Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence Reduction Framework: Monitoring and Evaluation Plans and Good Practice Review
Funders:
  • Territory Families, NT Government.
Collaborators:
  • Charles Darwin University (CDU).
Aims and Objectives:

In November 2017, the NT Government released the NT’s Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence (DFSV) Reduction Framework 2018-2028: Safe, Respected and Free from Violence (Framework).

Subsequently the first three-year action plan under the Framework, Action Plan 1: Changing Attitudes, Intervening Earlier and Responding Better (2018-2021) (AP1) was released in early 2019.

In June 2018, Territory Families contracted Charles Darwin University (CDU) to deliver a co-designed Scope of Work to undertake a Good Practice Review of DFSV services in the NT including a monitoring and evaluation plan. Menzies was subsequently invited to partner on this project.

Summary:

The Framework and Action Plan 1 aim to contribute to the long-term vision that ‘Territorians are safe, respected and free from violence wherever they choose to live, work, learn and play’ through a set of five outcome areas: 

  1. Domestic, family and sexual violence is prevented and not tolerated;
  2. Territorians at risk of experiencing violence are identified early and provided with effective interventions;
  3. People experiencing domestic, family and sexual violence are protected and helped to recover and thrive; 
  4. Perpetrators are held accountable and connected early to responses that change their behaviours and reduce violence; and
  5. Legislation, policy and funding models enable a responsive, high quality and accountable domestic, family and sexual violence service system.

CDU and Menzies were tasked with developing an Implementation Monitoring Framework for Action Plan 1 and an Evaluation Plan for the 10-year DFSV Reduction Framework. The Implementation Monitoring Framework, and the Evaluation Plan, were developed through a broad consultation process with government and non-government stakeholders in urban and regional areas of the NT. These outputs provide an overview of governance, implementation, data, annual progress measures, challenges, and risk across each of the five outcome areas.

This project evolved in close consultation with a Cross Agency Working Group, comprising membership from government agencies, non-government organisations and other DFSV networks across the NT.

Implications for policy and practice:

The purpose of the Implementation Monitoring Framework is to provide guidance on how to monitor implementation of actions in Action Plan 1.

The purpose of the Evaluation Plan is to provide government with guidance on how to capture and measure change as a result of policy implementation and targeted interventions over a 10-year period. It is designed to guide periodic, high-level performance assessment at the outcomes level. It is envisaged this document will be used by the NT Government and other key stakeholders working to reduce DFSV across the NT.

CDU and Menzies acknowledge that the reports and plans developed and published below may be amended from their original format and used or published by Territory Families in accordance with operational need.

Our research has found:

There are a range of qualitative and quantitative measures that need to be adopted to measure outcomes and impacts associated with reducing DFSV across the NT. The Implementation Monitoring Framework and Evaluation Plan provide guidance in this regard.

In addition further consideration and areas of action include:

  • Prevention programs should have a clear target group for the initiative, be gender and age-specific and be linked to other domestic, family and sexual violence (DFSV) services for consistent messaging.
  • Prevention and service responses to sexual violence should be distinguished from broader DFSV prevention and response activities.
  • Priority should be placed on training for early intervention, including risk assessment and cultural competence.
  • Suitability of integrated service models and hubs be reviewed prior to their implementation in the NT, with particular focus on previous research documenting the resources and elements required for effectiveness. This is relevant in the context of Outcome 3 of the Framework and AP1 which asks for consideration of integrated and coordinated systems.
  • Where programs take a trauma-informed, culturally strength-based approach to men at-risk of or perpetrating violence, they are comprehensively evaluated for their impact on the reduction of violent behaviour.
  • Internal capacity in NGOs for monitoring and evaluation be supported through the provision of technical expertise provided by government.
  • Inter-agency agreement is reached on key definitions and actions under the Framework.
  • Partnerships with local and national organisations are used to develop the NT evidence base and to pursue new and innovative research.
  • Engagement of non-Indigenous and Aboriginal leadership and consultation on implementing, measuring and evaluating the MP and EP takes place to facilitate the reduction of violence experienced by Aboriginal women in the NT.
  • The process of consultation revealed that there is significant support and momentum around the Framework and AP1. In order to maintain sector and agency engagement in this process, regular and meaningful feedback on activities and progress is critical. The EP for the Framework and the MP for AP1 both describe various ways in which to document activities and monitor progress.
Chief investigators:
Project manager:
  • Shara Close

For further information about the project, contact Prof James Smith.

Project dates:

The project concluded in February 2020 .