Field Study Example

Mission of Centre:

To prevent all forms of child abuse.

Core Values:

• commitment to centre philosophy

• commitment to building on local strengths.

Goal of Field Consultant Program: 

To promote child abuse prevention at the local level through support of local child abuse coordinating committees.

Strategies to Reach Goal:

1. Regular consultations with local child abuse committees through phone, mail and on-site visits.

2. Providing and facilitating networking opportunities.

3. Regular feedback to the Centre about committees, progress, programs, activities and needs.

4. Field consultant participation at regular training programs provided by the Centre.

Measurable Indicators

How are we doing?

• satisfaction and growth as field consultants;

• completion of our own goals and long range plans;

• change in Field Consultant role from initiator to resource person;

• evaluation by our local coordinating committees; and

• evaluation by the Centre.

How are our local Child Abuse Committees doing?

• strength/satisfaction of Committees measured by (e.g.) attendance (turnover), net-working and activities;

• change in structure (i.e., more community input rather than all professional);

• measurement of their own impact within communities (e.g., who knows of them?);

• assessment of their own goals;

• move towards more prevention and advocacy;

• increase in use of Centre resources;

• increase in number of active local committees; and

• increased number of local committee members at conference and other Centre events; at regional meetings.

How is the Centre doing?

• Field Consultants still in place;

• local committees take on larger role in primary prevention;

• reduction in child abuse statistics;

• wider representation from community on local committees;

• increased feedback between local child abuse committees and the Centre through the Field Consultants;

• more awareness of local needs in order to develop programs materials, etc.; and

• increased profile for IPCA as a resource (and requests of these resources).

How is the Babysitting Project doing?

• number of courses;

• number of communities involved;

• increase in number of boys attracted to course;

• decrease in stats showing babysitters as abusers;

• increased use of babysitting course as a prevention tool;

• increased opportunity for local committees to make community links;

• expansion of local committee mandates to encompass all kids; and

• use of babysitting course or materials by schools or other agencies.