The training of civil servants in the Slovene state administration: issues in introducing training evaluation

Abstract

The state administration in Slovenia is undergoing its biggest reform since the country's secession from Yugoslavia in 1991. The civil servants need to adjust to a large number of changes in a very short time. They face a continually changing regulatory framework that they need to implement and enforce, as well as new demands from the growing private sector and citizens at large. These challenges can only be met by highly qualified civil servants who are constantly updating their qualifications. Therefore systematic in-service training is crucial to keep the civil servants competent in a rapidly changing environment.

This article examines the practices of training evaluation in a branch of Slovene state administration. The article compares the attitudes of employees towards evaluation with the assumption that significant differences may exist among the attitudes of employees of different demographic characteristics.

After having identified a conceptual framework that examines the notion of training evaluation among civil servants, the research questions related to determinants and consequences of evaluation were explored. Research assessing the influence of respondents' demographic characteristics was conducted among a population of civil servants, and 414 responses were gathered. The results obtained indicate that the influence of hierarchical position prevailed, although the managers (leading civil servants) are less involved in evaluation than expected. Empirical data also demonstrate that the majority of employees are willing to participate in permanent and transparent training evaluation.

Points for practitioners This article may be of interest to researchers and managers involved in the planning and evaluation of civil servant training. Evaluation of the results of training presents feedback information to the training managers and is a key component in the systematic approach to training. The article sheds light on the relationship between demographic characteristics of training participants and their attitude towards training evaluation, and may help managers develop a systematic training model that will be better tailored to the demographic characteristics of their target group.