Evaluation of the Cancer Council Tasmania’s Helpline and Cancer Connect programs (Staff)

Project Completion:

A capacity building evaluation with Cancer Council Tasmania that aimed to demonstrate the process of developing a program logic, planning an evaluation and undertaking evaluative research. A series of action research workshops allowed Cancer Council employees and volunteers to participate in the evaluation and gain skills along the way.

Researchers from the University Department of Rural Health undertook an evaluation of the Cancer Council of Tasmania's (TCCT) Cancer Connect and Cancer Helpline programs. The key researchers, Dr Christine Stirling and Shandell Elmer, used an action research approach, which involved staff in the process of gathering and analysing the data in order to increase the utilisation of the research findings and to build capacity within the TCCT for future evaluations.

The agreed evaluation goal was "to evaluate the delivery of the Cancer Helpline and Cancer Connect programs in order to define the goals, objectives and processes involved, and to identify areas of potential improvement".

Project Objectives

The five evaluation objectives were to:

1. Assist TCCT to clarify the goals and objectives of the two programs;

2. Assess the delivery of the programs, to document the process and to evaluate whether this occurs as designed;

3. Assess whether volunteers are adequately prepared and supported for the service provision role required by Cancer Connect and Cancer Helpline;

4. Identify levels of consumer satisfaction with the programs and to develop and trial a consumer evaluation tool that will allow TCCT to monitor consumer satisfaction on an ongoing basis and for the purpose of service planning, review and development; and

5. Provide capacity building for TCCT staff and volunteers in regard to their evaluation skills.