Using program theory in evaluating bushfire community safety programs
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posted on 2024-10-30, 15:38authored byAlan Rhodes, John Gilbert
There is an ever-increasing need for evidenced-based practice in all aspects of emergency management, and bushfire community safety programs are no exception. Over the past few years the value of programs that increase awareness and preparedness among communities in high bushfire risk areas has risen dramatically. There is now a wide range of programs run by agencies across Australia and the evidence suggests these are diversifying and occurring in greater numbers each year. To date, information about whether these programs are really working has been largely anecdotal and success has quite often been determined by quantity, i.e. how many community meetings have been run, rather than a deeper understanding of how a program works and whether it is achieving its intended outcomes. The net result can be evaluations that only measure simple outputs rather than exploring more complex outcomes.