Evaluation Findings Summary
Minum Barreng at the University of Melbourne has been conducting trachoma elimination health promotion activities since 2009 and has been funded by the Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care (DoHAC) to provide health promotion resources and run activities since 2015. An evaluation of this work was included in the DoHAC funding agreement and workplan for 2023–2024. The aim of the evaluation was to establish recommendations for future trachoma elimination health promotion approaches with consideration for efficiency, effectiveness and appropriateness.
A Delphi method survey was undertaken to establish consensus on the effective trachoma health promotion activities undertaken from 2010 to 2022 and recommendations on future trachoma health promotion activities for 2024-2027. Nama Jalu Consulting were engaged to support the evaluation. Nama Jalu is a majority Aboriginal owned and led social enterprise consultancy.
An Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander reference group was established to guide and inform the evaluation and to ensure that the knowledge, systems and frameworks of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people working in the trachoma elimination eco-system were privileged within the evaluation design, implementation and outcomes. Additional external evaluation expertise was obtained through the project.
Fifty experts working throughout the trachoma elimination system were invited to participate in the two online Delphi surveys. Minum Barreng grouped the previously used trachoma elimination health promotion activities into 19 initiatives. The experts were asked to rate the 19 initiatives using a five-point scale for their effectiveness and also to nominate the priority initiatives for the next three years. A workshop with the trachoma experts was held in Alice Springs to discuss the survey results and allow for further discussion of the findings. A report was prepared and circulated late in 2024.
Some key statistics from the evaluation report (attached) include high response rates - 78% from the first survey and 70% from the second survey. 20% of experts in the first survey and 28% of experts in second survey identified as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander. One third of the participants at the workshop were Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander.
The five initiatives that rated as highly or very highly effective by the expert panel were:
- Milpa the trachoma goanna character costume
- Branding
- Community Engagement
- Partnerships and collaboration
- Milpa’s Six Steps to Stop germs trachoma resources
Most of the 19 initiatives (14/19) rated 60% and above for effectiveness. The initiatives involving community engagement via team members, in person, working in communities and on the ground with organisations and rated the highest for both effectiveness and future priority. Milpa and the Clean Faces, Strong Eyes branding and messaging were highly recognised and considered effective. There were notable geographic/jurisdictional differences reflecting that some of the activities had occurred in the Northern Territory, for instance, and not in other states. In the key learnings section of the report – the experts considered it critical that trachoma elimination health promotion activities continue – there was strong consensus amongst the panellists on this point. Although the surveys enabled some ranking of activities, discussion at the workshop and within the Aboriginal Reference Group suggested that all of the initiatives were considered valuable. One of the greatest strengths of the trachoma health promotion was the community engagement activities involving local Aboriginal people. The evaluation report includes all the findings from the surveys, workshop discussions and some key learning and suggestions.