessment, see Part 1 of the Handbook.  

I have an idea for using BVA. How do I know if it’s right for BVA?

The Business Value Assessment tools are most suited to assess the value of workforce services one business at a time. The following questions can help you decide if you have a suitable opportunity for BVA.

• Are you directly involved in providing services to business or worker clients (e.g., as a training provider) or closely involved in the planning and oversight of such services (e.g., as a workforce coalition member)?
  
  
• Do you have in mind a particularly solid partnership with a business or employer, for example a business that consistently uses and appreciates your services, a repeat business customer, or an employer on your board?
  
  
• Do you have a specific training or set of services in mind, e.g., have you placed a good number of clients or worked with this establishment to serve a group of incumbent workers, during a recent time period, or are you in planning stages for this type of work?

If you say ‘yes, that describes us’ to most of this description, you are probably in a position to move forward with planning your first Business Value Assessment using the BVA Toolkit.

How do I know what outcomes to track and assessment methods to use, to assess the business value of my workforce services?

Business clients must be involved in planning. It is critical to learn the business's priorities and whether it is willing and able to provide data (e.g., availability and confidentiality issues) and understand the time commitment involved in assessment. Use the Business Value Assessment Handbook and assessment planning worksheets to guide a discussion with your business client about the specific workforce problem you will help with. The tools will help you discern "what success will look like" in the client’s workplace, and the types of data you could track to determine if your services help alleviate the specific workforce problem. Based on the answers to these questions, you will decide whether to use the Excel Tool and/or to design a questionnaire.

The scale and timeframe of the workforce program should be considered when evaluating business value. For example, were enough workers trained to influence the expected business outcome? Did other factors influence the expected business outcomes (e.g., organization changes, new technology or seasonal work volume)? Will the data collection for the planned assessment conflict with other business events or information gathering?

If you say ‘yes, that describes us’ to most of this description, you are probably in a position to move forward with planning your first Business Value Assessment using the BVA Toolkit.

When is the best time to conduct a Business Value Assessment?

It is best to design and implement the Business Value Assessment at the beginning of the workforce service delivery. The business' questions about outcomes may provide information for service design, and build consensus about realistic expectations. Baseline data may need to be collected prior to service delivery. Assessment will require resources, e.g., program and employer staff time. For these reasons, the assessment is best planned toward the start of the program. See the Handbook for more information about adapting Business Value Assessment to evaluate ongoing programs.

What sort of data will I need from my business clients?

To interpret the results of workforce services, you will need benchmarks against which to compare your data, such as information about performance of comparable employees or for different time periods. You will need to find out if your business client has data that is easily accessible and can be shared, or if the company needs to collect new data. Some assessment questions can be addressed with existing human resource, accounting and company performance data. Some assessment questions require new data gathering (e.g., changes in skills, supervisor or customer satisfaction). WSI’s past experience indicates this typically requires designing and implementing surveys.

How much time will it take my organization to conduct a Business Value Assessment? How much time will be required from a participating employer?

The effort and time to conduct a Business Value Assessment of your workforce services varies. For example: Is this your first Business Value Assessment, or a repeat of a similar one you have done before? Are you planning the assessment at the same time you plan the services you will deliver, or are you planning an assessment of services you already provided? Will you collect data for employees and costs that exist in business records, or will you use a questionnaire to gather staff opinions about your services?

The Business Value Assessment Handbook and planning aids outline what you need to consider during planning and conversations with your business client, guidelines for discussing the amount of time and effort you will both contribute, and how to determine if this investment will be potentially valuable in relation to the value your business client expects to receive from the services you provide.

I work with multiple employers, rather than exclusively with any single employer. Can I conduct a Business Value Assessment for multiple employers?

The Business Value Assessment approach can be used to assess workforce services you provide for multiple businesses. The Handbook and planning aids will guide you through several important considerations for workforce programs that service a number of businesses, for example: whether you have a close working relationship with at least one business customer; whether you serve enough workers for your selected business client(s) that you can expect to see a noticeable result; etc.

These materials were developed in health care and manufacturing workplaces. I work in a different industry. Are these Business Value Assessment materials right for me?

The Business Value Assessment Toolkit can be adapted to a variety of workforce development services, settings and industries. According to a participant in a recent training workshop, "This is a common language, even if you are in cross-sector work." We welcome your suggestions and case examples as you use the Business Value Assessment. The On-line Resource Center will be periodically updated with submissions from users like you.

All of my business clients want our workforce services to improve employee "soft skills." Can I measure the business value of "soft skills" with these tools?

The Excel Tool allows you to track how your workforce services contribute to soft skills, for example in terms of retention, attendance, advancement, disciplinary actions, customer satisfaction ratings or supervisor ratings. You also may want to do a questionnaire-based study to gather data from managers about how employees exhibit soft skills and life management skills point-by-point. The Handbook and planning worksheets are designed to help you and your business client outline specific soft skills-related work behaviors and performance indicators, and what data might be used to quantify them.

Using the Excel Tool

For detailed help with the Excel Tool, see Part 2 of the Handbook.  

What is the Excel Tool? How can it help us track our workforce development results with business clients?

The Excel Tool is a package of forms for data entry and tracking, and reports that calculate and monetize practical business value outcome indicators such as retention, turnover cost-benefit analysis, productivity and efficiency outcomes, and other customizable workforce quality indicators. Click here to view a brief recording that demonstrates the key features and functionalities of the BVA Excel sheet.

When I open the Excel Tool I get a warning about "macros". What should I do?

Your system settings may disable macros necessary for the proper functioning of the automated features in the Excel Tool. The Excel Tool was configured by an authorized software programmer. You must enable macros in order for all the automated features to work as expected. If this or a similar notice appears when you open the Excel Tool:

Macros in this workbook are disabled because the security level is high. To run the macros, you can either have them signed or change your security level.

1. On the Tools menu, click “Macros” and then “Security.”
   
   
2. On the Security Level tab, select "Medium." Each time you open an Excel file with macros, you will be asked if you want to Disable or Enable macros.
   
   
3. Exit and re-open the Excel Tool. Choose "Enable" from the macro security dialog box.

BVA Training

How can I get training for the BVA Toolkit?

Click here for a printer-friendly flyer that describes how you can request and sponsor training in your area. For more details please contact Peace Bransberger, 202-736-1495 or wsi@aspeninst.org.

Still Have a Question?

If your question was not addressed by what you have seen on the web site, please submit your question using our online comment form.