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Evaluation

Review of the New Zealand Coaching Strategy

Client:
Sport and Recreation New Zealand (SPARC)

Project Background:
The New Zealand Coaching Strategy was launched in 2004 in response to the 2001 Ministerial Taskforce Report ‘Getting Set for an Active Nation’. The Strategy was developed by coaches for coaches, and is aligned to athletes’ needs.

Our Involvement:
Litmus conducted the four-year review of the New Zealand Coaching Strategy’s implementation, which included:

  • in-depth interviews and focus groups with national sports organisations, regional sports trusts, clubs, coaches and SPARC
  • an online survey of grassroots and elite coaches
  • a review of documentation on the development and implementation of the Strategy.

Key Outcomes:
The report provided SPARC with evidence on how the Strategy is being implemented, progress made towards the Strategy’s objectives and vision, and facilitators and barriers to uptake.

Reviewing Facilitation of Local and Central Government on Community Outcomes Process

Client:
Department of Internal Affairs

Project Background:
The Community Outcomes Process was introduced by the Local Government Act 2002 (the Act). Part 6 of the Act requires local government to facilitate a process with their communities, at least every six years, to identify community outcomes. This process should help communities (including central government agencies and businesses) identify and promote community outcomes. The Department of Internal Affairs is required to facilitate the central and local government interface in the Community Outcomes Process.
 
Our Involvement:
Litmus evaluated the Department’s facilitation role from 1 January 2005 to 30 June 2006. The evaluation comprised four key components:

  • internal stakeholder discussions, which resulted in the development and sign-off of an evaluation plan and draft intervention logic
  • analysis of documentation provided by the Department
  • in-depth interviews with central government agencies and national bodies of local government
  • local government case studies involving in-depth interviews across local authorities, and interviews with regionally based participants from central government agencies.

Key Outcomes:
The Department of Internal Affairs received local government case studies demonstrating central and local government interaction and the Department’s facilitative role in this relationship. A cross-case report highlighted the successes of the Department’s facilitation and the barriers and enablers to local and central government interaction. Litmus also facilitated a future-focused workshop to enact the evaluative learnings into workforce development. Further reading arrow

Review of the Youth Access to Alcohol Community Action Project

Client:
Alcohol Advisory Council of New Zealand (ALAC)

Project Background:
Following implementation of the pioneering Youth Access to Alcohol (YATA) Project, which empowers local communities to redress youth alcohol issues using a 'community action' model, ALAC wished to evaluate the Project's success in the 30+ communities nationwide that had adopted it.

Our Involvement:
Litmus evaluated the YATA Project by undertaking eight community case studies, providing an in-depth, '360°' view of how YATA works in different communities. We:

  • carried out case studies and associated tasks, including a documentation review; on-the-ground observation; and interviews and workshops involving YATA group coordinators, community partners and target groups
  • conducted a quantitative survey and literature review.

Key Outcomes:
Identification of key success and risk factors for the YATA project helped shape strategic direction at a community and national level.

Five Year Evaluation Plan for Treatment Injury Legislation

Client:
Accident Compensation Commission (ACC)

Project Background:
Five years after the introduction of new injury treatment legislation, ACC wished to evaluate how effectively the new legislation was meeting its objectives.

Our Involvement:
Litmus developed the evaluation plan from design to draft stages by:

  • establishing and convening an interagency advisory group to provide input into the draft planning stage. This group comprised operational stakeholders from ACC and the Department of Labour, and an evaluation expert from Canterbury University
  • writing the draft Pan for initial stakeholder feedback.

Key Outcomes:
Interagency agreement and key stakeholder endorsement of the evaluation specification framework.

Evaluation of the Development of the New Zealand Action Plan for Human Rights

Client:
Human Rights Commission (HRC)

Project Background:
The Human Rights Amendment Act 2001 gave the HRC responsibility for developing a national plan of action for the promotion and protection of human rights in New Zealand. The New Zealand Action Plan for Human Rights (NZAPHR) was released publicly in March 2005, following an extensive development process that drew on input from government and stakeholder advisory groups, a public consultation process (involving contributions from over 5000 New Zealanders) and the first-ever status report on human rights in New Zealand.

Our Involvement:
Litmus undertook a process evaluation of the project to develop the NZAPHR by:

  • analysing and synthesising existing data and previous evaluations
  • consulting with HRC's internal and external stakeholders
  • emailing questionnaires to wider internal and external audiences
  • synthesising the evaluation findings and preparing the report
  • disseminating findings.

Key Outcomes:
Findings from the evaluation will be used to improve HRC’s processes and practice for future project work, and will also feed into wider international learnings on the development of human rights action plans.

Evaluation of Oral Health Promotion in Bay of Plenty

Client:
Ministry of Health (MOH)

Project Background:
As the government agency responsible for New Zealanders' oral health, the MOH was keen to test the effectiveness of its community-focused promotional activities, and to also identify challenges to raising awareness of the importance of good oral hygiene.

Our Involvement:
Litmus evaluated oral health promotion activity in the Bay of Plenty District Health Board region, with a particular focus on iwi-based programmes delivered by Maori providers. We achieved this by:

  • undertaking a literature review
  • reviewing national and school dental services data
  • working with seven health providers to understand the issues and challenges they face in programme delivery
  • obtaining target audience feedback via focus groups and a telephone survey.

Key Outcomes:
The MOH received clear direction about the implementation and effectiveness of oral health promotion activity.