In a validation plan, what is the purpose of defining performance criteria?

• A. To specify what constitutes improved job performance and how it will be measured.
• B. To determine budget and resource needs.
• C. To list all stakeholders.
• D. To specify how training will be delivered.

Answer: (A)

Defining performance criteria sets what good job performance looks like after training and how you will measure it. It ties learning outcomes to actual workplace results, creating objective, observable targets and the methods to assess them. By specifying the exact behaviors or metrics (and the data collection method and timing), you can determine whether the training moved performance in the desired direction, how much improvement occurred, and whether it meets predefined targets. This also allows for baselining and ongoing evaluation, so decisions about continuing, adjusting, or expanding training are evidence-based. For example, you might define that after training, a service rep should resolve 90% of first-contact issues within two minutes, measured through call data and supervisor observations. Other aspects like budget, stakeholders, or delivery methods are important planning elements, but they don’t define how performance is measured or what counts as successful transfer of training.