Cyan Moon crew preparation for the Sydney To Hobart Yacht Race March 2023
- Authors: Porter, Joanne , Simic, Megan , Talpey, Scott , Fenton, Sam , Casey, Meghan , McNeal, Dominic , Statham, Dixie , Prokopiv, Valerie , Miller, Libby
- Date: 2023
- Type: Text , Technical report , Report
- Full Text:
- Description: The Collaborative Evaluation & Research Centre (formally CERG) evaluated the crew’s experiences pre and post yacht events using a mixed methods approach. The Cyan yacht had a crew of 12 and competed in a number of events in the racing calendar leading up to the Sydney to Hobart race in January 2023. This was the first time that this boat and many of the crew competed in the Sydney to Hobart yacht race.
Food security and wellbeing project evaluation 2022-2023
- Authors: Porter, Joanne , Simic, Megan , Miller, Elizabeth , Bransgrove, Natalie , Barbagallo, Michael , Peck, Blake , Unsworth, Carolyn , Hewitt, Alana , Soldatenko, Daria , Hualda, Luis , My, Sambath , Prokopiv, Valerie
- Date: 2023
- Type: Text , Technical report , Report
- Full Text:
- Description: Although the country is transitioning out of COVID-19 lockdowns and easing restrictions, Australians are now facing increased costs of living. Global political unrest, interest rate rises, and inflation have seen the prices of fuel, food and household bills surge, increasing the strain on individuals and families. Fruit and vegetables have seen cost increases by almost 7% from last year, with this figure only estimated to rise. During the same period, however, takeaway food prices increased marginally by 0.7%, potentially due to government subsidy and voucher systems introduced post COVID-19 lockdowns. The strain of food prices is felt even more greatly by those living in regional, rural and remote Australia, with prices increasing due to freight costs. The Morwell Neighbourhood House (MNH) Food Bank provides emergency relief without requiring an appointment and is unrestricted by postcode or healthcare card status. The Food Bank is supported by St Vinnies Morwell, which provides $12,000 annually towards the cost of food, and by numerous community organisations, individuals and businesses. Demand for the Food Bank has increased steadily and particularly so during the COVID-19 pandemic. The immediate precursor to the People’s Kitchen was a 2019 project named Cooking for a Purpose. That involved GippsTAFE VCAL students preparing nutritious frozen meals using ingredients provided by MNH. The availability of frozen home-cooked meals has ensured that Food Bank clients have at least one nutritious hot meal per day. The CERC was commissioned to explore the activities of the MNH, gaining an insight into how the whole of person approach to food security was being implemented. This understanding was gained through the perspective of those who were paid employees, Volunteers or accessed the MNH services, outlining the benefits, barriers and future suggestions for the MNH operations when addressing food security in the Latrobe Valley. Data were collected between 2022 - 2023 using a mixed methods approach to understand the impact of the MNH services on participants. Participants included MNH stakeholders, staff, Volunteers, secondary school students and people who accessed the MNH services. In addition to this, a comprehensive literature review was performed to understand the global landscape of food insecurity, exploring how people access Food Banks, the opportunities that arise from engaging with food security service activities and the perspectives of employees who ran these services.
Adolescents Building Connections (ABC) program evaluation 2022
- Authors: Porter, Joanne , Prokopiv, Valerie , Peck, Blake , Bailey, Carolyn , Forooshani, Habib
- Date: 2022
- Type: Text , Technical report , Report
- Full Text:
- Description: CERC (formally CERG) has evaluated the Quantum Support Services ABC program that provids tools and strategies to help young people understand the impact of their behaviours and encourage positive growth and maintenance of healthy relationships.
Building healthy and resilient communities through service equity project evaluation : June 2022
- Authors: Porter, Joanne , Jackson, Megan , Cruz, Naomi , Prokopiv, Valerie
- Date: 2022
- Type: Text , Technical report , Report
- Full Text:
- Description: Working in partnership with the Deddick Valley Isolated Community Group and in collaboration with the Errinundra to Snowy Community Recovery Committee, CERC (formally CERG) evaluated and validated existing data and new information in support of an appropriate health service model for the Errinundra to Snowy District of Far East Gippsland.
Latrobe Regional Hospital : The Wellness Centre evaluation 2021-2022
- Authors: Porter, Joanne , Simic, Megan , Ghasemiardekani, Maryam , Prokopiv, Valerie
- Date: 2022
- Type: Text , Technical report , Report
- Full Text:
- Description: CERC (formally CERG) partnered with the Latrobe Regional Health (LRH) to evaluate their Staff Wellness Centre, designed to provide wellbeing support for staff during and post the COVID-19 pandemic. The organisation had identified an impact to staff wellness during the pandemic, responding with the Centre to help staff access health promotion services, mental and physical wellbeing services. CERC assisted with evaluating the service, demonstrating the impact the service has had on the overall wellbeing of staff.
‘I Am Deadly’ project evaluation December 2022
- Authors: Porter, Joanne , Johnson, Nicholas , Prokopiv, Valerie , Jackson, Megan , Prezioso, Michelle , Cowan, Amy , Barbagallo, Michael , Dabkowski, Elissa
- Date: 2022
- Type: Text , Technical report , Report
- Full Text:
- Description: CERC (formally CERG) evaluated the implementation of the ‘I Am Deadly’ project, which is a version of the ‘I Am Ready’ project targeting young Aboriginal students. The project aimed at encouraging up to 20 Aboriginal students to take up a trade and providing them with a pathway into a trade. It also aimed to encourage Aboriginal Students to continue their education to allow a greater choice for employment options post-secondary school.
Latrobe City Council Community Engagement Survey 2021 Analysis
- Authors: Porter, Joanne , Barbagallo, Michael , Reimers, Vaughan , Prokopiv, Valerie , James, Michelle , Dabkowski, Elissa , Prezioso, Michelle , Federation University. Collaborative Evaluation Unit (CEU)
- Date: 2021
- Type: Text , Technical report
- Full Text:
- Description: As part of Latrobe City’s community engagement strategy, a survey was developed and distributed during May to June 2021, collecting both quantitative and qualitative data to capture feedback and suggestions on how Latrobe City could be a better place to live, work, visit and play. The survey also invited residents to share their thoughts on current and future challenges for the City. A total of 1552 responses to the survey were received of which 69 were blank, with 1453 making up the final data set. This report highlights the findings from the survey. The majority of the participants were female (65%, n=744), 33% were from Traralgon, 35% from smaller townships with the remaining 32% from Moe, Newborough, Morwell and Churchill. The participants ranged in age from 17-30 years (15%), 31-40 years (27%), 41-70 years (43%) 70+ years (10%). The majority of the participants were employed in healthcare, education and administrative roles with 89% stating that they live and work in Latrobe City. Friends are family was cited as the most common reason why participants believed that Latrobe City was a good place, with Location in Victoria, Affordability and Natural environment rounding off the top four responses. The most common reason people gave for Latrobe City being a good place to work was Distance from home (n=504) and similarly the most common reason participants gave for it being a good place to study was Close to home. Safety, Economy and Built environment were considered the things most important for Latrobe City Council to focus on this was evident in both the quantitative and qualitative responses. A thematic analysis process was used to analyse the content from the six open-ended questions in the survey. Six main themes emerged; Employment, Safety, Transport, Education, Sport and Entertainment and Hope for the future.