Reconciliation Action Plan evaluation
In 2015 our first Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) was launched, committing to improving the quality and quantity of services to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and providing better support to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in our workplace. The evaluation reports on the progress, appropriateness and effectiveness of this RAP.
Summary Crime Evaluation
In 2015 we commissioned the Law and Justice Foundation of New South Wales to undertake an independent evaluation of our summary crime services. This was prompted by rising demand for our criminal law services in the Magistrates’ Court and significant pressures on staff working across all parts of the system. We wanted to know if our summary crime program was appropriate and sustainable, and the factors influencing our capacity to achieve these aims.
The findings and recommendations from the Evaluation will provide the foundation for the development of a long-term strategy around our summary crime services and for how we will work with the courts, police and government on repairing, reforming and properly funding the summary crime system.
Read about our Summary Crime Evaluation.
Child protection pilot program
In 2016 we commissioned The Incus Group to undertake an independent evaluation of an ambitious collaboration between Victoria Legal Aid (VLA) and two community legal centres (CLCs) the Women’s Legal Service Victoria in Moorabbin and the Loddon Campaspe Community Legal Centre in Bendigo. The pilots, funded by VLA, were designed to test new ways of helping people with complex child protection and family law needs. The focus was on providing responsive, appropriate and high-quality services in both a metropolitan and regional setting, following someone’s first contact with the child protection system.
The findings and recommendations from the evaluation have led to ongoing funding for the child protection work in the two CLCs, and are informing our work with legal service providers and other partners in the child protection system across the state.
Community Legal Education projects
We evaluate our community legal education projects to check they are effective and learn how we can improve our work in the future. We share our findings to promote collaboration and learning across the legal assistance sector.
Read our Community Legal Education project evaluations.
More information
For more information contact evaluation@vla.vic.gov.au
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