Strategic Evaluation of Health and Wellbeing Queensland’s Prevention Programs (SEPP)

Overview

HWQld was established in July 2019 to improve the health and wellbeing of all Queenslanders and to reduce population health inequities, with a particular focus on overweight and obesity. A key part of its strategic approach includes a $68 million investment to support a suite of six preventive health programs (across six organisations, referred to as Program Partners) to provide free and low-cost activities across Queensland communities to improve health and wellbeing.

In August 2021, HWQld engaged ISSR to design and deliver the Strategic Evaluation of HWQld’s Prevention Programs (SEPP) project as part of a new strategic management approach to the organisation’s prevention program activity. The 3-year SEPP project involves the design and delivery of rigorous monitoring, evaluation, and learning activities to provide a detailed understanding of the implementation and outcomes of the Prevention Programs, and to enable continuous improvement and better decision making at both the individual and collective level.

About the project

The SEPP project comprises four separate but related components:

Monitoring: Involves providing support for a consistent approach to regular performance measurement and reporting for each of the six Prevention Programs. To date, we have worked with Program Partners to co-develop new data reporting templates which provide accountability and consistent reporting between the Program Partners and HWQld. The data, submitted every six months, is summarised by ISSR in succinct, visually engaging Performance Measurement Reports (see example in Figure x for the {TBC} program. The reports provide HWQld with a key mechanism to monitor and communicate the performance of the Prevention Programs.

Evaluation: Involves the design and delivery of individual program evaluations for each of the six Prevention Programs. It includes detailed evaluation planning that requires the co-development of program logics, clarification of the scope and priorities for evaluation, identification of key evaluation questions, and the selection of the most appropriate evaluation design and methods. A synthesis of the evaluation findings across programs will also be conducted to enable an assessment of their collective contribution to HWQld’s strategic objectives.

Learning: Involves ongoing capability-building with the Program Partners and participation in collective learning opportunities through co-design and reflection workshops. To date, ISSR has designed and delivered one collaborative capability building workshop with the Program Partners, and multiple program-specific workshops.

Governance: Involves ISSR attendance and contribution at HWQld strategic management meetings, including the Prevention Program Collective and the provision of information to support the HWQld Prevention Program Independent Review Panel in its decision making.

By working closely with Program Partners and harnessing opportunities for co-development across all activities, the SEPP Project aims to:

streamline and standardise reporting mechanisms to reduce reporting burden and enable better aggregation and synthesis across programs
assess the implementation and outcomes of the programs, individually and collectively
enhance focus on the implications of program design and delivery on health equity
support collaboration and knowledge sharing across programs

HWQld Prevention Programs

Project name	Organisation	Brief description
10,000 Steps program	Central Queensland University (CQU)	Raises awareness and increases participation in physical activity by encouraging the accumulation of incidental activity as part of everyday living through a free program for individuals, workplaces and communities with step-counting, challenges and walkway signage.
My health for life (MH4L)	Diabetes Queensland	Supports everyday Queenslanders to set realistic health goals and empower them with knowledge, confidence and practical tools to improve wellbeing, and reduce the risk of chronic disease. It's about making healthy choices part of everyday life.
Queensland Country Women’s Association	Queensland Country Women’s Association	Builds the capacity of the QCWA volunteer members to support regional, rural and remote Queensland communities to improve their health by adopting healthier lifestyle practices.
Healthier Tuckshops program	Queensland Association of School Tuckshops (QAST)	Supports school tuckshop convenors, volunteers and operating organisations to increase opportunities for tuckshops to offer and promote healthy food and drink in Queensland school tuckshops.
Jamie’s Ministry of Food (JMoF)	The Good Foundation	Delivers hands-on food literacy and cooking skills courses, both face to face and online, in a friendly, supportive and fun environment.
Deadly Choices (DC)	Institute for Urban Indigenous Health (IUIH)	Empowers First Nations people to make healthy choices for themselves, their families and communities—to eat good food, exercise daily and to stop smoking.