Australian Volunteers Abroad in Communities in the Asia/Pacific Region. Each year over 300 Australian volunteers work abroad in communities in the Asia Pacific region. This project researches key questions about the role of volunteers in contributing to regional stability, community capacity building and poverty alleviation. The research also explores questions about the preparation and knowledge required for overseas volunteers working in local communities in the future. The project aims to ana ....Australian Volunteers Abroad in Communities in the Asia/Pacific Region. Each year over 300 Australian volunteers work abroad in communities in the Asia Pacific region. This project researches key questions about the role of volunteers in contributing to regional stability, community capacity building and poverty alleviation. The research also explores questions about the preparation and knowledge required for overseas volunteers working in local communities in the future. The project aims to analyse an important aspect of Australia's interaction with the Asia Pacific region; identify key features of volunteering from the perspective of volunteers, volunteer organisations, host communities and government; and develop up-to-date research material and procedures for preparing Australian volunteers.Read moreRead less
Assessing the Effectiveness of Public Housing Estate Regeneration in NSW. This project will assist in strengthening the social and economic fabric of disadvantaged public housing estates by developing an innovative framework for monitoring and evaluating the impacts of estate renewal programs in NSW. The framework will be capable of evaluating change not only in the estates themselves, but also in surrounding neighbourhoods. Special attention will be focused on issues of community wellbeing an ....Assessing the Effectiveness of Public Housing Estate Regeneration in NSW. This project will assist in strengthening the social and economic fabric of disadvantaged public housing estates by developing an innovative framework for monitoring and evaluating the impacts of estate renewal programs in NSW. The framework will be capable of evaluating change not only in the estates themselves, but also in surrounding neighbourhoods. Special attention will be focused on issues of community wellbeing and safety. The development of more advanced techniques to assess the financial and non-financial benefits of renewal activity will make a significant contribution to the national body of knowledge about these complex and important renewal programs and their impacts in local communities.Read moreRead less
Flash Point in the Third Sector: A longitudinal follow up study of the clergy care 'battle' within The Salvation Army. Increasing community demands for social support from clergy, along with organisational pressures is thought to underlie the repeated observation that clergy work is highly stressful. The Salvation Army specifically is alarmed by current low retention and recruitment rates.
This innovative longitudinal study of clergy well-being and productivity uses a participatory action re ....Flash Point in the Third Sector: A longitudinal follow up study of the clergy care 'battle' within The Salvation Army. Increasing community demands for social support from clergy, along with organisational pressures is thought to underlie the repeated observation that clergy work is highly stressful. The Salvation Army specifically is alarmed by current low retention and recruitment rates.
This innovative longitudinal study of clergy well-being and productivity uses a participatory action research design to follow-up army officers over a one year period, during which time one-third will be required to relocate to various Australian states in accord with their vocation. Findings will be important for increasing awareness and implications for clergy care in both The Salvation Army and clergy universally.
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Determinants of successful community transition for individuals with acquired brain injury and their families. Transition home following acquired brain injury (ABI) is a critical phase in which individuals and families are vulnerable. Unsuccessful transitions are characterised by events such as financial crisis, family breakdown, loss of work, social isolation, and institutionalisation. ABI does not discriminate, but there is a higher rate in Indigenous, rural and remote communities and amongst ....Determinants of successful community transition for individuals with acquired brain injury and their families. Transition home following acquired brain injury (ABI) is a critical phase in which individuals and families are vulnerable. Unsuccessful transitions are characterised by events such as financial crisis, family breakdown, loss of work, social isolation, and institutionalisation. ABI does not discriminate, but there is a higher rate in Indigenous, rural and remote communities and amongst younger people. The societal impact of ABI includes loss of income and livelihood, health and welfare dependence, and long-term accommodation support. Research into the determinants of successful transition will alleviate the personal, social and economic burden of ABI and inform policy and program priorities for appropriate Australian Government bodies.Read moreRead less
Place Management Programs as a Basis of Renewal for Regional Communities. Many regional communities are suffering from economic and social deprivation as well as population and infrastructure decline. Place management systems attempt to develop a management process to facilitate local communities to develop and implement their own renewal strategies. This project critically reviews place management strategies and compares and contrasts different place management approaches. The project selects o ....Place Management Programs as a Basis of Renewal for Regional Communities. Many regional communities are suffering from economic and social deprivation as well as population and infrastructure decline. Place management systems attempt to develop a management process to facilitate local communities to develop and implement their own renewal strategies. This project critically reviews place management strategies and compares and contrasts different place management approaches. The project selects one rural community case study to assess the capabilities and limitations of regional communities to develop and sustain a place management entrepreneurship program. The project will extend the understanding of place management systems as a means of addressing local community renewal and development.Read moreRead less
