The Social Policy Evaluation and Research Unit (Superu) commissioned the Institute of Environmental Science and Research Limited (ESR) to develop and test a systems approach to measure the effectiveness of the ‘whole-of-system’ response to prevent family violence.

This project was commissioned to support current efforts to design and implement a whole of government approach to prevent family violence.

This report can be used to support discussions on the use of systems approaches to better understand complex social issues. This report:

- Summarises what was learnt from this proof of concept project;
- Considers, either separately or concurrently, other options to improve our understanding of how best to measure the ‘whole-of-system’ response to prevent family violence.

This report highlights the challenges in ‘whole of system’ approaches to measuring effectiveness of responses to social sector subjects of concern such as family violence. It reconfirms the specific issues around quality and access of data for the effectiveness of these whole of system approaches.

ESR’s proposed approach provides a useful platform for academics, policy professionals and other stakeholders to think further about how systems approaches might be developed to assess the effectiveness of integrated responses to complex social issues. (From the website). A 12-page summary report is also available - follow the link. Record #4894