Recorded presentation

Jeffery Adams, MA, Kim Conway, MA(Hons), and Karen Witten, MSc, DipClinPsy. Centre for Social and Health Outcomes Research and Evaluation (SHORE), Massey University, PO Box 6137, Wellesley St, Auckland, New Zealand, 64-9-366 1172, j.b.adams@massey.ac.nz

This presentation explores three years experience of evaluating SCAF, the Stronger Communities Action Fund Project, a New Zealand government initiative seeking to build community capacity for improved health and social outcomes for children and families in low-income communities. SHORE, the Centre for Social and Health Outcomes, Research and Evaluation, Massey University, has been evaluating three of the seven SCAF projects in urban and rural settings, working with local community stakeholders, local government, and funders. This has involved formative evaluation and process-impact evaluation as well as a community survey of social connectedness in one of the communities. Using one community project (RAP – the Ranui Action Project) as a case study, this paper will identify and reflect on the issues, challenges and opportunities faced by the evaluators who had the privilege of working with these communities. This includes working with multiple funders who have different evaluation questions, establishing credibility with diverse ethnic groups, responding to different levels of need through formative evaluation assistance and debates over evaluation methodology. Issues of how the development of community-based capacity to undertake self-evaluation was fostered, including the use of newly developed indicators for reporting progress on long-term social change goals, are also addressed.

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