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Project Evaluations
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Australian Capital Region Focus on Business
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Client Need: The organising committee of the Australian Capital Region's most ambitious business event, Focus on Business, wanted to evaluate the effect that the event had on participants: special invited guests, business delegates and exhibitors. The organisers commissioned SES to undertake a detailed evaluation that would help quantify the effectiveness of the event in changing peoples' perceptions about the Region, and also quantify the impact of the event on the Region's economy.
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The evaluation covered sizeable samples of each of three target groups: VIP guests (CEO's of major businesses in Sydney and Melbourne), delegates and exhibitors. The evaluation used a mix of tools (on-the-spot interviews during the event, follow up questionnaires, and over-the-phone interviews) to obtain comprehensive feedback on the event and its impact. The evaluation showed that the event changed some of the perceptions that interstate CEOs had about the Region, and that they were impressed at the depth of competitive commercial activity going on. Participants estimated that between $10 million and $18 million worth of new business is underway as a result of the event.
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CRAWG Agribusiness Development Fund Evaluation
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Client Need: The Capital Region Agribusiness Working Group administered 13 small business development grants to agribusinesses in the Capital Region, with the objective of stimulating growth, development and diversification of agribusiness in the Region. CRAWG wanted to determine whether this kind of small scale seed funding initiative had been effective in stimulating new business activity in the region.
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SES conducted an evaluation process of the 13 projects, via in depth and individually tailored interviews with key individuals from each project. SES provided detailed feedback to CRAWG identifying the specific outcomes of each project and the overall aggregate value of the projects to the region. This feedback was provided in the form of hard figures on dollar value of investments flowing from the projects, and numbers of jobs created in the region, along with descriptive information on working networks established in the region, organisational and personnel developments achieved, and business development information generated and distributed as a result of the projects.
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NT Expo 98
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Client Need: The Australian Capital Region Development Council (ACRDC) played a key role in the strong showing by the region's businesses at the NT Expo 98 held in Darwin in late June 1998. The ACRDC commissioned SES to undertake a comprehensive evaluation of participants. The evaluation has been copied and distributed to people involved in the Expo (as funders supporters and participants).
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The evaluation covered all eighteen participants in the Expo from the region (both public and private sector) and covered both qualitative feedback and quantitative outcomes from the Expo. The evaluation report was received well and has been distributed to participants and other stakeholders.
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Capital region leadership program
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Client Need: The ACRDC ran an innovative Leadership Program through 1998-99, and commissioned SES to evaluate the Program's effectiveness.
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The evaluation covered all 24 participants in the Program. The evaluation focused on leaderships sills, interaction and networking as well as 'hard' outcomes, with feedback from all participants.
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Group Training promotional materials
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Client Need: The national Group Training Australia (GTA) network developed a series of promotional and marketing materials designed for use by its member group training companies. GTA commissioned COSBOA and SES to undertake and evaluation of the effectiveness of the materials developed.
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The evaluation polled over 90 members of GTA and tested the usefulness and effectiveness of the materials produced by the network according to people in the field.
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Employer Contact Unit
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Client Need: Department of Social Security sought assistance from COSBOA (and SES Director Kim Houghton) in assessing small business views of the Department's Employer Contact Unit.
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In partnership with COSBOA, SES designed and managed the evaluation. The evaluation used a telesurvey of over 3,500 small businesses to obtain feedback on service levels and standards, and identified a range of strategies for improvement.
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ACT Employment Expo
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Client Need: A range of organisations combined to stage the 1999 ACT Employment Expo in October 1999. SES was asked to conduct an evaluation of the Expo focussed on determining what real impact on employment the Expo might have had.
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The Expo involved over 40 exhibitors - public and private sector, including Job Network members. The evaluation covered all exhibitors and was able to quantify the number and range of job outcomes - from 'expressions of interest' to firm offers.
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SES also evaluated the 2000 Employment Expo.
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