Evaluation of suicide prevention activities

5.8 Stability or change over time

Page last updated: January 2014

The extent of stability or change within projects was examined from three perspectives:

5.8.1 Changes in aims/objectives

The majority of projects (77%) reported that their aims and objectives had remained unchanged over time (Table 5-6). Of the 11 projects that did report change, six were local, three were state-wide and two were national projects.
The main changes to aims/objectives cited were:
  • Increase in scope of the project (ie, inclusion of new sites)
  • Increasing public or community awareness of the services provided by the project
  • More focussed targeting of particular high-risk groups.
In each case, the projects indicated that the change had occurred in response to identified need. Details of these changes are provided in the following sections.

    Table 5-6: Change in aims/objectives over time

    Have the aims or objectives changed over time?
    n
    %
    No
    37
    77
    Yes
    11
    23
    Total
    48
    100

    Note: Information not available for two projects.

    5.8.2 Changes in activities

    Less than half of all project representatives (45%) reported changes in their project strategies and activities over the life of the project (table 5-7).

    Of the 22 project representatives that did report changes in activities or strategies, feedback from staff and consumers emerged as the most frequently cited impetus for change. Learnings gleaned from project evaluations or reviews were also cited. The nature of the changes varied, but the majority were related to process refinements that aimed to improve efficiency or to better meet the needs of the target population.

    Four projects referred to restrictive DoHA contractual obligations where short-term funding agreements reduced flexibility within projects or potentially created service delivery gaps.

    Table 5-7: Change in activities/strategies over time

    Have activities/ strategies changed over time?
    n%
    No
    27
    55
    Yes
    22
    45
    Total
    49
    100

    Note: Information not available for one project.

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    5.8.3 Changes in scope

    The majority of project representatives (81%) reported that their project had not grown in scope to national level (Table 5-8). Of the eight that did report such growth, the key mechanisms through which this growth was achieved was firstly by the project being recognised for the success of its activities and then being successful in securing additional funding to expand the scope of the project.

In one case, this expansion was from Australia to an international audience. Of the seven projects that grew to become national, four primarily used gatekeeper training approaches and three were community capacity-building projects. The project that expanded to an international audience was a research project.

    Table 5-8: Grown in scope from local to national

    Has your project grown in scope from a local project to a national project?
    n%
    No3981
    Yes919
    Total48100%

    Notes:
    1. One of the 'yes' projects changed from national to international.
    2. Information not available for two projects.