Brinkerhoff Evaluation Institute - Success Case Method Certification

What are the key ingredients of a SCM?

Evaluate and accelerate the impact of strategic initiatives by:

Capturing compelling snapshots of impact that inspire participation and support.
Identifying the factors that contribute to and inhibit impact.
Providing evidence-based recommendations to accelerate impact and spread innovation.
Communicating the story of your change initiatives with concrete evidence.

Learn directly from the SCM thought leaders

The originator and thought leader of the SCM, Professor Robert O. Brinkerhoff, and evaluation expert, Professor Daniela Schroeter, have completed numerous impact studies for such organizations as the International Red Cross and Red Crescent, World Bank, World Meteorology Organization, Cargill, Kellogg Foundation, Merck, Ford Motor, Fannie Mae, Stanford University, INSEAD, and many more leading global companies, government agencies, foundations, and non-profit organizations.

What will you learn during the certification?

After completing the program, you will be able to:

Explain to others the essence and benefits of the SCM strategy and process
Define when and why to use an SCM in your organization
Give details about how a well-designed SCM study unfolds step by step
Plan and conduct SCM studies in your organization
Become a champion for how the SCM can be used to accelerate successful strategic change

What's included with the certification?

To support the implementation of your impact studies, the certification includes access to a detailed digital library of SCM resources you can refer to on a “just-in-time and just-enough” basis to shape and support all steps of an impact study. This includes:

Templates related to completing SCM steps.
Exemplary proposals, impact maps, surveys, interview protocols, report sections, presentation materials, impact evaluation plans and budgets.
Audio examples of interviews.
Continued readings.

The certification learning experience and performance support tools enable champions to start conducting SCM impact studies by:

Identifying impact evaluation opportunities and benefits.
Planning and implementing SCM impact studies.
Preparing actionable reports with defensible conclusions and recommendations.

BEI will be available for follow-up and individualized consultation and coaching if needed, provided at reduced rates for certification graduates.

Who should attend?

Anyone (corporate, public, and non-profit) who is interested in:

Evaluating the impact of a performance improvement program/strategy or change initiative
Accelerating the impact of performance improvement interventions

Individuals who have benefited from the program include:

Learning & Development professionals
Change management leaders
Project managers
Instructional designers
HR and performance consultants
Program evaluators

Pricing

General admission

Early Bird: $1,495

Regular: $1,895

Additional seat

Early Bird: $995

Regular: $1,295

Third Sector/Student

Early Bird: $750

Regular: $995

Who qualifies for third sector/student pricing?

Third sector: Nonprofit organizations, NGOs, charities, social enterprises, community-based organizations
Students: Full-time undergraduate or graduate students, recent graduates (within 12 months), individuals enrolled in professional training programs

Verification required during registration

💡 Need training for a larger team?

In-house private session pricing available on request for same-organization groups.

Payment will take place via Stripe. If you need a different means to process your payment or have any questions, please get in touch.

Events

Fall 2025 session

Kickoff: October 15, 2025

Live sessions: 10 a.m. - 1 p.m. Eastern (Find your time)

October 22
October 29
November 5

SOLD OUT

Spring 2026

Kickoff: April 15, 2026

Live sessions: 10 a.m. - 1 p.m. Eastern (Find your time)

April 22
April 29
May 6

Registration opening soon

SCM Certification FAQs

About the program

Q: How will this learning be delivered?

Prepare for and consolidate learning from online sessions by completing self-paced assignments on the award-winning Promote digital learning platform (LxP).
Engage in three online live group Zoom sessions providing interactive experiences, discussions, reflections, and groupwork to enhance reflection, learning, and exchange.
Finalize your certification by completing your choice of a capstone assignment geared to your professional interest and needs.

Q: What is my participation commitment?

Approximately 2-hours of self-paced pre-work prior to each online session.
Attendance at (3) three-hour online sessions over three weeks.
Approximately 3 hours of independent work for a capstone assignment due 3 weeks after the last online session.

Q: Can I still get certified if I miss a session?

We know that occasional unexpected commitments arise that may interfere with participating fully in a particular session. For this reason, participants can miss a maximum of 1 complete live group session and still be eligible for earning their certification through a make-up assignment. All live sessions will be recorded for people who wish to revisit them or fill in a missed portion.

