Evaluation of the QMHC’s Better Futures Grants Program 2019‒2020 – Queensland Mental Health Commission
The Queensland Mental Health Commission (QMHC) Better Futures Grant aims to improve the mental health and wellbeing, and social inclusion of people with a lived experience of mental illness, problematic alcohol and other drug use, or those impacted by suicide, through a focus on employment or housing. QMHC awarded four grants in 2019–2020 of up to $200,000 each over a two-year timeframe. QMHC engaged LivSmart (a subsidiary of HMA) to develop, implement and report on the evaluation of the QMHC Better Futures Grants for 2019–2020, and to build the capacity of grant recipients to conduct local level evaluations.
Key tasks included:
- literature scan and documentation review of grant funding models, social enterprises, impacts on organisational behaviour and the broader community
- development of an evaluation framework including program logic, key evaluation areas and evaluation questions
- development of a social return on investment (SROI) model for assessment of social impacts
- conducting an evaluation capacity building workshop for grant recipients to provide skills and support in undertaking evaluation activities
- ongoing evaluation support for grant recipients – face to face and telephone / videoconference
- consultation with steering group members, grant recipients, and key stakeholders
- review of individual grant recipient progress reports and initiative outcomes
- triangulation of all relevant information into a draft and final report, including recommendations for the future of the Better Futures Grants.
The project commenced in 2019 and was completed in December 2021.
