Family Relationship Services Research and Evaluation
This page has been created to support Family Relationship Service Providers in carrying out action research and to provide a platform for you to share your ideas and findings with others. It has been designed to provide staff with an opportunity to discover ideas and the interesting findings coming out of action research.
Family Relationship Centres Action Research
Action research is a practical and pragmatic method of research that involves engaging in a continuous cycle of reflection, planning, action and observation and is a useful tool for examining and improving practice by helping people to gain a better understanding of their practices and to so apply the insights gained to positive action and change.
In the context of the Family Relationship Centres this means staff working together towards improved practice and services and, in turn, improved outcomes for your clients.
The Action Research Documents contain information on action research, including further details on what it is and how to do it, as well as a template that can be used for recording and reporting on action research cycles.
In order to contribute to discussions, and to respond to questions and suggestions from Family Relationship Centre staff, these pages will be updated regularly.
Action research planning and reporting template
This template can be used by Centres to plan and report on action research cycles. While Centres are not required to use this template for reporting purposes, it is designed as a tool to help Centres work through the successive stages of their cycles, and includes instruction, tips and sample questions.
- Action Research Instructions and Reporting Template 2008 [DOC 101KB]
- Action Research Instructions and Reporting Template 2008 [PDF 66KB]
What would it take to do action research well?—example reporting template
A brief example of an action research cycle using the reporting template. This example is based on the research question ‘What would it take to do action research well’.
National questions
Some broad questions relevant to all Family Relationship Centres have been formulated by the National Action Research Working Group. These questions may be addressed directly by Centres or used to guide the formulation of specific local questions.
Suggested Local Questions 2008-09
Suggested local questions for action research for 2008-09. There are a number of topic areas that AGD has some interest in. Centres are encouraged to consider these issues when they plan for their next cycles of action research: Family Group Conferencing, Dispute Resolution with Cald Clients and Family Violence.
Evaluation, longitudinal research and action research
Slides from a presentation to Family Relationship Centre managers at the June 2007 orientation training on the evaluation of the family law reforms and associated longitudinal research, what action research is, and the action research cycle.
Action Research Discussion
At the orientation training for new Family Relationship Centre managers conducted in June 2007, a suggestion for an additional national action research question was raised—‘What would it take to effectively support and retain skilled staff in Family Relationship Centres?’.
The national questions formulated by the National Action Research Working Group are available in the action research documents section.
Are there any other action research questions that you think should become national questions?
Suggestions can be e-mailed to: Research.fpb@ag.gov.au.
Other Research and Evaluation Resources
Evaluation of Family Law Reforms
Children’s Contact Services
- Evaluation of the Building Connections Pilot Project - March 2007
- Children’s Contact Services: Expectation and Experience – June 2005
- Children’s Contact Services: Training Needs Analysis – March 2005
- Contact Services in Australia Research and Evaluation Project – December 1998
Parenting Orders Program/Contact Orders Program
Family Law Act
Dispute Resolution
- Children Beyond Dispute: A Prospective Study of Outcomes from Child Focused and Child Inclusive Post-Separation Family Dispute Resolution - October 2006
- Primary Dispute Resolution – A Report on Partnerships – June 2004
- Family and Child Mediation Survey: Final Report to Attorney-General’s Department – May 1998
- Dispute Management Practitioners – Evaluation Report – June 2003