Evaluation of the Transitioning Members Case Management Program for DVA.

In a multistage endeavour, this project will develop an evaluation strategy for the Transitioning Members Case Management project. Central to the evaluation strategy, and pertinent to Stage 1 of this overall endeavour, will be the development of a standardised measurement of wellbeing, aligned to the DVA Wellbeing Model and Human Security Factors identified by the Department of Defence.

The wellbeing measurement will be designed using four strategies: 1) develop a deeper understanding of the existing literature, reports and policies regarding the transitioning of defence veterans in the Australian and international context into civilian life; 2) an original literature review of existing measures of wellbeing that potentially relate to veteran adjustment within the context of transitioning to civilian life; 3) a psychometric evaluation of existing wellbeing data collected previously by the research team (over 10,000 assessments); and 4) consultation with key stakeholders within DVA and academia.

The final evaluation strategy will include both quantitative and qualitative elements of data collection that will support the evaluation of DVA’s transition programs. The evaluation strategy will allow for the investigation of the impact that the program has on transitioning members (outcome evaluation), as well as create insights for future program improvement and iteration (process evaluation).