Development assistance to women in postconflict situations. In the last decade, internal armed conflicts have attracted increasing attention as major obstacles to development in poor countries. For development assistance organisations this poses serious challenges. Moreover, men and women experience conflict differently. This project documents, analyses and assesses work amongst women in post-conflict situations by an Australian non-government development agency, Oxfam Community Aid Abroad (OCAA ....Development assistance to women in postconflict situations. In the last decade, internal armed conflicts have attracted increasing attention as major obstacles to development in poor countries. For development assistance organisations this poses serious challenges. Moreover, men and women experience conflict differently. This project documents, analyses and assesses work amongst women in post-conflict situations by an Australian non-government development agency, Oxfam Community Aid Abroad (OCAA). Three countries, Sri Lanka, Cambodia and East Timor, comprise the case studies. In reports and scholarly articles, this research will evaluate how well OCAA meets women's needs in the post-conflict transition, and identify how development organisations can improve such work in future.Read moreRead less
Outcomes of specialist disability housing for people with disability. This project aims to systematically investigate the experience, outcomes and economic impact of people with disability moving into specialist disability accommodation housing. Health, wellbeing, community participation, support outcomes and lived experience of people with disability will be measured before moving and over 2 years after they move. The project provides the opportunity to identify the personal, disability, housi ....Outcomes of specialist disability housing for people with disability. This project aims to systematically investigate the experience, outcomes and economic impact of people with disability moving into specialist disability accommodation housing. Health, wellbeing, community participation, support outcomes and lived experience of people with disability will be measured before moving and over 2 years after they move. The project provides the opportunity to identify the personal, disability, housing and support factors that shape outcomes for people with disability. The intended outcome is comprehensive knowledge that can inform policy, build evidence across housing, technology, support and disability sectors and ultimately benefit people with disability by generating innovative practice in housing and support.Read moreRead less
The costs of youth homelessness in Australia. This three-year research project will provide a detailed picture of the cost of youth homelessness in Australia, the use of services by young homeless people and the costs and benefits of providing support services to young homeless people. The study will extend the evidence base on the cost-effectiveness of programs attempting to alleviate youth homelessness, and enable Australian governments, community groups and agencies involved in the provision ....The costs of youth homelessness in Australia. This three-year research project will provide a detailed picture of the cost of youth homelessness in Australia, the use of services by young homeless people and the costs and benefits of providing support services to young homeless people. The study will extend the evidence base on the cost-effectiveness of programs attempting to alleviate youth homelessness, and enable Australian governments, community groups and agencies involved in the provision of support services to homeless youth to understand better the pathways followed by young homeless people and the impact of service provision on the lives of young homeless people.Read moreRead less
Increasing organisational capacity of community residential units to facilitate ageing in place for people with intellectual disability. Unique challenges face the disability, aged care and health sectors because of the increased life expectancy of people with life-long intellectual disability (ID) and the likelihood of their premature ageing. Although this group is recognised by Federal and State governments as requiring specific and special service arrangements, little is known about adapting ....Increasing organisational capacity of community residential units to facilitate ageing in place for people with intellectual disability. Unique challenges face the disability, aged care and health sectors because of the increased life expectancy of people with life-long intellectual disability (ID) and the likelihood of their premature ageing. Although this group is recognised by Federal and State governments as requiring specific and special service arrangements, little is known about adapting disability and aged care services to their needs. This research will inform the development of policy and programs in the disability, aged care, and health sectors. The research aims to improve the capacity of disability group homes to respond to the health and ageing issues of older people with ID,to improve their quality of life.Read moreRead less
Leveraging Remittances with Microfinance: A Cross-country Study. This study recognises the high and growing significance of overseas migrant remittances as contributors to GDP and household livelihoods in many countries. It responds to current policy interest in remittances as a development resource, as well as security concerns related to informal funds transfers. This groundbreaking study will work with microfinance providers in six Asia-Pacific countries (Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Philippines, S ....Leveraging Remittances with Microfinance: A Cross-country Study. This study recognises the high and growing significance of overseas migrant remittances as contributors to GDP and household livelihoods in many countries. It responds to current policy interest in remittances as a development resource, as well as security concerns related to informal funds transfers. This groundbreaking study will work with microfinance providers in six Asia-Pacific countries (Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Philippines, Samoa, Fiji and Tonga) to investigate the impacts of remittance-linked financial services on household well-being and economic development. The study will identify how existing and new services can best promote development and poverty reduction in migrant-sending areas.Read moreRead less
