Success case method worksheet

Prepare Steps 1–2 and selection criteria before the survey. Complete Step 3 selection after reviewing results. Defining success beforehand determines research quality.

When to use this worksheet and what completion involves Fictional completed example

EvalCompass Worksheet

Success case method worksheet

Method: Success Case Method

Prepare Steps 1–2 and selection criteria before the survey. Complete Step 3 selection after reviewing results. Defining success beforehand determines research quality.

Step 1: set the evaluation focus

Enter expected behavior changes and their organizational value to be examined

Completed example for this section (fictional)

This fictional example is for explanation. Adapt it to your own program. Your entries will not change.

Training name: Evaluation planning training (fictional)
Expected behavior change (specific): Use the draft in a workplace meeting
Organizational value of that change: Specify what information to collect
Definition of success (what counts as success): The meeting discussed the draft and determined collection items and responsibility
Evaluation officer and implementation period: Evaluation officer / October–November 2026

Reason for this entry: Distinguish success from personal satisfaction.

Training name

Expected behavior change (specific)

Organizational value of that change

Definition of success (what counts as success)

Evaluation officer and implementation period

Writing tips and explanation for this section

About this section

Enter expected behavior changes and their organizational value to be examined

Distinguish success from personal satisfaction.

View the method explanation

Writing tips

Follow each field’s heading to record the program name, focus, period, and other details. Leave undecided matters clearly marked as unresolved.

Read the full fictional example

Step 2: design the identification survey

Enter proposed identification questions for participants (aim for 5–10 questions or fewer and completion within 5 minutes)

Completed example for this section (fictional)

This fictional example is for explanation. Adapt it to your own program. Your entries will not change.

Scroll horizontally to view the table

Question number	Question wording	Response format (yes / no, 4-point scale, etc.)
1	Did you use your draft plan in a meeting?	Used / not used / no opportunity
2	As a result, were collection items and responsibilities decided?	Decided / partly decided / not decided

Reason for this entry: Ask about behavior and results useful for selecting cases.

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Question number	Question wording	Response format (yes / no, 4-point scale, etc.)

Writing tips and explanation for this section

About this section

Enter proposed identification questions for participants (aim for 5–10 questions or fewer and completion within 5 minutes)

Ask about behavior and results useful for selecting cases.

View the method explanation

Writing tips

Keep the information in each row aligned. Scroll wide tables horizontally to see every column.

Read the full fictional example

Step 3: record interviewee selection

Record grounds for selecting success and failure groups from survey results

Completed example for this section (fictional)

This fictional example is for explanation. Adapt it to your own program. Your entries will not change.

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Participant ID (anonymous)	Success / failure group	Selection rationale (survey response features)	Interview date and time
A01	Success group	Used it in a meeting and decided items and responsibilities	October 15, 2026 (fictional)
A02	Failure group (non-use)	Prepared a draft but had no meeting opportunity	October 16, 2026 (fictional)

Reason for this entry: Retain existing group names while explaining that non-use is not necessarily personal failure.

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Participant ID (anonymous)	Success / failure group	Selection rationale (survey response features)	Interview date and time

Writing tips and explanation for this section

About this section

Record grounds for selecting success and failure groups from survey results

Retain existing group names while explaining that non-use is not necessarily personal failure.

View the method explanation

Writing tips

Keep the information in each row aligned. Scroll wide tables horizontally to see every column.

Read the full fictional example

Step 4: interview guide

Enter main interview questions for each group

Completed example for this section (fictional)

This fictional example is for explanation. Adapt it to your own program. Your entries will not change.

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Target group	Interview question
Success group	In what situation did you use it, and what records remain?
Non-use group	When did you try to use it, and what conditions prevented use?

Reason for this entry: Enable outcomes and context to be verified with materials.

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Target group	Interview question

Writing tips and explanation for this section

About this section

Enter main interview questions for each group

Enable outcomes and context to be verified with materials.

View the method explanation

Writing tips

Keep the information in each row aligned. Scroll wide tables horizontally to see every column.

Read the full fictional example

Step 5: success and failure stories

After interviews, summarize each case: what was done, what enabled or hindered it, and outcomes

Completed example for this section (fictional)

This fictional example is for explanation. Adapt it to your own program. Your entries will not change.

A01 consulted the supervisor beforehand and proposed the plan at a meeting. Minutes identified collection responsibility. A02 prepared a draft but had no agenda slot and could not implement it. All records are fictional.

Reason for this entry: Check documents used and opportunities as well as accounts.

Writing tips and explanation for this section

About this section

After interviews, summarize each case: what was done, what enabled or hindered it, and outcomes

Check documents used and opportunities as well as accounts.

View the method explanation

Writing tips

Use the example as a reference and record what you have established about your own program. Distinguish assumptions and unchecked matters from confirmed facts.

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Step 6: enabling and inhibiting factors and recommendations

Identify common transfer enablers and barriers across interviews and recommend improvements

Completed example for this section (fictional)

This fictional example is for explanation. Adapt it to your own program. Your entries will not change.

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Factor type (enabling / inhibiting)	Specific factor	Frequency (across cases)	Improvement recommendation
Enabling	Coordination with supervisor before the meeting	Confirmed in 1 of 2 cases	Discuss workplace opportunities for review before training
Inhibiting	No forum for adding an agenda item	Confirmed in 1 of 2 cases	Provide alternatives such as brief sharing meetings

Reason for this entry: Limit frequencies to the 2 selected cases.

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Factor type (enabling / inhibiting)	Specific factor	Frequency (across cases)	Improvement recommendation

Writing tips and explanation for this section

About this section

Identify common transfer enablers and barriers across interviews and recommend improvements

Limit frequencies to the 2 selected cases.

