Training Session/Event Satisfaction Surveys

Background

Training session/event satisfaction surveys work well to collect a participant’s:

 level of satisfaction with the training/event

 sense of how well the training/event reached its intended outcomes/goals
 ideas about how the training/event could be improved.

Training session/event satisfaction surveys offer the following benefits:

 they are quick and inexpensive to implement.

 you can survey all participants at the same time.
 they provide useful data in a form that requires minimal analysis (e.g., 85% of participants are satisfied
with the training received).

However, the usefulness of a training/event satisfaction survey can be limited by:

 language barriers and/or literacy levels

 survey fatigue (participants may not want to provide feedback on yet another training/event)
 the inability to ask for clarification.

You need to decide if a survey is right for your training/event. If not, there are other options. Please contact us.

Paper or online survey?

Before you implement a survey, you have to decide whether it should be distributed as a hardcopy (at the end of
the training/event) or as an online tool. Consider these questions:

 Do your training/event participants have access to computers? Are they comfortable with online surveys?
 Do you have the email addresses for the participants?
 Will your participants have the time to complete the survey after they go home or back to their
workplace?

If the answer to any of the above is “No,” then go with a paper survey at the end of the session.
Sample Training Session/Event Survey

Instructions - Before You Begin

 If you need technical support in using online surveys, including advice on how to incorporate a prize
ballot, please fill out an evaluation request form on the OHTN’s EBPU page:
http://www.ohtn.on.ca/evidence-based-practice-unit/

 If the survey is being used to assess a specific event/training (e.g., annual forum), the contact person for
the survey should not be the person running that event/training. Instead, use the Executive Director or
other Program Manager as the contact.

 We’ve provided a few ideas about how to use survey findings. Do what works best for your agency – the
main idea is to let participants know that findings will be used.

 This survey contains examples of training/events that different agencies might offer. Please adjust the
survey to reflect your agency’s activity.

 If you do not have pre-set choices for a question (e.g. “Select the ways in which we can improve the
training”), then make the question open-ended (e.g. “How can we improve the training?”).

 The survey contains examples of a full range of questions that you could ask about a training
session/event. You do not need to use all of these questions. Choose the questions that work best for
your training session/event and that fit with the purpose of your evaluation.

 The questions should align with the training provided, the learning objectives of the sessions and their
respective agency/program context.
SHAMROCK HEALTH SERVICES – TRAINING SESSION/EVENT
SATISFACTION SURVEY

Thank you for attending [session/event name] on [xxxx].

Your experience at the training is very important to us as we continue to look for ways to improve our capacity-
building activities.

The purpose of this survey is to help us determine the extent to which the training met its goals and to identify
ways to improve future training events.

We invite you take a few minutes to complete this short survey and provide your feedback. The survey should take
less than [xxx] minutes.
Your participation is voluntary, anonymous and confidential (we do not ask for your name).

We will use the findings to improve future trainings.

If you have any questions or concerns about the evaluation, please contact:
This Person
###-###-#### x###
[email protected]

[IF USING ONLINE QUESTIONNAIRE] - Click “Next” to indicate your agreement to continue with the survey.

Thank you!
PART A: Overall Experience

1. Rate your overall level of satisfaction with the [insert training event].
 Very satisfied
 Satisfied
 Neutral (you may choose to remove this option)
 Dissatisfied
 Very dissatisfied

If this is an annual event and you would like to know how it compares to past events you can
ask something such as:

2. Overall, how did this year’s [event] compare to last year (xxxx)?
 Better than last year
 Just as good as last year
 Not as good as last year
 I did not attend last year

The following are additional questions regarding attendance at previous trainings.

These are useful for repeat training sessions (e.g., semi-annual face-to-face meetings or
bimonthly webinars, etc.) with the same participants.

3. Did you attend the [date/ year] [previous event]?

 Yes
 No

4. If you attended last [month’s/ year’s, etc.] [event], please describe how you applied
what you learned (if applicable).
If you were not able to apply any skills or knowledge gained, please tell us about it so
we can improve future training sessions.
NOTES:
 PRO – this type of question leaves it completely open and up to the
participant to tell you what they did or did not do.
 CON – this requires more analysis (time, effort) from the staff person but
may provide a better indication of what participants find useful and take
away from training.

