Other Guidance: Success Criteria
Content
- Introduction
- What are success criteria?
- Success criteria not aims and objectives
- Why are success criteria important?
- Defining success criteria
- Examples
All training should have the success criteria determined at the outset, before a Training Needs Analysis and design of the training takes place.
Used in conjunction with a Training Needs Analysis, they will help give you a sound foundation from which to plan and design training, and later, evaluate its success, in line with the Framework of Standards for Magistrate Training and Development (the Standards). Stage 1 of the Standards specifically relates to success criteria.
In practical terms for Justices' Clerks, Training Managers, Magistrates' Area Training Committee (MATC) members and Bench Training and Development Committee (BTDC) members, this applies to locally designed training only. JSB will define the success criteria for all JSB produced training.
Being clear about what change the training should bring about and how you will know this change has happened, gives the focus of the evaluation. This is the success criteria.
Success criteria can be defined as statements of:
- what changes are expected to happen as a result of the training, and
- what measurable or observable indicators will make it obvious that these changes have happened.
Success criteria are the benchmarks against which the training, as a whole, is measured. The whole training may be a one-off event delivered to a small or large number of magistrates, or a series of events run over a number of months.
They are linked with the original need that led to the training being commissioned. The filling of that 'need gap' equals the success. Consider what changes will be brought about by giving magistrates this knowledge or skills? This may seem obvious but is often overlooked.
Without this clear line of sight it will be difficult to demonstrate that the training has succeeded. This line of sight will give you your measures, needed for effective evaluation.
3. Success criteria not aims and objectives
Success criteria are not the same as aims and objectives.
Aims and objectives are about the learning outcomes of the training, that is what people now know or can do after they have been trained.
Success criteria are about the change that results from people having the new knowledge or skills, that is what the impact is of them applying the new knowledge or skills.
Example:
JSB Mentor Training
| Success criteria: | Magistrates to be able to confidently, skilfully and positively carry out all aspects of the role of mentor as per the MNTI2 Handbook, including identifying mentees' training needs, according to best practice within the Magistrates National Training Framework. |
| Aim: | To increase the understanding of and enhance the skills in the mentoring of new magistrates. |
| Objectives: | By the end of the workshop, using the paperwork provided, you will be able to accurately: |
| - state briefly the rationale behind the mentoring scheme, role of the mentor and stages in the mentoring process - explain the competence framework for magistrates - describe best practice for each stage involved in the mentoring process and how you would support new magistrates in completing their Record of Mentored Sitting - demonstrate constructive feedback skills and the use of precision questioning - list five ways of identifying learning and development needs - describe best practice in relation to the mentor completing 6/12-month reports to BTDC. |
4. Why are success criteria important?
Success criteria are important to help you determine:
- if the training, as a whole, met all the identified training needs, and
- if the training, as a whole, resulted in the required change of knowledge or behaviour, and
- the impact of the training in the court environment.
They will help in long-term evaluation in line with the Framework of Standards for Magistrate Training and Development (the Standards). Stage 4 of the Standards relates to application of training in the court environment and Stage 5 relates to evaluation of training.
At the outset and before design of the training takes place, asking the following questions will help define success criteria for the training:
- What is it that needs to change or does/does not happen currently, that gave rise to the perception of a need for training?
- What is to be different once the court has magistrates with the knowledge/skills/behaviours that the proposed training will give them?
- How will I know that the change has happened?
- What will the change look like in the court?
The evaluation should be constructed in such a way as to measure that the desired change has happened and as such, demonstrate that the success criteria have been met. Finding the answers to the above questions will help to give your measure.
Having defined the measures at the outset enables you, through evaluation, to determine the effectiveness of the training.
Shown below are examples of how success criteria might be defined for certain types of training. They are examples only and should not be taken as exhaustive definitions.
Case Management training
| Success criteria: | Magistrates will progress cases effectively at the first hearing, only adjourning if essential in the interests of justice, as described within the guidelines for Case Management in the Adult Court Bench Book. |
Public Law Outline training
| Success criteria: | Magistrates will manage cases in accordance with the Public Law Outline to ensure the best conclusions for children. |
Anti-Social Behaviour Orders (ASBOs) training
| Success criteria: | Magistrates will determine and apply all aspects of Anti-Social Behaviour Orders correctly in accordance with the relevant legislation. |
Consolidation training
| Success criteria: | At their first appraisal, magistrates will have demonstrated that they are able to manage themselves, work as a member of a team and make judicial decisions, in accordance with the competences in the MNTI2 Handbook. |
Further information
If you would like us to provide additional support or advice on this topic, please do not hesitate to contact the JSB M&E Team.
References
JSB Magistrates National Training Initiative (MNTI) Core Training materials.