Webinar: Evaluation in the violence against women sector

Evaluation is a standard requirement for most community based services, program and projects.

It provides an opportunity to document outcomes, determine the effectiveness of practice and programs, and support future practice and program development.

Undertaking evaluation in the violence against women sector is often complex and requires managing various risk, safety and ethical issues.

In this webinar, an expert panel will draw on examples of evaluations they have implemented and share strategies and tips for workers in the violence against women sector. The discussion will be facilitated by Michele Robinson, Director of Evidence to Action, ANROWS with:

• Annika Kearton, Acting CEO, ARC Justice
• Cecilia Hemana, Director Research and Evaluation, Respect Victoria
• Celeste Koens, Research Officer, ANROWS
• Rodney Vlais, independent trainer, policy advisor and researcher

There will also be a live Q&A.

For more information about this topic please see the ANROWS “Evaluation Quick Guides” and “The Evaluation guide: A guide for evaluating behaviour change programs for men who use domestic and family violence”.

This webinar is designed for:

• Practitioners, researchers, policymakers and practice design decision makers involved with evaluation projects in the domestic and family violence sector, and other related government and social services.

The webinar is open to anyone and free to attend. A recording of the webinar will also be available on the ANROWS website.

Enquiries: rachel.pow@anrows.org.au

WATCH

Presenters

Annika Kearton
Annika Kearton is the Acting Chief Executive Officer at ARC Justice, a community legal service which operates family violence legal service across Central and Northern Victoria. Previously, Annika led strategic planning, communications and outcome measurement at ARC Justice as Strategy & Impact Manager. Annika has a background in applied social research and evaluation capacity building within the non-profit sector. She has worked in international and community development for over 10 years, supporting government and non-government organisations in Australia, Southeast Asia and the Pacific to understand and enhance the social impact of their work through participatory design, research and evaluation processes.

Cecilia Hemana
Cecilia Hemana has recently joined Respect Victoria as its Director Research and Evaluation. She has over 20 years-experience conducting research and evaluations in both Australia and New Zealand spanning multiple industries and sectors including humanitarian, aid and development, homelessness, sport, employment, health, family and community services, transport, taxation, tourism, culture and the arts, agriculture, FMCG, finance, telecommunications and insurance. She has a depth of experience leading research and evaluations with culturally and linguistically diverse, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander, and regional and remote communities. Cecilia also brings cross functional experience having led teams responsible for social policy; organisational strategy and business planning; performance reporting and data analytics; program design and innovation, system improvement; quality, compliance and accreditations; ICT and communications.

Celeste Koens
Celeste Koens joined ANROWS in 2018 as the Project Evaluation Officer for the Department of Social Services’ Local Government Domestic and Family Violence Prevention Toolkit trials. She has since worked on a number of action research and evaluation projects including the Evaluation of the Free from Violence Local Government Grants Program for the Municipal Association of Victoria and the Free from Violence Monitoring & Evaluation Survey Instruments, Resources and Capacity Building Activities for the Victorian Department of Premier and Cabinet. Through these projects, Celeste has provided capacity building support to a range of different stakeholders from state government, local government and community organisations, to conduct evaluations in the primary prevention of violence against women. Celeste has contributed to a number of evaluation reports and publications, including the Preventing domestic and family violence: Action research reports from five Australian local government councils and the Evaluation Quick Guides, which provides succinct tips, advice and examples for evaluation in the violence against women sector.

Rodney Vlais
Rodney Vlais is an independent trainer, policy advisor, researcher and supervisor in family and domestic violence perpetrator interventions and perpetrator intervention systems. They currently consult to NGOs or governments across most Australian jurisdictions, and at a national level. Rodney has significant experience in men’s behaviour change program work and the delivery of counselling and clinical services more broadly. They are also involved in social movements that weave anti-hierarchical, autonomous organising with intersectional feminism towards ecological and social justice.

Facilitated by:

Michele Robinson
Michele joined ANROWS in 2017 as the Director, Evidence to Action. Michele leads the translation and dissemination of research at ANROWS to support the take-up of evidence into policy and practice, to reduce violence against women and their children. This role builds on Michele’s 18 years of experience in leadership roles developing advice and strategies on research, knowledge partnerships and exchange in a diverse range of sectors, including the prevention of violence against women and their children.