Our blog
We believe in sharing the knowledge and learnings we capture through our work with people and organisations across the health and social services sectors.
Our blog consists of thoughtful and practical content and insight across a range of topic areas that aims to better enable people and organisations to plan, design, implement and evaluate their work.
Getting ‘Evaluation Ready’ - how to evaluate your program in 5 steps
This simple yet structured process to evaluation can be scaled up or down depending on the size of your program or service. We specialise in supporting both funders, service providers and NGOs to evaluate their programs, whether that be planning and designing an approach, setting up data collection systems and protocols, or undertaking how program reviews lead to impactful results.
Getting ‘Evaluation Ready’ - the basics of program evaluation
A three-part blog post to support organisations plan and undertake an effective evaluation of any program that aims to create positive health, social or environmental change. This initial post introduces basic concepts in evaluation, drivers and benefits, critical evaluation skills and ethical issues when evaluating.
Timing is everything: Primary Health Networks (PHNs) and program evaluation
Central to being an effective commissioner of health services is the ability to use insight to make better investment decisions. Given that the Beacon Strategies team has been involved in a number of evaluation and program reviews in the PHN environment we think it is timely to share a few tips in relation to commissioning effective evaluations and program reviews.
Lessons from evaluating a PHN-funded low intensity mental-health service
This evaluation explored how well the program had engaged people from CALD backgrounds, if it had led to improvements in mental health and wellbeing, and how the program ‘fits’ within the region’s stepped care model
Using program evaluation to strengthen service delivery: a case example of Open Minds CHIME program
If you are an organisation seeking to demonstrate your impact, enhance service delivery and better position yourself for future investment, do not go past two critical pieces to the puzzle - monitoring and evaluation. Read a case example of what we did, what we found and what is next for one of our partner organisations.
Community Links in Caboolture – Our role as design and evaluation partner
CLIC is a community-based model of support for people who frequently utilise hospital services. It is a time-bound, intensive service model, focused on delivering individualised support within a recovery framework. Now as the service moves into the implementation phase up until June 2019, Beacon Strategies will be working alongside Open Minds as the evaluation partner.
Making sense of data: our tips
We’ve been knee-deep in data over the last couple of months supporting the Gold Coast Primary Health Network with their needs assessment process, developing data-informed summaries across a range of population health areas. Here we take a look at a few traps and tips to increase the rigour of your data analysis based on our experience.