Evaluating the community governance of crime prevention and community safety. In partnership with the Victorian Department of Justice this research aims to evaluate the Safer Cities and Shires program using both in-depth data analysis and focus groups. It questions the theoretical assumptions underlying the program; identifies effective and cost-effective community governance structures and factors that enhance or inhibit a community's capacity to participate in and respond to community safety i ....Evaluating the community governance of crime prevention and community safety. In partnership with the Victorian Department of Justice this research aims to evaluate the Safer Cities and Shires program using both in-depth data analysis and focus groups. It questions the theoretical assumptions underlying the program; identifies effective and cost-effective community governance structures and factors that enhance or inhibit a community's capacity to participate in and respond to community safety initiatives; and evaluates the impact of the program on the incidence of crime and perceptions of safety and security. The outcomes will advance knowledge in community psychology and inform future policy and allocation of resources to community based crime prevention programs.Read moreRead less
The Evaluation of Stuctures and Processes for Effective Client, Carer and Community Outcomes: A Model for Rural Mental Health Services. The South West Healthcare Area Mental Health Service ( Warnambool) has demonstrated according to key performance indicators, an effective system of service delivery. This evaluative research project seeks to identify key components within the organisational structures and processes of a rural mental health service that contribute to these effective outcomes fo ....The Evaluation of Stuctures and Processes for Effective Client, Carer and Community Outcomes: A Model for Rural Mental Health Services. The South West Healthcare Area Mental Health Service ( Warnambool) has demonstrated according to key performance indicators, an effective system of service delivery. This evaluative research project seeks to identify key components within the organisational structures and processes of a rural mental health service that contribute to these effective outcomes for clients. The research process will test these key components against other rural and urban mental health services in Victoria and will result in the development of a model for rural mental health service delivery of both local and national significance.Read moreRead less
Activating and maintaining community participation in natural and cultural resources initiatives in the Murray-Darling Basin. The project goes beyond the rhetoric of participation to discover what factors activate communities and individuals to become involved in programs and voluntary initiatives for natural resource management. It assesses the effectiveness of existing communication channels and develops new models for more effective and representative participation. It combines the National M ....Activating and maintaining community participation in natural and cultural resources initiatives in the Murray-Darling Basin. The project goes beyond the rhetoric of participation to discover what factors activate communities and individuals to become involved in programs and voluntary initiatives for natural resource management. It assesses the effectiveness of existing communication channels and develops new models for more effective and representative participation. It combines the National Museum of Australia's expertise in environmental history and public communication with the imperative of the Murray-Darling Basin Commission to improve community participation in natural resource management. The potential for harnessing communications technology to facilitate new channels for participation is assessed through carefully evaluated pilot programs.Read moreRead less
Researching an all-of-family program in family violence & substance misuse. Family violence services and drug and alcohol services have been inappropriately siloed given co-occurrence of these problems is common. This project aims to evaluate an innovative program which integrates these services, focuses on fathering to ensure recognition of the needs of children (50% of family violence victims) and provides all-of-family support to ensure the safety and well-being of women and children. Expect ....Researching an all-of-family program in family violence & substance misuse. Family violence services and drug and alcohol services have been inappropriately siloed given co-occurrence of these problems is common. This project aims to evaluate an innovative program which integrates these services, focuses on fathering to ensure recognition of the needs of children (50% of family violence victims) and provides all-of-family support to ensure the safety and well-being of women and children. Expected outcomes include better evidence for countering family violence, and policy frameworks for integrated service provision. Changing the behaviour of men who use violence is a significant social challenge and the outcomes of this targeted approach should have ramifications nationally and internationally. Read moreRead less
Mapping Social Services Provision for Diverse Communities. Although the provision of social services in multicultural societies is one of the major factors that affect immigrants’ integration experiences, it surprisingly remains under-researched. This project will systematically map the provision and impact of different service-delivery modes in three areas of interest to migrant groups - health, social and employment services. By using mixed-methods design, the project will assess the experienc ....Mapping Social Services Provision for Diverse Communities. Although the provision of social services in multicultural societies is one of the major factors that affect immigrants’ integration experiences, it surprisingly remains under-researched. This project will systematically map the provision and impact of different service-delivery modes in three areas of interest to migrant groups - health, social and employment services. By using mixed-methods design, the project will assess the experiences and impact of the mainstreaming of social services on social inclusion, citizenship and human rights among migrant communities. Outcomes will include robust empirical evidence to plan policies and improve social inclusion of migrant communities through the effective provision of social services.Read moreRead less