Performance Evaluation

The NSW Government has made a strong and public commitment to an evidence-based approach to drug policy to ensure that our significant investment of resources is properly targeted.

• NSW Government Resources
• Other Australian Resources
• International Resources

NSW Government Resources

National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre. Catalogue of Global Indicators for Monitoring the Illicit Drug Environment in NSW. March 2005
The National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre has created a catalogue of the potentially available NSW and national data sets which contain illicit drug-related information and which might be used to measure or monitor the illicit drug environment in NSW.  The report was commissioned by The Cabinet Office as part of the NSW Government’s evidence-based approach to drug policy.

Australian Institute of Criminology. Evaluation of the Impact of Drug Summit Initiatives in Two NSW Regions. December 2002
The Australian Institute of Criminology conducted research on the impact of Drug Summit measures and provided advice on the availability and utility of pre and post Summit indicator data.  Research was conducted in two locations, one regional and one metropolitan (the then Area Health Services of Northern Rivers and Western Sydney).  The report was commissioned by The Cabinet Office as part of the NSW Government’s evidence-based approach to drug policy.

A list of objectives has been developed which clearly communicate the aims of the Drug Summit Plan of Action. The objectives will assist NSW Drug Summit programs to establish relevant and meaningful performance indicators which will measure whether programs are meeting their intended goals.

A Brief Guide to Evaluation for NSW Drug Summit Programs
Evaluation is a critical component of all NSW Drug Summit programs. In order to assist those embarking on an evaluation of a drug program, the NSW Office of Drug Policy, in consultation with the NSW Senior Officers Coordinating Committee on Drugs and the NSW Expert Advisory Group on Drugs, has prepared a brief and simple guide to evaluation. The guide provides some key points to consider when embarking on a program evaluation. It is not intended as a definitive guide to evaluation. It aims to provoke ideas and raise some critical issues that are important to consider if a useful evaluation is to be planned and carried out.

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Other Australian Resources

Australia. Dept of Health and Ageing

1. Evaluating treatments for alcohol and other drugs
   A review of literature evaluating drug and alcohol treatment programs. It provides a frame for viewing the issues of importance in evaluation in this field and, in particular, the evaluation of treatment programs in Australia.
2. Evaluation: A guide for good practice
   This booklet outlines ways to work with stakeholders, clients and the community to develop relevant, affordable and achievable evaluations for their initiatives. It is a practical, easy to read booklet, relevant in a diverse range of settings and to a wide range of promotion and prevention activities. It is part of an Evaluation Consultancy for the Commonwealth Department of Health and Aged Care in support of the work of the National Mental Health Promotion and Prevention Working Party (PPWP), under the National Mental Health Strategy (NMHS) and the National Advisory Council on Suicide Prevention (NACSP).

NCETA (National Centre for Education and Training on Addiction)

1. From Training to Work Practice Change: An Examination of Factors Influencing Training Transfer in the Alcohol and Other Drugs Field
   The monograph examines a wide range of factors that influence work practices in relation to alcohol and other drugs.It provides a review of evidence related to the influence of the factors assessed in the Work Practice Questionnaire on training transfer and work practice.Strategies to address each of the factors in order to facilitate training transfer and work practice change are also discussed. 2004 (6.88Mb PDF)
2. Guidelines for Evaluating Alcohol and Other Drug Education and Training Programs
   The guidelines provide user-friendly information for evaluating alcohol and other drug education and training programs.The guidelines have been designed to support both novice and experienced trainers to develop,implement and analyse their training evaluation.The document includes a discussion of the aims and context of various types of evaluation,useful tools,tips and readings. 2004 (8.66 Mb PDF)
3. Handbook for the Work Practice Questionnaire (WPQ):A Training Evaluation Measurement Tool for the Alcohol and Other Drugs Field
   The handbook provides a detailed description of the WPQ and its psychometric properties.The WPQ is a purpose-built measurement tool designed to assess a wide range of factors that influence work practices in relation to alcohol and other drugs. 2004 (7.49 Mb Pdf)

Victorian Government

1. Evaluation of Specialist Methadone Services
   The first of the Specialist Methadone Services (SMS) in Victoria was established in 1994 as part of a redevelopment of drug treatment services, during which resources for institutional based services were redistributed to increase the range of community-based services. This links to an evaluation of these services.
2. Evaluation of the Drug Diversion Pilot Program
   A report prepared for the Drugs and Health Protection Services Branch, Public Health Division, Department of Human Services. In June 1998, Victoria Police developed a proposal to extend the Cannabis Cautioning Program initiated in the previous year. The proposed extension was a similar cautioning program for users of other illicit drugs. A central feature of this Drug Diversion Pilot Program was to ensure people apprehended by the police would be linked with government-funded drug treatment services when they were apprehended.
3. Evaluation of the Youth Alcohol and Drug Outreach Services
   As part of the Victorian Government's Turning the Tide Strategy Against Drug Abuse, a major initiative has been the funding of new services for young people up to the age of 21 years with alcohol and drug problems.
4. Guide to evaluating drug prevention projects in Victoria
   This guide will assist you in designing and evaluating drug prevention projects.

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International Resources

Aspen Institute
Roundtable on Comprehensive Community Initiatives
This site contains some new approaches to evaluating community initiatives.

Rand
Improving Anti-Drug Budgeting
This 2000 report evaluates the methodologies used to compile antidrug budgets in the United States.

Scottish Government

1. Supporting families and carers of drug users
   This guide provides a framework for measuring the success of services provided to families and
   carers of drug users.It is aimed at anyone involved in commissioning, planning, developing, providing and evaluating services to support families and carers.

US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

1. Framework for Program Evaluation in Public Health 1999
   A framework for program evaluation to achieve measurable health outcomes developed by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

US Directorate for Education and Human Resources

1. User-Friendly Handbook for Mixed Method Evaluations
   A US online textbook describing qualitative data techniques for evaluating human service programs.

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