MEMBERS: TO ACHIEVE OUR VISION, HOW SHOULD WE APPEAR TO OUR MEMBERS?
This perspective asks: to achieve our vision, how should we appear to our members? For many peer organisations, this will also encompass their volunteers who are frequently also members. The decision about who is a member is the choice of the peer organisation and usually relates to their own organisation’s fundamental purpose and vision. For example, JFA Youth has clear rules about membership being limited to young people, living with disability, from 18 years old, whose retirement occurs during the month of their 30th Birthday. It does not cater for family members or carers. In Families4Families, members include anyone living with ABI across SA that have either joined Families4Families or have yet to join (i.e. it includes their potential members).
Obviously being a peer organisation, in most cases members will be people living with disability and in many cases also their family members, friends and/or supporters. However, there are various sub groups of this audience that peer programs may cater to and this is certainly not limited to diagnostic specific categories. For example, there are peer groups aimed at the LGBTI* community who also happen to live with disability. There are very successful groups aimed specifically at the CALD disability community and various cultural groups within that community. The work of VALID illustrates that peer groups catering specifically at socially isolated and hard to reach people living with disability can he hugely beneficial and successful (such as groups from within the criminal justice system).
Historically the needs of our indigenous community has not been adequately considered within government policy and during system changes (see for example: https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2017/apr/12/australian-governments-have-failed-indigenous-peoples-says-oxfam). The First People’s Disability Network (https://fpdn.org.au/) has been advocating for the NDIS to be different and to ensure that our first people have a strong voice in NDIS development, delivery and adaption for the needs of our indigenous disability community. Within this target group tailored and culturally appropriate peer supports are required which are likely to be designed very differently to other peer programs. This is essential to reflect the complex cultural needs and traditions of our first people. As such, while all peer programs should consider the needs of various community members, it is likely that our first people living with disability will require tailored peer support provided in innovative and tailored ways.
The choice of target audience is often at the very core of peer program design, and is usually linked to the expertise, lived experiences and identity of the organisation itself as well as its purpose and vision.
The choice of target audience is often at the very core of peer program design, and is usually linked to the expertise, lived experiences and identity of the organisation itself as well as its purpose and vision.
Of course the NDIA, who are likely to be providers of funding to the peer program, should be considered within the member domain. As discussed under the ‘Funders’ domain, the NDIA have very clear ILC outcomes they want to see from any programs they will fund (which can be viewed online, see: https://ilctoolkit.ndis.gov.au/outcomes/ilc-outcomes). Some of these ILC outcomes require the gathering of evidence which relates to your members. In order to receive funding under ILC, your peer organisation’s application will need to show how the activity makes a contribution to one or more of the five ILC outcomes for your evidence – as well as explaining how you will gather evidence on this contribution. As you can see, this will also need to be considered within the members domain, as the ILC outcomes relate to the way in which the peer program changes and impacts upon your members.
Finally, let’s again remember that in the BSC, you are designing a unique compass to guide your peer program. The compass is ideally used over the long term, providing you with the ability to see change in your own peer organisation’s journey, and performance, over time. The member domain collects evidence across time frames and tells you about how the journey of your members, and your membership, is progressing. If you create your compass only factoring in current ILC requirements (which are changing frequently), you would be potentially missing opportunities for internal tracking as you grow/develop. If the focus is too narrow, then you might not have evidence needed for other funding opportunities, which emerge in time. Within the member perspective the inclusion of ILC outcome measures is important but they are by no means the only components. It is also imperative to continue showing your level of activity:
- How many groups do you deliver?
- How many members have attended a group?
- Could volunteer facilitators come from your membership?
- Have any new members become regular attendees?
- Would (or do) your members refer their friends to the peer group?
- What topics/discussions do your members find most interesting/relevant to their needs?
- What do they not like?
- Have they encountered any negative consequences from their peer group involvement?
Your own program will have specific questions to respond to for allowing design decisions and adjustments to be made most effectively throughout the course of this process. The answers you assemble, via your measures, will guide you on your journey toward your vision.
Let’s now consider, what do your members (current and potential) want from your peer program? In the Families4Families program, a volunteer, member-led committee decided that their members wanted the following from their local support groups which were operating across South Australia:
- Provision of high quality, relevant programs which they can easily access due to no membership waiting lists or fees to join;
- Information, education and upskilling via our topics, website and other resources;
- Referrals that are accurate and timely;
- Longevity of the network ensuring members can count on us in the longer term;
- A sense of belonging fostered via friendly and welcoming team members; and,
- Feedback from members is sought, considered and utilized in program planning.
Each peer organisation will have members with diverse needs/wants, and different program models. As such, your members’ needs will be unique, something to take mindfully into account. Once clear, meeting them becomes your member perspective objectives.
Once each member need, or member requirement, is identified, it is then expressed as an objective. Examples of these are illustrated in the table below, with indicators of each selected along with targets and any required initiatives.
| MEMBERS: TO ACHIEVE OUR VISION, HOW SHOULD WE APPEAR TO MEMBERS & POTENTIAL MEMBERS? | |||
| Objectives | Measures | Targets | Initiatives |
| We provide high quality, relevant programs that are easily accessible. |
Attendance at all sessions and events. Timely provision of session/event information flyers and group summaries and annual Calendar. Number of new members. |
Average attendances of 15 per session, with 50 at special events. Annual attendances of 2000+ and growing. Calendars delivered on time. 30 new members per year. Administrative team growth to ensure session management. |
Early Support Program (visiting rehab units and family education programs) to continue and grow. |
| We educate, inform and upskill via our programs: local support group sessions, special sessions, newsletters, online presence and other. |
Number of sessions held. Number of eNewsletters sent out on time. Number of new topics. Member feedback on topics re relevance, information provided. |
95% of sessions held, annual growth. 100% of eNewsletters sent on time. 2-3 new topics annually. Satisfied feedback on topic relevance and quality information. |
Website update including new Calendar online established and maintained. Ongoing investment in administration team, including training. |
| We offer informal advocacy and advice resulting in referrals that are accurate and timely. |
Number of phone and face to face advocacy and advice sessions. Feedback from members re advice and referrals quality, accuracy, outcomes. |
Number of calls recorded. Number of meetings recorded (base levels will then allow targets for both). Feedback from members to include asking about advocacy outcomes. |
Support for phone advocate via team members 2 days each week. Recording advocacy activity. |
| Our network builds a sense of belonging fostered via friendly, welcoming and personable team members. |
Feedback from members re sense of belonging, welcoming of members. Feedback from member surveys |
Number of team members trained annually. Satisfied feedback on sense of belonging from members and team members. |
Annual training retreat or alternative training opportunities. Volunteer agreements actioned. |