Sampling Gay Men: Testing Methodological Alternatives in a Minority Population. This project will systematically assess the efficacy and appropriateness of five separate techniques for the recruitment of gay and homosexually active men in Australia. The project will use the data from the Australian Study of Health and Relationships to assess the representativeness of the samples obtained. Using theoretical considerations of the inter-relationship of identity, attraction and practice, the suitabi ....Sampling Gay Men: Testing Methodological Alternatives in a Minority Population. This project will systematically assess the efficacy and appropriateness of five separate techniques for the recruitment of gay and homosexually active men in Australia. The project will use the data from the Australian Study of Health and Relationships to assess the representativeness of the samples obtained. Using theoretical considerations of the inter-relationship of identity, attraction and practice, the suitability of recruitment strategies for research projects addressing key elements of gay men's health will be assessed. As a by-product of the sampling exercise, a description of the key health concerns of gay and homosexually active men will be developed. Read moreRead less
Young Carers: Social policy impacts of the caring responsibilities of children and young adults. This project is a unique collaboration between university researchers, eight government agencies in NSW and South Australia and two Carers Associations, using innovative methods to inform policy development. The project will focus on the costs to young carers (their education, training, employment, social activities, health and wellbeing); benefits of the care relationship to families and to governm ....Young Carers: Social policy impacts of the caring responsibilities of children and young adults. This project is a unique collaboration between university researchers, eight government agencies in NSW and South Australia and two Carers Associations, using innovative methods to inform policy development. The project will focus on the costs to young carers (their education, training, employment, social activities, health and wellbeing); benefits of the care relationship to families and to government through savings on formal services; and the social policy frameworks. It will provide a comprehensive audit of policies and services for young carers and care recipients, and identify gaps for future policy development.Read moreRead less
Public-private partnerships as a solution to housing affordability problems: a case study of an inner urban development. Through a case study of an innovative inner city, medium density, low cost housing project, the characteristics of a public-private partnership will be described and analysed in many contexts. The financial, political and institutional impediments to the development of such ventures will be identified and broadened to a solution for other Australian municipalities. This will ....Public-private partnerships as a solution to housing affordability problems: a case study of an inner urban development. Through a case study of an innovative inner city, medium density, low cost housing project, the characteristics of a public-private partnership will be described and analysed in many contexts. The financial, political and institutional impediments to the development of such ventures will be identified and broadened to a solution for other Australian municipalities. This will be achieved by policy and process recommendations. The model will be used to provide a practical solution to low cost inner city housing, which to date has not been sustainably achieved in Australia.
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Implementing Evidence-Based Practice: Factors that Influence the Use of Research Evidence by Human Service Professionals. Implementing research evidence in human services is vitally important in providing more effective and accountable provision. It promotes an innovation culture by maximizing technological capability by understanding factors conducive to change. Nationally, it is significant in three key respects: (1) it is the first Australian research project to examine the implementation of ....Implementing Evidence-Based Practice: Factors that Influence the Use of Research Evidence by Human Service Professionals. Implementing research evidence in human services is vitally important in providing more effective and accountable provision. It promotes an innovation culture by maximizing technological capability by understanding factors conducive to change. Nationally, it is significant in three key respects: (1) it is the first Australian research project to examine the implementation of research evidence in the human services; (2) it is the first project to conduct a systematic review in this field; (3) it develops a national policy framework for guiding implementation and identify attainment outcomes in human services. A multifaceted strategy for policy formation based on audit and feedback will be proposed.
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Agency and Change in Institutionalised Organisations: The role of volunteers as institutional agents in the non-profit sector. This project intends to test recent developments in neoinstitutional organisational theory. The theoretical model developed is designed to address two questions bedvilling the genre: the role of human agency in institutional processes, and understanding institutional change. These questions are addressed in two ways: first, it takes voluntarism as an example of agency ....Agency and Change in Institutionalised Organisations: The role of volunteers as institutional agents in the non-profit sector. This project intends to test recent developments in neoinstitutional organisational theory. The theoretical model developed is designed to address two questions bedvilling the genre: the role of human agency in institutional processes, and understanding institutional change. These questions are addressed in two ways: first, it takes voluntarism as an example of agency in action; and second, it is located in the non-profit sector, an organisational field undergoing significant change. The project employs a micro-sociological methodological orientation rarely used in neoinstitutional research; that of non-participant observation and conversation analysis.Read moreRead less