RIVERVIEW DEVELOPMENTS
December 2021 - April 2022
The Challenge
SPARK is a ground-breaking training and employment initiative implemented as part of the 11,500-home Ginninderry community on the ACT/NSW border. The concept – which Strategic Development Group helped develop in 2014 – involved the linking of training, work experience and jobs for unemployed people to this 40-year project involving considerable spending on infrastructure and related development.
In 2021, the Ginninderry Joint Venture partners, Riverview, and the ACT Government commissioned an evaluation to assess the outcomes, effectiveness, and social return on investment of SPARK to:
Determine the program’s outcomes, including those delivered to the broader Capital region
Assess the effectiveness of the program’s outcomes against its objectives
Consider the value of the program to participants
Consider any additional outcomes achieved by the program, particularly for disadvantaged cohorts
The solution
Strategic Development Group was engaged to undertake the Evaluation. The team’s methodology included:
Surveys developed and administered for three distinct groups – participants, RTOs, and community/industry partners
Consultative qualitative process (done remotely due to COVID), including: Key informant interviews; Focus group discussions; Review of program documentation; Analysis of relevant program data (provided by SPARK)
Two case studies focused on construction and childcare were prepared
The outcome
We delivered an Evaluation Report with findings and recommendations to the client. The Evaluation found that SPARK is considered to be a successful program by all who engaged with it – in particular, the qualitative evidence gathered was overwhelmingly positive. A Social Return on Investment was calculated for the project – this quantified value to society based on a range of factors impacted when moving people from long-term unemployment to the workforce.