Pricing and eligibility

Q: How does nonprofit/student pricing verification work?

During registration, you'll be asked to upload documentation such as a student ID, nonprofit verification letter, or other proof of eligibility.

Q: Do you offer payment plans or alternative payment methods?

Payment is processed via Stripe, which accepts all major credit cards. If you need a different payment method (such as wire transfer, purchase order, or payment plan), please indicate so in registration form and we'll work with you to find a solution.

Skills and requirements

Q: Do I need data collection and analysis skills to successfully participate in the certification?

No. Anyone with a few years of experience in learning, performance improvement, or other organizational change initiatives should be able to fully master and benefit from the program. As mentioned above, you will gain knowledge in each step of the SCM process and that will help you employ other team members whose skills sets will complement yours.

Q: Will I learn everything necessary to plan and implement a SCM study?

Yes, you'll gain comprehensive knowledge of the entire SCM process. However, implementing SCM studies works best as a team effort since different steps require different skill sets.

What you'll master:

Understanding of each step in the SCM process
Knowledge of what skills are needed for each phase
Ability to identify where to bring in team members with complementary skills
Examples and templates to guide collaboration with colleagues

You might excel at data collection and analysis but need colleagues with strong interviewing skills. Or you may be an experienced interviewer who partners with others for data analysis. The certification gives you the framework to lead SCM studies and work effectively with team members who complement your strengths.

Q: What if I cannot free up the time to participate in the three live group sessions?

The three live sessions are the heart of the Certification, and the learning activities are intended to reinforce understanding and learning. If your schedule forbids you to participate, then this program is not for you.

Logistics

Q: Will sessions be recorded?

Yes, all live sessions will be recorded. Participants can access recordings to revisit content or catch up on any portions of sessions they may have missed. However, the interactive elements and live discussions are a key part of the learning experience, so we encourage attending live whenever possible.

Q: What ongoing support is available after certification?

Certification graduates have access to follow-up consultation and individualized coaching from BEI at reduced rates. You'll also maintain access to the comprehensive digital resource library, which includes templates, guides, and case study examples to support your ongoing SCM implementation.

What people say...

I really enjoyed working on the assignments. It helped me a lot to self-reflect on my own practice and it inspired me on new perspectives of SCM application. Also, thank you for the great learning experience. It was a great pleasure to exchange with you, other facilitators and colleagues from other organizations on the SCM. What you do is a perfect example how learning should look like.

—Mirjana Rašić, Instructional Designer at ICRC

Thank you to the team at BEI for their excellent instruction and individualized attention to each learner. It was spectacular!

—Jeffrey Hillman, Monitoring And Evaluation Officer at Tillers International

Are you looking for the best approach to evaluate your training, innovation, or performance improvement initiatives? The answer is Brinkerhoff’s Success Case Method (SCM) certification. The SCM is a validated, reliable strategy for quickly measuring impact, and what has caused or prevented success. You will leave the course with a powerful, yet practical method, checklists, job aids, and the skills to rapidly assess the impact of your organization’s initiatives.

—Elaine Biech ATD’s 2020 Distinguished Contribution to Talent Development and author of Washington Post’s #1 best seller The Art and Science of Training

Rob Brinkerhoff has earned his place in the pantheon of the small handful of people who have been true innovators in workplace learning evaluation. His Success Case Methodology is a revolutionary tool for evaluating the success of learning and performance improvement programs. And now, Rob and his colleagues are providing us with a very special opportunity to dive deep to develop our skills in rapid impact evaluation in the newly offered SCM Certification program.

— Will Thalheimer, PhD, MBA, Principal, TiER1 Performance

For many years in my role as an organizational learning leader, I’ve led important learning initiatives that required an investment of time and money and also carried expectations for impact on the business. As such, understanding what was working and where we could improve the learning experiences to get higher yield was important.

The Success Case study allowed me to approach the analysis of various learning initiatives with the mindset of continuous improvement—not one of “proving training worked”. We knew that it worked better in some areas than others, and I wanted to know why. I like that the study is conducted based upon solid research principles and design, that the results were objective, and the report and recap provided a path for excellent discussion and decision making with my learning team and our business stakeholders.

—Julie Dervin

Using the Success Case Method for rapid impact

Some of our clients and partners