Are youth mentoring programs good value-for-money? An evaluation of the Big Brothers Big Sisters Melbourne program

Background : The Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) program matches vulnerable young people with a trained, supervised adult volunteer as mentor. The young people are typically seriously disadvantaged, with multiple psychosocial problems.

Methods : Threshold analysis was undertaken to determine whether investment in the program was a worthwhile use of limited public funds. The potential cost savings were based on US estimates of life-time costs associated with high-risk youth who drop out-of-school and become adult criminals. The intervention was modelled for children aged 10–14 years residing in Melbourne in 2004.

Results : If the program serviced 2,208 of the most vulnerable young people, it would cost AUD 39.5 M. Assuming 50% were high-risk, the associated costs of their adult criminality would be AUD 3.3 billion. To break even, the program would need to avert high-risk behaviours in only 1.3% (14/1,104) of participants.

Conclusion : This indicative evaluation suggests that the BBBS program represents excellent 'value for money'.

Barriers to care for depressed older people : perceptions of aged care among medical professionals

The current study evaluated barriers to detection of depression among older people. Focus groups were conducted with 21 professional carers, 4 nurses, 10 general practitioners, and 7 aged care managers. The results demonstrated that care for older people is primarily focused on physical care. Further, staff resources, a lack of continuity of care, multiple co-morbidities, reluctance by older people to discuss depression, negative attitudes among carers, as well as a lack of skills all contributed to a failure to detect and treat depression. The implications of these findings for training programs for professional carers are discussed.

Programs for men who perpetrate domestic violence : an examination of the issues underlying the effectiveness of intervention programs

This review paper seeks to explore some of the reasons why rehabilitation programs for male perpetrators of domestic violence appear to be less effective in reducing recidivism than programs for other offender groups. It is argued that while the model of systems response to domestic violence has predominated at the inter-agency level, further consideration might be given to way in which men’s intervention groups are both designed and delivered. It is concluded that the program logic of men’s domestic violence programs is rarely articulated leading to low levels of program integrity, and that one way to further improve program effectiveness is to incorporate some of the approaches evident in more general violence prevention programs and from what is know about good practice in general about offender rehabilitation.

Learning patterns in social skills training programs : an exploratory study

While Social Skills Training programs have been shown to improve the social skills of children with Disruptive Behaviour Disorders, the pattern of change in the participants’ learning during the training period remains unknown. Identifying this pattern could assist in determining whether more or less training hours are required to maximize the benefits of such programs within available resources. The current study aimed to replicate the social skills improvements found in previous research, and to explore the pattern of improvements in social knowledge and social performance that occurs during a Social Skills Training program. Two groups of eight males with behavioural problems attended 14 one-hour sessions of Social Skills Training. Multisources, multisettings and multimethods were used to measure social knowledge and social performance across five test phases. Multivariate analyses did not support previous findings showing overall improvements in social knowledge and social performance. Patterns of learning were not found to be consistent across different measures.

Barriers to learners' successful completion of VET flexible delivery programs

In the early 1990s, Australian policymakers began explicitly promoting increased use of flexible delivery in vocational education and training (VET). Some researchers argued that many students lack the learning skills required to deal with the unique demands of flexible delivery. Concerns were also raised about the VET sector's capacity to help students develop needed cognitive and metacognitive skills. A review of the literature revealed wide agreement that students' success in flexible delivery and open and distance education in Australia and elsewhere is generally determined by a complex interplay of factors, including the following: readiness for self-directed learning; ability to balance the time demands of study with other commitments such as family and work; level of literacy; ability to understand and deal with assessment requirements; level of motivation; and previous educational experiences. Two case studies based on the actual experiences of two of six students interviewed about their experiences in flexible VET delivery were reviewed. Both students decided to withdraw from their VET course because of several interconnected factors that built up over time. Both cases illustrated that some problems that can be addressed quickly in face-to-face learning environments are much more difficult to resolve when students are off campus.

Scanners, brokers and providers : partners in developing learning programs

This paper reports some of the findings from a project that aimed to identify effective processes for ensuring that the content of learning activities is relevant to the changing needs of clients, and evolves so as to always incorporate the best available knowledge and science. This paper focuses on findings relating to the drivers for the development of new or substantially revised learning programs. The project, ‘Providing client-focussed education and training’, was funded by the FarmBis section of the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry. The project also produced a self-assessment checklist for training providers to identify ways of improving the development and delivery of training. The key issues include continuous monitoring of client’s needs, and actively seeking opportunities to meet and work with industry organisations, other training providers and funding bodies.

There appear to be two drivers for the development of learning programs. One is problems or opportunities identified by people and organisations that could be termed ‘scanners’ and who tend not to be potential participants, the other is learning needs expressed by individuals or enterprises who want to participate in learning activities.

Scanners are typically industry organisations, government agencies and researchers, but may include providers and participants. Scanners identify learning needs that are not yet being expressed by potential participants, with the occasional exception of leading primary producers. Expressed participant needs drive the development of other programs. Providers become aware of the need for a new or substantially revised program, for example as a result of feedback from an existing program, because of legislative change or from delivering a similar program in other industries or contexts (for example computer training). Brokers (such as industry organisations who work to connect providers and participants) and ‘champions’ of training help participants identify and articulate their learning needs.

Developing effective learning programs : what extension can learn from the fields of adult education and learning communities

Learning is an investment in capacity building that has and will continue to reap rewards for primary producers and government in terms of increased sustainable production, profitability, exports, jobs and sustainable rural communities. Primary production operates in a context of continual change and requires up to date, complex and varied skills of primary producers and land managers.

A recent national research project funded by the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Australia confirmed that application of best practice from the theory of adult education in designing and developing learning programs in primary industry results in learning activities that provide information that is relevant to farmers’ needs, delivered in an entertaining way, and that draws on examples directly relevant to the participants. As a result, the training often exceeds the expectations of the participants.

The project produced a self-assessment checklist to identify ways of improving the development and delivery of training for extension practitioners and training providers. The key issues include continuous monitoring of client’s needs, and actively seeking opportunities to meet and work with industry organisations, other training providers and funding bodies.

There appear to be two drivers for the development of learning programs. One is problems or opportunities identified by people and organisations that could be termed ‘scanners’ and who tend not to be potential participants, the other is learning needs expressed by individuals or enterprises who want to participate in learning activities (participants). Scanners are typically industry organisations, government agencies and researchers, but may include providers and participants. Extension practitioners are well-placed to act as scanners.

It is very important that farmers and farmer organisations contribute to the development of new learning programs. Without industry input and support, extension practitioners and training providers cannot be expected to ensure they meet client needs. In other words, to develop effective learning programs, there must an industry learning community of producers, industry organisations, extension practitioners and training providers and other stakeholders such as supply chain enterprises, government and researchers.