Work is currently underway to build the evidence base that informs the design of our current community engagement programs and shapes the development of new approaches.
How do we know whether our community engagement programs are effective? What impact are the programs having in our communities? What is the evidence that supports our current approaches and helps us to identify new ways of doing things? These are key questions we ask ourselves to ensure that the work we do is making a real difference and leading to positive change.
Knowledge and Evidence is currently working with Community Engagement on several projects to build the evidence base that underpins our work. This includes evaluations of the Fire Ready Victoria program and the Property Advice Visits Service, and a research study on house fire safety and household decision-making.
For each of these projects it is essential to capture the views and perspectives of community members, especially those who live in high risk locations and those who participate in CFA’s community engagement programs. To do this, online surveys are being carried out by specialist research and evaluation organisations on behalf of CFA.
There are two online surveys which will be going live soon:
- Property Advice Visits Service Program Evaluation – an online survey targeted at program participants to explore their experiences of the program and the ways to improve the service.
- House Fire Safety research project – an online survey targeted at Victorian residents living in CFA areas to examine experiences of house fires and house fire safety behaviours.
Both online surveys will be open during March 2020. If you receive an email invite to participate in either of the online surveys, we would really appreciate you taking the time to complete it. The surveys take about 10 minutes. Participation in the online surveys is entirely voluntary. Responses are private and confidential and none of the responses you give will be linked to you as an individual.
What happens next?
