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In mid-November, the Centre’s Manager of Research and Social Policy – Amanda Stevenson – attended the Family & Relationship Services Australia (FRSA) national conference in Darwin. The conference attracted more than 500 attendees to a range of workshops with the overarching theme ‘Positive Impact: Showcasing the Evidence’. Together with Bec Jolly, Amanda presented Sharing Innovative Practice: Promoting evidence-informed practice to enhance outcomes for vulnerable children and their families. The presentation described the Centre's work in applying Program Logic analysis to describe and redefine the goals of MASP’s Kokoda Youth Mentoring Program, and establish a practice-applicable evaluation framework.
The presentation focused on the value of the Program Logic process to enhance program integrity, management, funding strategy (including practice-based knowledge) and – most importantly – outcomes for vulnerable young people, their program mentors and the community.
The Centre for Excellence in Child and Family Welfare began performing Program Logic supports in mid-2012 with the specific vision to work with sector colleagues to build capacity in research and evaluation skills. These research and evaluation supports have developed as part of a specific response by the Centre to sector needs. In 2010, the Centre began advocating for the creation of a 'space' to share innovative practices and promote cross-sector knowledge transfer. This was reinforced by the PVVC Inquiry Report, which recognised the need for improved sector capacity to undertake systematic and rigorous evaluations. For more information on the Centre’s research and evaluation supports, please contact Amanda Stevenson or Judith Newbold on 9614 1577.
1 The MASP Kokoda Youth Mentoring program utilises adventure therapy to enhance the skills, knowledge and employment opportunities of young people living without adult rolemodels. |
