Refine focus
Before you begin, to refine your focus, take some time to reflect on the key questions you would like to address when measuring the success of your activity.
Key questions may relate to a number of areas, such as: need for program, reach, appropriateness, adoption, implementation, effectiveness, efficiency and/or maintenance.
Below are generic questions for measuring the success of activities to prevent alcohol and other drug harms.
Key question areas
Process
- Has the activity been delivered as intended?
- What factors (both positive and negative) have affected the delivery?
- What proportion of the target audience were involved in your related activity?
- Has uptake of your activity varied by socio–economic position, Indigenous status, non-English speaking background and/or rural/metropolitan location?
- How well did your activity meet the needs of the target audience?
- Have participants been satisfied with your activity?
Impacts and outcomes
- Have the activity’s objectives been achieved?
- Have all activities been appropriate and effective in achieving the impacts and outcomes?
- Were there any unexpected outcomes?
- What have been the critical success factors and barriers to achieving success?
- How much money and time did we spend on our activity? Is the cost reasonable in relation to the magnitude of the benefits?
- Have levels of partnership and community engagement increased?
- How did your partners add value to your work?
Implications for future planned activities and policy
- Should the activity be continued or developed further for use in future Community Action Plans?
- Where to from here?
- How can the Community Action Plan's activity be improved in the future?
- How will the Community Action Plan's activity, or impact of the activity, be sustained beyond the initial timeframe?
- Will additional resources be required to continue or further develop the activity?
Supporting resources
