John Townsend 
Transfer of Learning Pocketbook 

Transfer of learning is the application, back at work, of knowledge, skills and attitudes obtained in learning situations. The amount of learning that is transferred back to the workplace after a training event is the key measure of the success of that training. There is, after all, no point carrying out the training if nothing changes as a result of it. But the transfer doesn’t only depend on how good the training is. A number of key factors have to be in place. In the Transfer of Learning Pocketbook, authors Dr Paul Donovan and John Townsend identify 17 factors that determine whether or not new learning will be transferred and used to improve job performance. After extensive research within the HR community, the factors were identified and then prioritised according to their impact on return on training investment. The book sets out each of the 17 factors in turn before giving the reader 70 specific action tips, grouped into five sections that follow the five stages of the training process. Donovan and Townsend have collaborated on several other Pocketbooks, including the highly-regarded Training Evaluation and Training Needs Analysis.