Evaluation of FAST Galiwin’ku program
Evaluation of FAST Galiwin’ku program Report
- Author(s): Guenther, J
- Published: 2011
- Publisher: Cat Conatus
Abstract: FAST (Families And Schools Together) is an eight-week, early intervention/prevention program, designed to strengthen family functioning and so build protective factors in children . In the Northern Territory the program is run in remote and urban/regional contexts . While the program is essentially the same in both remote and urban contexts, the way it is evaluated is different . The reasons for this relate primarily to language and cultural issues . Translating the standardised international evaluation to remote Aboriginal contexts has proved problematic . For a number of years, FAST has attempted to develop more culturally sensitive evaluation tools that effectively capture evidence so that is both meaningful for program participants and relevant to the needs of funders . Funders demand evidence that programs work . Hence, the development of a useful set of evaluation tools has been a priority for FAST Northern Territory . The development of these tools has reached a stage where it is possible to conduct a full trial in a remote context . To support this process, FAST Northern Territory engaged evaluation consultancy Cat Conatus to conduct an externally supported evaluation at Galiwin’ku, in Arnhem Land . Galiwin’ku is a remote Aboriginal community of about 2500 people . The tools used for the evaluation included participant surveys, teacher surveys, semistructured interviews with FAST staff, team members and community stakeholders and evaluator observations. Attendance data for children who participated in FAST was also reviewed. The tools were developed to test assumptions in a theory of change model . The findings from participant surveys suggested quite strong outcomes in at least three areas: social relationships, parental self-efficacy and family environment . More than 60 per cent of responses in these domains indicated that since FAST there had been some improvement for families involved . The results for parental involvement in education and child behaviour were not as strong but respondents suggested that this was because these things were already good . While it is difficult to say whether these results are good or bad, they do provide a useful baseline for comparison with future programs and potentially programs in other remote communities . The findings from teacher surveys presented a more conservative assessment of outcomes for children and parent engagement in schools . Teachers identified three out of 13 children who had either changed behaviour (for the better), given more respect or improved their peer relationships as a consequence of FAST . Attendance data from the school showed no significant difference in attendance rates for FAST children, compared with the corresponding term at the end of 2010 . Overall, attendance rates of FAST children were comparable with the whole school . CAT CONATUS 2 Team and stakeholder interviews identified a range of qualitative outcomes that were attributed to FAST . These related to changes in child behaviour, increased helpfulness, better respect and improved school attendance for children . For parents, the outcomes were described in terms of improved family support and greater self-efficacy . These outcomes are entirely consistent with the theory of change model for FAST . A further significant outcome related to community development . The findings suggest a high level of community ownership for the program . Key leaders are playing a vital role in supporting the program . They see it as a process that allows them to achieve their own goals for local families.