RESEARCH COMMITTEE UPDATE

The Research Committee, has been meeting regularly throughout 2007-08.

The Research Committee comprises of Board members and a representative from the Department of Education Membership is as follows:

• Ms Alison Jacob (Committee Chair)
• Mr Paul Mason
• Assoc Prof Sue Kilpatrick
• Ms Judy Hebblethwaite
• Dr Sue Jenkins
• Ms Rebecca Smith

Additional members with specific expertise have included:

• David O’Brien (ABS)
• Belinda Braithwaite (DPEM)
• Paul Sayer (Tas Together)
• Joyce Cleary (Victoria Office for Children)
• Melisa Cooley (Office of the Commissioner for Children)

After much consultation, the Committee has now finalised the key outcomes and indicators that they believe should form the basis for a framework for action. The Outcomes and indicators will allow the Board and the wider community to:

• know how children are faring in Tasmania;
• identify where additional action may be required;
• design of refresh programs to improve outcomes;
• understand whether and how existing programs may be helping; and
• communicate these facts effectively.

The outcomes have been selected and have been selected on the basis that they are:

• of known importance to children;
• relevant to most children;
• likely to respond to programs of intervention; and
• appropriate for intervention and support.

Valuable input has been provided from all government agencies concerned with the health, development and wellbeing of young children as well as the Australian Bureau of Statistics and Tasmania Together representatives.

It should also be recognised that Joyce Cleary from the Victorian Office for Children has attended research meetings on a regular basis and provided invaluable guidance and support to the Tasmanian project.

In addition, the extensive work undertaken by Melisa Cooley from the Office of the Commissioner for Children has been instrumental in progressing this project.

Also discussions have been held with the Department of Infrastructure, Energy and Resources (DIER) concernin the applicability of the State Infrastructure Planning System (SIPS) to the current project.

Building the Evidence – An Outcomes Based Framework to Improve the Health, Wellbeing and Development of Tasmanian Children.

The Tasmanian Early Years Foundation Act 2005 prescribes a key function of the Foundation is to promote research in relation to the wellbeing, development and learning of Tasmanian children up to the age of six years and establish a research base for the early years in Tasmania. In meeting this objective the Foundation has established a Research Committee that is currently working on this project.

Research Committee Members Back Row, left to right Belinda Braithwaite, Paul Mason, Sue Kilpatrick, Melisa Cooley, Joyce Cleary, Rebecca Smith Front Row, left to right Judy Hebblethwaite, David O'Brien, Sue Jenkins, Alison Jacob

The objective of the project is to develop an outcomes based framework with indicators that assist the Tasmanian Early Years Foundation prioritise and target projects and initiatives funded by the Foundation so that available resources are used as efficiently and effectively as possible.

The key targets areas of the research project include:

1. Improved health, wellbeing and development for all Tasmanian children from birth to the age of 6 years, incorporating improvements across all disaggregated groups and reduce gaps between high performing and low performing children;
2. More targeted and efficient expenditure on early years (0-6) initiatives and projects in order to achieve improvements in children’s health, wellbeing and development; and
3. Improved understanding of children’s (0-6) health, wellbeing and development by using maps (community profiles) or visual images to show relative strengths and weaknesses in local areas and explain the relationship of contributing variables.

The Research Committee is working closely with the Commissioner for Children’s office to audit available Tasmanian data in consultation with the Statewide Outcomes for Children Branch of the Office for Children in the Victorian Department of Human Services, who have expertise in the development of outcomes and relevant measurable indicators. Victoria recently published the State of Victoria’s children report 2006 - every child every chance, that incorporates an outcomes based framework.The Victorian framework has 35 outcomes with up to 160-180 indicators.

It is anticipated that the project will be completed in 2008.