In times of financial and economic crises, public organizations seem to cut their budgets for training and education, especially when the impact of a programme is questioned. Therefore, PA programmes need to clarify what impact can be expected and what individual and organizational processes are influencing the impact of a PA programme on the public sector. The fact that PA programmes are future- and organization-oriented increases the complexity of knowledge transfer and the number of influencing processes. Organizations need to be aware of their own functioning, the role of knowledge and heterogeneity within their organization, their responsibility regarding educational issues and the profile of the civil servants participating in PA programmes. This will generate insight into educational effectiveness and the awareness that impact of PA programmes only can be expected after a more complex transfer process and on the longer term.