Current projects

Evaluation of the Cyan Crew's preparation for the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race.

The Collaborative Evaluation & Research Group (CERG) will evaluate the crew’s experiences pre and post yacht events using a mixed methods approach. The Cyan yacht has a crew of 12 and will compete in a number of events in the racing calendar leading up to the Sydney to Hobart race in January 2023. This will be the first time that this boat and many of the crew have competed in the Sydney to Hobart yacht race.

CERG researchers

  • Professor Joanne Porter
  • Dr Scott Talpey
  • Sam Fenton
  • Dr Meghan Casey
  • Dr Dominic McNeil
  • Associate Professor Dixie Statham
  • Val Prokopiv
  • Dr Michael  Barbagallo
  • Meg Jackson

Evaluation of DELIVER: Delivering Enhanced heaLthcare at home through optImising Virtual tools for oldEr people in Rural and Regional Australia

CERG is evaluating DELIVER: Delivering Enhanced heaLthcare at home through optiIising Virtual tools for older people in Rural and regional Australia. Led by Western Alliance, and in partnership with healthcare consumers, regional and rural health services, universities and primary healthcare providers across western Victoria, the project will identify and build a suite of programs to improve and extend in-home healthcare.

CERG researchers

  • Professor Joanne Porter
  • Associate Professor Blake Peck
  • Valerie Prokopiv
  • Dr Michael  Barbagallo
  • Elissa Dabkowski

Natalie Bransgrove is one of five PhD students as part of the deliver project and will be supervised by Professor Joanne Porter and Associate Professor Blake Peck. Natalie’s project aim is to improve healthcare at home for older people living in regional and rural areas using a mixed method approach.

Latrobe Valley Authority: Health Innovation Project

CERG has partnered with the Latrobe Valley Authority to deliver the Health and Wellbeing stream of the Gippsland Smart Specialisation Strategy (GS3).

Working in partnership with stakeholders, CERG will explore current and future strengths and challenges in the heath sector. A series of workshops will lead a collaborative Discovery, Inquiry and Design process that is evidence based to explore strengths and opportunities.

More information about the Health Innovation Project

CERG researchers

  • Professor Joanne Porter (Lead)
  • Dr Michael Barbagallo
  • Valerie Prokopiv
  • Michelle James
  • Elissa Dabkowski
  • Megan Jackson
  • Natalie Bransgrove

Evaluation of the Healthy Supermarkets Latrobe Project

The Healthy Supermarkets Latrobe project has been developed by Latrobe Community Health Services (LCHS), Latrobe Health Assembly (LHA) and community members. The project, called 'Reach for the Stars"  aims to implement a number of initiatives to increase the promotion of healthy food and drink options in supermarkets. CERG will evaluate the project and its impact on the health and welbeing of residents in Latrobe.

CERG researchers:

  • Professor Joanne Porter
  • Valerie Prokopiv

Evaluation of the Youth-led Gippsland Bushfire Recovery Project

CERG is working in partnership with Latrobe Youth Space to evaluate the impact of a place-based initiative bringing physical activity to rural and remote communites in East Gippsland and Wellington Shire. The Project will provide programs, activities and services  to yougn peopl aged between 12 and 25 in various towns that will be fund and inclusive. It is a community building model that supports and enables young people to find their voice.

CERG Researchers

  • Professor Joanne Porter
  • Associate Professor Blake Peck
  • Valerie Prokopiv
  • Professor Rochelle Eime
  • Professor Carolyn Unsworth
  • Paul Kemel
  • Professor Louisa Remedios

Food Security and Wellbeing Program

Morwell Neighbourhood House partnered with Latrobe Health Assembly to utilise their People's Kitchen and related programs to implement and inclusive whole person approach to addressing issues of food security, health and wellbeing. CERG has been commissioned to evaluate potential solutions to providing food security to those engaging with Morwell Neighbourhood house.

CERG researchers

  • Professor Joanne Porter
  • Megan Jackson
  • Natalie Bransgrove
  • Valerie Prokopiv

Sexual Lives and Respectful Relationships

Capacity building to develop the skills, knowledge, and abilities of people with intellectual disability, ABI, or complex communication across Gippsland. The key element is to engage, train and support peer educators in the development and delivery of the Sexual Lives and Respectful Relationships (SL&RR) network. Gippsland Centre Against Sexual Assault (GCASA) is working in partnership with New Wave Gippsland.

CERG researchers

  • Professor Joanne Porter (Lead)
  • Peter Hopwood
  • Dr Michael Barbagallo
  • Val Prokopiv

Social Prescribing

Evaluating the impact of the Social Prescribing project, which enables primary health providers to address the wider social determinants of health by referring patients whose health is affected by non-medical factors (such as housing, financial stress or loneliness) to a range of community-based services.

CERG researchers

  • Professor Joanne Porter
  • Dr Karen Missen
  • Val Prokopiv
  • Natalie Bransgrove

Men’s Shed Field Officer

Evaluating the impact of employing a Field Officer on Latrobe Valley Men’s Sheds aims of achieving healthier mental and physical outcomes, and assisting and engaging with men affected by the downturn of employment in the Latrobe Valley.

CERG researchers

  • Professor Joanne Porter
  • Dr Michael Barbagallo (Lead)
  • Sara Brito
  • Jan Jones
  • Val Prokopiv

My Food Swaps

Working in partnership with Latrobe Health Assembly and the My Food Swap research team at Monash University and RMIT, the Collaborative Evaluation and Research Group (CERG) will evaluate the implementation of the My Food Swap initiative in Latrobe. The ‘My Food Swaps’ initiative provides personalised dietary feedback for the Latrobe Valley, based on the adaptation of an existing tool, Intake24.

CERG researchers

  • Professor Joanne Porter (Lead)
  • Dr Michael Barbagallo
  • Dr Soma Pillay
  • Associate Professor Andrew Greenhill
  • Val Prokopiv
  • Megan Jackson

Incident Analytics:

Conducting a systematic review of the literature and existing tools what are currently in use to analyse data sets of organisational risk management. The literature review will inform future work, modeling and strategic planning.

CERG researchers

  • Professor Joanne Porter (Lead)
  • Elissa Dabkowski
  • Val Prokopiv

Zoos Victoria: Nature Led Recovery

Evaluating the impact of the East Gippsland nature based community recovery project, developed in response to the bushfire season of 2019-20. Zoos Victoria, ARI (DELWP) have partnered with Bushfire Recovery Victoria (BRV) to work with local communities to support people’s recovery through experiencing, supporting and witnessing nature’s recovery.

CERG researchers

  • Professor Joanne Porter (Lead)
  • Dr Michael Barbagallo
  • Professor Wendy Wright
  • Maryam Ghasemiardekani
  • Elissa Dabkowski
  • Val Prokopiv

Contact

To engage CERG's evaluation services, collaborate with us or ask about our research, please get in touch via the Contact page.