Evaluation of an important disaster response program
The 2019-20 bushfire season was the worst New South Wales has recorded. Over the course of a few months, 26 lives were lost, 2448 homes destroyed and 5.5 million hectares of land burnt. If I say St Vincent de Paul Society, what do you think of? Vinnes charity shops along main streets? You’d be right, […]
Read moreEvaluating like COVID contact tracers
Contact tracing is the process of gathering information about the people a known case of COVID-19 might have been in contact with, and the places they have been. Australia now has a well established COVID contact tracing system. I believe contact tracing can serve as a reminder as to what good evaluation is about. And […]
Read moreThe role of the arts in disaster recovery
Art and culture have always been important in connecting and consoling us in times of disaster. The COVID-19 pandemic acted as a timely reminder of this, as, during lockdowns around the world, people watched and participated in online choirs, orchestral concerts, film screenings and talks. Australia has just entered its annual bushfire season. This time […]
Read more5 things we learned from Black Saturday
Here in Australia we are living through our longest and most devastating bushfire season we’ve experienced. The statistics around numbers of affected communities, the extent of habitat and wildlife loss are staggering. The NSW, Victorian and Australian Governments are responding with disaster assistance in a range of forms. Whether that assistance is offered in the […]
Read more2015- International Year of Evaluation
Did you know that 2015 has been declared the International Year of Evaluation? Fondly known as EvalYear, this came about following endorsement at a series of evaluation conferences in 2013 and 2014 and the UN’s adoption of a resolution which asks member countries to strengthen their evaluation capacity and, in 2016, report on their progress. […]
Read moreBlack Saturday arts recovery grant recipient – 5 years on
Following the Black Saturday bushfires in Victoria in 2009, Arts Victoria––through Regional Arts Victoria––offered a series of quick response grants of up to $2,500 during the early recovery phase for artists to work in their communities on projects that contributed to the recovery effort. As the evaluator of this initiative, I met a number of […]
Read moreTop tips and thoughts from 2013 – 7 blog highlights
My weekly blogs are designed to provide tips, insights and ideas for my clients and colleagues working in the arts and cultural sectors, evaluation and market research research, government policy planning and the human services sectors – in metropolitan and regional Australia. To round off the year, here is a summary of my most popular […]
Read moreBushfire recovery – 6 success factors from the Black Saturday recovery process
New South Wales is currently in the grip of its worst natural disaster in nearly half a century. A state of emergency is in effect across the state. There are currently 56 fires burning around the state; 12 of which are not contained and three in the Blue Mountains are in danger of merging into […]
Read moreOne common myth about the role of the arts in disaster recovery
In recent years Australia has experienced some its worst natural disasters on public record. These included the Black Saturday Bushfires in Victoria in 2009, Cyclone Yasi and floods in Queensland in early 2011. Following these natural disasters, new models of support were trialled to help rebuild disaster-affected communities by using arts-led and creative activities. I […]
Read moreABC radio interview – my work evaluating the role of the arts in disaster recovery
Whilst in Rockhampton last week at the Articulate:Queensland Regional Arts and Culture Conference 2013, I was interviewed on local ABC Radio. Jacqui Mackay, Breakfast Presenter on ABC Capricornia, spoke with me about my work evaluating arts-led initiatives to help rebuilding communities after natural disasters. You can listen to the audio file here. http://blogs.abc.net.au/queensland/2013/08/can-the-arts-help-after-a-disaster.html?site=capricornia&program=capricornia_breakfast
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