Measurement and Evaluation
GRT utilises a Collective Impact approach to creating change.
The Collective Impact model includes a shared measurement framework to track progress in the same way, which allows for continuous improvement.
Understanding Measurement, Evaluation and Learning (UMEL) Strategy
The purpose of the Gladstone Region Wellbeing UMEL Strategy is to demonstrate improved wellbeing for children and their families through the implementation of the community-led, place-based, GRT initiative. This includes:
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Building knowledge through qualitative and quantitative data and evidence
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Driving improvement by supporting evidence-based decision-making
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Establishing accountability of partners toward progress and outcomes
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Creating momentum in the shared vision for Gladstone to build a movement for change.
The success of the community-led initiative will be demonstrated in the measured outcomes it achieves for individual and community wellbeing. GRT measure several indicators to evaluate strategic outcomes and support annual reporting within the SPSP framework.
The Gladstone Region Wellbeing UMEL Strategy encompasses four key components of: Understanding, Measurement, Evaluation and Learning, to measure population-level change.
Understanding
Analysis of qualitative and quantitative evidence to understand historical trends, current issues, and the desired future state.
Measurement
Includes qualitative
and quantitative data
to either monitor change or progress towards outcomes or measure outcomes for evaluation
purposes.
Evaluation
Involves developing and answering key evaluation questions using evidence.
Learning
Captures both measurement and evaluation data to answer questions to inform strategy, practice and delivery adaption.
The Gladstone Region Wellbeing UMEL Strategy covers the implementation of the GRT initiative across the Gladstone Local Government Area (LGA). The Gladstone LGA encompasses 10 Statistical Area Level 2 (SA2) regions and spans 10,484km2 within Central Queensland.
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The primary audience for the findings is the Gladstone Region Community, including: the GRT Backbone Team; Leadership Group; First Nations Working Group; topic specific working groups; partnering stakeholders; and three levels of government. These audiences continue to grow and change over time. Secondary audiences include those who may be interested in findings including other community-led, placebased initiatives, service providers and researchers.
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Note: the term ‘community’ is used broadly and includes everyone who lives in, participates in, is impacted by, or impacts on life in the Gladstone Region.
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The Gladstone Region Wellbeing Measurement Framework aligns to the GRT Theory of Change and includes measurement to assess change across four key elements:
Long-Term Population Impact Outcomes measure our overall community wellbeing, assessing our progress and our effectiveness in ensuring our families have access to life’s basics, feel independent and have purpose, and our children feel safe, happy and loved growing up at home with their families, and are starting school ready to learn and on track to thrive.​
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Early Indicators of Change utilise local and population-level data to measure participation of families and children in preventative activities and protective behaviours that enable wellbeing.
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System Support includes KPI style measures to ensure that projects designed to improve the health of the system, are achieving the identified goals and objectives they set out to achieve. With the overall aim being for the system to include the right balance of supply and demand, to enable the right support at the right time for our children and families, and the right mix of supports, to ensure access to effective prevention supports and the earliest possible intervention strategies.
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Enabling Conditions of Change help assess dynamics and interactions between stakeholders in the system, measuring factors such as transparency, adaptability, trust, courage and participation, that enable a collective impact approach to be effective and the system to function.
Data and Evaluation Working Group
Gladstone Region Wellbeing Data and Evaluation Working Group measures the impact of our community’s collective efforts in shifting the dial for improved wellbeing in the region.
The Working Group facilitate quarterly reviews, as part of an annual evaluation cycle, analysing data, interpreting findings and drawing out insights to assess whether investment is making a difference where it’s needed, and is providing sufficient return on investment.
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Purpose
Collectively review, interpret and analyse data identified as indicators within the Gladstone Region Wellbeing UMEL Strategy and lead the formal ‘sense-making’ evaluation process to weave insights together to address the key evaluation questions, to help track progress towards improved wellbeing for families and children.
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Objectives
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To have integrity and ethics around how the group is answering the key evaluation questions (KEQs).
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To use methodology around data collection and ensure that the data is sufficient and reliable, appropriate, strong, accurate, and without bias.
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Retain values.
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Diverse group of both quantitative and qualitative data knowledge.
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Understand the need to be open to change.
Community Identified Need
There is a need to bring community along on the data and evaluation process to ensure there is integrity and validity.
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The Data and Evaluation Working Group help answer three key evaluation questions designed by community members to measure outcomes of community-led action through change projects included in the community-designed Gladstone Region Wellbeing Action Plan.
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Key Evaluation Questions
Question One
Has the initiative improved wellbeing in the region across the focus areas of the Theory of Change that we intended to shift? Where have the results made a difference?
Question Two
Is the impact effective, sufficient, sustainable and enduring? What improvements have been enabled in the systems?
Question Three
To what degree have the outcomes justified the investment?
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Working Group Members
The Data and Evaluation Working Group currently hosts nine members from a variety of backgrounds and organisations. These like-minded community members have come together to work with others to measure change towards improved wellbeing in our local community.​​​
Activity to Date
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Gladstone Region Wellbeing Evaluation Workshop - November 2024
In November 2024, nine members of the Data and Evaluation Working Group attended a 6-hour Evaluation Workshop in Gladstone. This was the first Gladstone Region Wellbeing Evaluation Workshop to be held to measure change under the GRT initiative.​
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Data and Evaluation Working Group Established and Inducted - November 2024
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Data and Evaluation Workshop - September 2024
An interactive Data and Evaluation Workshop was held in Gladstone to support the development of a place-based wellbeing evaluation framework. Local data and evaluation experts came together to collaboratively develop Key Evaluation Questions. Three Key Evaluation Questions were developed for the Gladstone Region Wellbeing UMEL Strategy.
If you are interested in joining the Data and Evaluation Working Group please Contact GRT.
Related News
Gladstone Region Wellbeing Data Hub
The Gladstone Region Wellbeing Data Hub is a community built and owned data resource that helps monitor and measure change towards improved wellbeing in our local community
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The Demographics homepage provides an understanding of the events that have led to changes within our population over time. Additional dashboards focus on key areas of community priority including Housing, Employment, Education, and a Healthy Start to Life providing insights into our changing community needs. Further dashboards can be created as our community identify them as valuable to measuring wellbeing.
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The Data Hub brings together community voice, research, sector and local insights. It provides a collective understanding of our region's wellbeing, enabling community to design effective, evidence-based social solutions tailored to our unique place-based context.
Buttons on the Data Hub provide access to additional information to assist in understanding the story behind the statistics and its local relevance, including causal factors critical to ensuring the right action is taken for improved community wellbeing outcomes.
Learn More: New Look Gladstone Region Wellbeing Data Hub Now Live!!!
Community Voice
The voice of our local community members based on their lived-experience in the region. Qualitative data received from community through community engagement.
Research
Evidence from external sources to support data findings. Validation of the importance or the statistical value of the data, as an indicator of other outcomes eg social determinants of health and wellbeing.
Local Insights
Interpretation of the data or insights including correlations between statistics and causal factors, collated from a mix of correlating data sources and local commentary.
Sector Insights
Observations and data provided by local practitioners working closest to the topic eg social services, real estate agents and housing supports.