How do we know it works ? The place of evidence based research and evaluation

1. How do we know it works ? The place of evidence based research and evaluation Associate Professor Susan Feldman Healthy Ageing Research Unit School of Primary Health Care Monash University

2. What is intergenerational practice? • Intergenerational practice aims to bring people together in purposefully beneficial activities which promote greater understanding and respect between generations and contributes to building more cohesive communities. • Intergenerational practice is inclusive, building on the positive resources that different generations have to offer each other as well as those around them. (Beth Johnson Foundation 2001)

3. Bringing the Generations Together ‘The Australian Way’ • Volunteer organisations • Schools • Sport, recreational and cultural activities • Religious organisations • Welfare and government funded programs • Families and neighbourhoods • Work environment

4. The Australian - diverse and multigenerational

5. Working Together – Learning Together

6. Multigenerational Practice and Programs in Australia • Still a deficit model – “generations together as a solution to fix a problem” • Few programs focus specifically on multi generational relationships and interactions • Interactions between generations often opportunistic • No clearly defined “movement” or network of like minded practitioners • Asks why create new programs when these relationships happen naturally? • Does they generate theories? • Sparse evidence based research and evaluation

7. Multigenerational family doing it naturally?

8. Programs with Explicit Multigenerational Components • Church funded community based programs • National education and literacy programs • Youth support & volunteer programs • Homeless programs & interventions • Substance and alcohol abuse initiatives • Migrant, refugee and new arrival support programs • Indigenous support and mentoring organisations • Family based support

9. Belonging to the Multigenerational Family

10. What is the value in connecting generations? • Form multigenerational and intercultural relationships • Gain knowledge about ageing and youth culture • Establish positive attitudes toward age and culturally diverse groups • Challenge stereotypes of different cohorts and generations • Build and strengthen ethical-moral beliefs and values • Strengthen community and family relationships • Transfer knowledge and experience between generations – financial, emotional, cultural, spiritual, language

11. Bringing the generations together • Must be appropriate and mutually beneficial to all involved • Must be demonstrate the capacity for reciprocity and exchange • At best promotes community cohesion • Can promote and support wellbeing of individuals • Can make a positive difference for community cohesion • Requires effective, sensitive and good quality services for people of all ages • Focus on a model of inclusion rather than creating IG specific opportunities

12. An evidence based approach asks • Is there a shared understanding of intergenerational practice and what is its value and for whom? • Is there a wide base of participants and does the work draw upon the active engagement, experience and expertise of all relevant sectors and generations? • Have outcomes been clearly identified and agreed to and are there multiple outcomes for different groups? • How to evaluate the effectiveness of particular intergenerational work? • Are outcomes tangible and measurable or are been ‘softer’ but still worthwhile? What is their value? • How can these ‘data’ be captured? What methods?

13. An evidence based approach asks • Have initiatives made a lasting and positive difference? • To whom? Are outcomes short or long term? • Have impacts turned out as expected? What are the surprise outcomes? • Have the initiatives been successful in demonstrating generations as a resource contributing to the mutual benefit of themselves and others? • Do these outcomes provide models for other agencies to replicate? • Are these programmes and outcomes sustainable? • Will they attract funding? • Do they have policy and practice implications?

14. The place of evidence based research • Can inform practice, research and policy decisions across “silos” e.g health, education, youth, seniors • Reveals that there is more to the work than feeling and looking good • Illustrates health and wellbeing outcomes for individuals and community • Generates models for participation, responsibility and engagement across the generations • Longitudinally data can reflect key demographic trends in cohorts, communities and societies undergoing change • Supports the case for longer term funding which can yield stronger evidence, replicable findings and new models

15. Future of Multi generational Work in Australia • Showcasing existing models and programs – local and international that work • Is there a place for Intergenerational Studies – define the field, the discipline and the students and possibly rename. • Form and maintain strong multigenerational networks • Attract ongoing funding to establish sustainable programs, projects and research – community based, government and academia informing each other’s work • Ensure that evidence based research and evaluation are part of any endeavour.

16. For more information... Associate Professor Susan Feldman susan.feldman@monash.edu • Healthy Ageing Research Unit • Food for all Project http://www.monash.edu/sphc/haru/ Intergenerational and Intercultural Encounters: Connecting students and older people through language learning http://www.arts.monash.edu.au/intergenerational