The need for team members delivering peer programs to have opportunities to learn more about evaluation and evidence gathering is clear. In the Social Policy Research Centre (SPRC) practice review discussed above, feedback mechanisms were developed internally by each peer support provider, and sometimes even by each peer support group. Whilst inefficient, the fact that so many individuals realised the importance of this information gathering illustrates the importance it holds in the peer context.
So, what motivates the development of evidence collection in the peer, user-led space? Is it the perceived needs of the NDIA as grant providers? Is it the formally stated grant requirements and workplan report needs? Within the peer context, the question of ‘why undertake evidence gathering/evaluation?’ results in similar answers to those of other types of organisations. There is usually a range of motivations, but Green and South (2006) succinctly summarise the four main reasons for conducting an evaluation as:
- Accountability;
- Learning;
- Program management and development; and
- Ethical obligation.
Gathering evidence can provide the information required to illustrate the benefits from program investment, ensuring the NDIA or other funders can see where their funds have gone. Internally, your disability peer support network may need to compete for its focus and resources with other projects. This means, you might need to evidence your program benefits and outcomes internally. Both of these relate to accountability purposes. Learning from unbiased evaluation evidence enables improvements, as well as, greater insight into what is working and what is not working across your programs. Managers of these initiatives also require relevant and tailored information to perform their duties effectively and to develop the programs successfully. The importance of acquiring wisdom from experiences and remedying any unintended negative consequences cannot be emphasized strongly enough. At the very least, you should perform evaluation to verify that your program is not creating any unintended harm.
Gathering evidence is not a task that should be left until the report is due. It is important to keep in mind that the planning of the evaluation needs to take place at the same time as the program itself is being conceptualised. Frequently within high pace and limited resource peer program scenarios, we think about gathering evidence at the end of the funding period, and then we will have scarce options for assessing outcomes. For example, a new member survey which measures participant perceptions of their self-esteem, confidence, NDIS knowledge etc. can be implemented so that we can then gather these measures again after a period of attendance, giving evidence of change.
The Chronic Illness Alliance (2015) produced an excellent literature review paper on evaluation within peer support programs for people living with chronic conditions. They found that:
Evaluation enables us to determine if the project is making a positive contribution. It is vital to funding bodies, key stakeholders, participants and the community that the project has achieved what it set out to achieve. This gains credibility. In turn, assisting your endeavours around securing future funding. Having evidence of satisfied participants is also important to most team members. It possesses scope to boost morale, encouraging people to continue dedicating passion and energy to their program. Furthermore, evaluation is a tool for improving and furthering knowledge. You can learn:
- Which elements made your initiative run as intended?
- In what manner, can you replicate your program?
- How can you overcome challenges in the future?
- By what methods can you strengthen its sustainability?
From a bigger picture perspective, evidence gathered and reported also contributes to and builds upon, existing research to assist public policy, with influence. The SPRC practice review (2018, p23) of peer support programs included suggestions of a more in depth and systemic analysis:
It is clear, gathering evidence is vital within the peer program context. Such evidence and its collection needs to be factored in as one dimension of the program design in of itself. It must hold a role within the regular program management and development process. This makes it possible for user-led organisations to prove their worth amidst a competitive funding marketplace to key organisations, including the NDIA’s ILC grant selection team. It means we will know what it is our members want and need and whether they are getting it. These skills will build the organisational capacity of your peer organisation and ensure you continue providing peer programs, to people living with disability, who need them. We want to guarantee we are learning, growing and sharing as a peer organisation, and to keep doing what we are doing well.
