To prevent family violence and all forms of violence against women, we must monitor, evaluate and learn from existing and emerging primary prevention initiatives. By building the evidence and gaining an understanding of impact and outcomes, we can improve primary prevention programs and continue working towards a future where everyone is safe, equal and respected.
Our monitoring, evaluation and learning work includes:
- Sector capacity building – our online monitoring, evaluation and learning practice guidance and toolkit supports organisations funded under Free from Violence, and any other organisations seeking to evaluate primary prevention programs.
- Building an understanding of what works in primary prevention – we oversee several evaluation activities that examine success in primary prevention programming, including activities under the current Free from Violence Action Plans.
- Improving programming – we are currently working towards an Assessment and Endorsement model to support primary prevention programming.
- Supporting the big picture – in collaboration with the Department of Families, Fairness and Housing, we led the development of the Monitoring and Evaluation Strategic Framework, which lays out the ‘big picture’ for assessing and evaluating the success of programs funded by Free From Violence in Victoria.
What is monitoring, evaluation and learning (MEL) and why is it needed?
To strengthen the evidence base and prevent family violence and violence against women in all its forms
Monitoring is a systematic process for reviewing data during an intervention to track real-time progress against objectives and goals. It helps understand what’s going on, as we’re going along.
Evaluation is the application of a ‘value judgment’ to data and information about an project to identify if it is meeting a set of identifiable goals, and why or why not.
Learning results in information being used to inform continuous improvements in an intervention, enable sharing of knowledge and evidence, and highlighting the progress and success of an intervention.
Free From Violence
Free from Violence is the Victorian Government's strategy to prevent all forms of family violence and violence against women. It is a core element of Victoria's wider family violence reform strategy.
In December 2021, the Minister for Prevention of Family Violence launched the Free from Violence Second Action Plan (2022-2025), which will steer the state’s work to prevent violence against women and family violence.
The Free from Violence Monitoring and Evaluation Strategic Framework (PDF) is for organisations leading or funding prevention programs and initiatives under Free from Violence. It can also be used as guidance for any organisation working in primary prevention of family violence. The Free from Violence Monitoring and Evaluation Strategic Framework FAQs [PDF] have more information.
Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Toolkit
The monitoring, evaluation and learning (MEL) toolkit helps primary prevention practitioners to monitor and evaluate projects, including those funded under Free from Violence.