OR consider a question such as …

5. Please tell us how (if at all) you applied what you learned at last [month’s/year’s, etc.]
[event]. Please check all that apply.
 I revised my outreach activities
 I used a new approach to engage mental health service providers
 I used the policy development toolkit with service providers in my area
 I helped a service provider develop trans inclusive policies
 I delivered the standard women and HIV presentation to service providers who
work with women in my community
 I made connections with new service providers in my community
 Other, please explain
_________________________________________________________________
 I did not take away concrete information that I could use in my work, I would
have liked to receive: ___________________________________

NOTE: The response options should link to the intended outcomes of the training
sessions/events.
 PRO – easier to analyze and count the number of times each option is
chosen
 CON – it needs to relate to what was provided in the training and the
choices must make sense in that training context. This also makes it
easier for people to just check off items and can limit the depth of
information you receive.
PART B: [Event] Outcomes

NOTE: These items should be agency specific and relate to the learning goals or intended
objectives of the training event.
(E.g., Was it focused on increasing knowledge, skills, raising awareness, etc.)

6. Please indicate your level of agreement with the following statements:

Strongly Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly

NB: These items should relate to agree disagree
overall goals of the training as a
whole.
Remove ‘neutral’ if you don’t want
to use it.
The training helped build my
capacity to respond to the needs
of [target population]
The training increased my
knowledge of xxxx.
The training increased my
understanding about the key
issues related to working with
[xxx].
Etc.

Workshop Outcomes

7. Please indicate your level of agreement with the following statements

Strongly Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly

NB: These items should relate to agree disagree
the specific learning outcomes
from the presentations, sessions,
workshops, etc.

Remove ‘neutral’ if you don’t want

to use it.
The session increased my
knowledge of the link between gay
men’s sexual and mental health
The training improved my
presentation skills
The training identified key
messages about [PrEP and PEP]
that I can use in my work
Etc.
8. If applicable, please share two main take home messages that you learned through
your participation at the [event].

Key Learning #1:

Key Learning #2:

9. If applicable, please tell us how you plan to use what you learned at the [event].
If the information presented is not applicable to your local context, please tell us how
we can improve this for the future/have made it more applicable for you.
________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________

OR

One action (next step) I will take after attending the [training/event] is:
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________

OR

Please identify which of the following actions (if any) you intend to take / how you
plan to use what you learned at the [training/event].
Please check all that apply (if any).
 I will use the presentation tips I learned in my next presentation
 I will use the online outreach tips that were suggested
 I will adapt my approach for reaching gay men in my community
 Etc.
NOTE: These must relate to the purpose of the training session and the skills/ideas that
were discussed.
PART C: Meeting Structure

10. Satisfaction with [Training/Meeting] Logistics

Rate your level of satisfaction with the following meeting logistics:

Meeting Logistics Level of Satisfaction

Note: you can choose Very Satisfied Neutral Dissatisfied Very Not
to use or remove the satisfied dissatisfied applicable
‘neutral’ option

The venue (meeting

rooms)
Food/beverages
Hotel
accommodations
Travel arrangements
process
Registration process
Location

11. Satisfaction with [Training/Meeting] Structure

Rate your level of satisfaction with the structure of the [event]:

Structural Components Level of Satisfaction

of the [Meeting]
Note: you can choose Very Satisfied Neutral Dissatisfied Very Not
to use or remove the satisfied dissatisfied applicable
‘neutral’ option
The agenda format
(presentations,
concurrent sessions, …)
Facilitation
Networking time
Time for questions
Schedule (timing of
sessions, etc.)
Take home resources
Skills training sessions
Key note presentations
Small group
sessions/workshops
Please comment on the components above:

______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________

PART D: Suggestions for Improvement

12. How can we improve the [event]?

Please share your ideas about items that were missing, additional items that you
would like to see, and how the sessions could have been improved.

______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________

13. What types of support would help you carry out your role?
Consider training (information and skills-based) and resources needed.

______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________

14. Please share any additional comments about the [event].

______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________

Thank you for taking the time to provide your feedback on the [training session/event]!