A Providence team member led a team of University of Canberra academics to support Defence Joint Health Command and stakeholders to co‑design an evaluation approach for the Defence Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy 2018-2023. It was imperative that this reflected the realities of operating across diverse, the sensitivity of evaluation materials and high‑pressure environments. Rather than applying a fixed evaluation model, they partnered with program owners, service leads and decision‑makers to tailor evaluation questions, data collection and reporting in ways that were practical and usable. This involved direct work with senior leaders, interviews, workshops, iterative reviews and regular feedback loops so learning could be applied as the work progressed. The co‑design approach helped shift evaluation from a compliance exercise to a tool for learning, improvement and capability‑building. Outcomes included redesigned evaluation processes, improved access to meaningful data, and stronger ownership of findings by those responsible for delivery. This directly informed the renewal of the Strategy and Continuous Improvement Framework for 2025-2030.
A Providence team member led a team of University for Canberra and ANU academics to worked with the Department of Health, service providers and clinicians to co‑design and deliver an evaluation approach for nation-wide community‑based Nurse Practitioner models of care. Rather than applying a single evaluation framework, the approach was shaped collaboratively to reflect different service contexts, client needs and funding arrangements across thirty diverse sites. Stakeholders contributed to defining evaluation priorities, research questions and data sources, ensuring the evaluation captured outcomes that mattered for funding, policy and practice. The design combined quantitative, qualitative, financial and case study evidence, with a strong focus on sustainability of future service development. This co‑design approach helped build shared ownership of the evaluation and increased confidence in how findings would be used. The outcome was a flexible and practical evaluation framework that supported learning across thirty diverse sites and produced clear guidance for improving sustainability, funding models and service delivery.
Across 2023 to 2025, a Providence team member led a large‑scale co‑design initiative with APS leaders and officers to understand and articulate current capability needs across the Australian Public Service. Working in partnership with UNSW, the APS Academy and agencies, the work involved over 150 officials from 17 agencies in 600 hours of interaction to build a shared picture of capability from lived experience, rather than anecdotal assumptions or predefined programs. The approach centred on interviews, full‑day workshops and iterative check‑backs, allowing participants to shape the questions, test emerging insights and validate findings as the work progressed. Co‑design activity focused on what capability APS officers actually need to do their jobs well, where learning and development investment would deliver the most value, and what forms of capability building would be supported by leaders to release finite time and financial resources. The outcome was a rich, current, evidence‑based understanding of APS capability needs that reflected practice across departments and levels, informed APS reform activity, and provided a credible foundation for future capability and learning decisions.
Providence’s partner Curijo was engaged by NSW Aboriginal Affairs to evaluate the effectiveness and impact of the NSW Closing the Gap Grants Program while building the capability of grant applicants and recipients to demonstrate their outcomes and community impact. The work was grounded in co‑design, partnering closely with Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations and Aboriginal businesses to shape the evaluation approach from the outset. The team worked alongside NSW Aboriginal Affairs and grant recipients to co‑design evaluation questions, data collection methods and capacity‑building activities that were practical, culturally responsive and fit for purpose. This included supporting organisations to strengthen their monitoring and evaluation capability and better articulate the outcomes they deliver for their communities. The outcome was an independent evaluation that measured program effectiveness, captured meaningful community impact, and produced clear evidence to inform future grant design and funding decisions. NSW Aboriginal Affairs provided positive feedback on the collaborative approach, noting the team’s ability to adapt as needs emerged and deliver practical evaluation and capacity‑building resources that met the needs of the target audience.
Adash is Providence’s CEO and is responsible to the Providence Board and Providence’s clients for ensuring the timely delivery of outcomes through advice, guidance and mentoring to Providence’s staff.
