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NSW Department of Communities and Justice, Family and Community Services Insights Analysis and Research

Procured through: NSW Government Performance and Management Services Scheme
Project date: 2017-2023

Project: Implementation support for a complex housing evaluation

MHC was engaged by the Department of Communities and Justice (DCJ, previously Department of Family and Community Services) to support the large-scale complex evaluation of the Future Directions program.

In 2017 MHC developed a commissioning strategy and implementation plan for the evaluation. In 2019 MHC established and embedded an approach to evaluation governance and management including providing quality assurance for the Future Directions evaluation. Up to 2023 MHC has provided advice to FACSIAR the evaluation.

What MHC Did

  • Ensured appropriate project management and project governance structures were in place and are feasible
  • Conducted reviews of the evaluations and provided analysis to the Department
  • Designed of reporting monitoring frameworks and strategies with a focus on outcomes and technical rigor
  • Managed the technical oversight and quality assurance for the evaluation
  • Developed lessons learned for the scheme as a whole and for the evaluation
  • Oversaw the stakeholder coordination and collaboration (including facilitating workshops)
  • Design and review evaluation priorities, strategy and commission approaches
  • Co-design evaluation frameworks and plans
  • Communicate and translate evaluation results
  • Communications, stakeholder engagement and implementation plans
  • Implementation capacity, planning, support, project management

Outcome

The implementation plan and commissioning strategy that were approved by the FACS Board laid a firm foundation for the Future Directions evaluation.

DCJ is using the governance and management approach developed by MHC in 2019 to successfully manage the Future Directions evaluation.

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