View the method explanation

Writing tips

Keep the information in each row aligned. Scroll wide tables horizontally to see every column.

Read the full fictional example

Before writing, check when to use the worksheet and what completion involves

Success case method worksheet is a worksheet for applying Success Case Method in meetings or individual work. For the overall duration of the method, use “Illustrative estimate (adjust for scale and staffing): 2–6 weeks overall; 1 week for the survey, 1–2 weeks for interviews and 1–2 weeks for analysis and reporting” as a reference, adjusting for scale and resources. Fill in what you know provisionally and leave unresolved matters as questions to check next.

When this worksheet is useful

Quickly examining workplace transfer after training (Behavior, Level 3) at low cost
Diagnosing why well-received training is not used at work
Obtaining concrete barriers and success factors for redesigning training quickly

Participants and preparation

Evaluation officers, participants with contrasting outcomes or use, and supervisors or others able to verify circumstances as needed. Determine numbers by case diversity and depth of examination.

Bring the materials used for decisions, existing data, and differing stakeholder views to help complete the worksheet.

Suggested order

1. Step 1: set the evaluation focusEnter expected behavior changes and their organizational value to be examined
2. Step 2: design the identification surveyEnter proposed identification questions for participants (aim for 5–10 questions or fewer and completion within 5 minutes)
3. Step 3: record interviewee selectionRecord grounds for selecting success and failure groups from survey results
4. Step 4: interview guideEnter main interview questions for each group
5. Step 5: success and failure storiesAfter interviews, summarize each case: what was done, what enabled or hindered it, and outcomes
6. Step 6: enabling and inhibiting factors and recommendationsIdentify common transfer enablers and barriers across interviews and recommend improvements

Signs the worksheet is ready for review

Participant survey findings for case identification
Success stories (number determined by the subject)
Failure stories (number determined by the subject)

Cautions for review

Too many questions aimed at detailed effect measurement reduce response rates; SCM surveys are for identifying cases
Collecting successes alone and omitting failures; interviews on failure contain the most important improvement information
Interviewers try to attribute success to training and overlook workplace or managerial factors

Read a completed fictional example (your entries will not change)

Fictional example; not actual results

The following fictional example selects 2 people with contrasting conditions for use from 12 evaluation planning trainees.

Step 1: set the evaluation focus

Training name: Evaluation planning training (fictional)
Expected behavior change (specific): Use the draft in a workplace meeting
Organizational value of that change: Specify what information to collect
Definition of success (what counts as success): The meeting discussed the draft and determined collection items and responsibility
Evaluation officer and implementation period: Evaluation officer / October–November 2026

Reason for this entry: Distinguish success from personal satisfaction.

Step 2: design the identification survey

Scroll horizontally to view the table

Question number	Question wording	Response format (yes / no, 4-point scale, etc.)
1	Did you use your draft plan in a meeting?	Used / not used / no opportunity
2	As a result, were collection items and responsibilities decided?	Decided / partly decided / not decided

Reason for this entry: Ask about behavior and results useful for selecting cases.

Step 3: record interviewee selection

Scroll horizontally to view the table

Participant ID (anonymous)	Success / failure group	Selection rationale (survey response features)	Interview date and time
A01	Success group	Used it in a meeting and decided items and responsibilities	October 15, 2026 (fictional)
A02	Failure group (non-use)	Prepared a draft but had no meeting opportunity	October 16, 2026 (fictional)

Reason for this entry: Retain existing group names while explaining that non-use is not necessarily personal failure.

Step 4: interview guide

Scroll horizontally to view the table

Target group	Interview question
Success group	In what situation did you use it, and what records remain?
Non-use group	When did you try to use it, and what conditions prevented use?

Reason for this entry: Enable outcomes and context to be verified with materials.

Step 5: success and failure stories

Reason for this entry: Check documents used and opportunities as well as accounts.

Step 6: enabling and inhibiting factors and recommendations

Scroll horizontally to view the table

Factor type (enabling / inhibiting)	Specific factor	Frequency (across cases)	Improvement recommendation
Enabling	Coordination with supervisor before the meeting	Confirmed in 1 of 2 cases	Discuss workplace opportunities for review before training
Inhibiting	No forum for adding an agenda item	Confirmed in 1 of 2 cases	Provide alternatives such as brief sharing meetings

Reason for this entry: Limit frequencies to the 2 selected cases.

Common errors in judgment

Selecting only successful cases for publicity

How to revise: Examine non-use cases and explain conditions and barriers

Reason: This identifies support needed to reproduce success.

Presenting the proportion of selected successes as the overall effect

How to revise: Explain selection methods and examine overall proportions separately

Reason: Extreme cases have been selected.

Editorial and checking information

Content updated: 2026-10-07Source checked: 2026-09-13 (includes AI cross-checking)No documented human reviewIncludes fictional examplesEditorial policy and scope of checking Cite this page Report a correction

References and checked sections

Success case method
BetterEvaluation
Section consulted
Main text; five key steps; Advice
How it relates to the text
Examines the most successful and unsuccessful cases; selection is not intended to represent average outcomes.
Source checked: 2026-09-13 (includes AI cross-checking)

How to cite this page

EvalCompass Editorial Team. “Success case method worksheet”. EvalCompass, updated 2026-10-07. https://evalcompass.jun-nakatani.com/en/worksheets/success-case-method/

Add the date you accessed the page. Text created by this site is available under CC BY 4.0. Quotations, external materials, and bundled fonts have their own terms of use. When reusing content, credit the source, link to the license, and indicate any changes.

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Change history

2026-10-07 — Corrected statements and procedures identified during content checks (U03). Preserved the order, number and labels of input fields and the section structure.
2026-09-13 — Updated explanations to correspond to the sources and added method-specific fictional completed examples, judgment examples and a change log.