Evaluation of Community 2168 - A whole of Government intervention in a disadvantaged community

Project Short Title
Community 2168

Project Status
Completed

Chief Investigators
Elizabeth Harris, Joan Silk, Lynn Kemp, Karen Larsen

Other Team Members
Nicholson Sharon

Rationale

Community 2168 is a major whole of Government community renewal and capacity building intervention located in the disadvantaged community located within the 2168 postcode in South Western Sydney. Community 2168 (formerly Operation 2168) began in 1999 with $30 000 funding each from Liverpool City Council, the Department of Housing and Liverpool Health Service to support the initiatives of the resident-based Miller Recovery Group.

There have been several other initiatives in the Miller area during the time of Community 2168, including:

  • NSW Premiers Task Force on Miller (2002 – 2005) funded at $2.4 million dollars over 3-years; and
  • Wellbeing in the Valley, formerly Miller Innovative Health Partnership (1998 – 2001), funded by NSW Health at $600 000 over 3-years.

Aims

Community 2168 aims to bring residents, government, business and community organisations together to improve services, facilities and opportunities for all people in the 2168 postcode area through:

Neighbourhood and community renewal;

  • Integration of human services in the 2168 area;
  • Community ownership of local initiatives;
  • Creating an inclusive community; and
  • Planning for a whole community.

In 2006, after extensive community consultation, a new strategic plan was developed focusing largely on resident participation, engagement, ownership and sustainability which set the direction for phase three of the project.

Phase three of the project aimed to achieve the following outcomes:

  • An informed community that engages and participates in local activities, programs and governance
  • A sustainable community model with the capacity for residents to manage local affairs in partnership with service providers
  • A safe, healthy and harmonious community that provides opportunities for families, children and young people
  • A strong community that works together to achieve outcomes
  • A community that has access to facilities and amenities that reflect its diversity

The current strategic plan provides the direction for the planning and implementation of activities in the period 2009 – 2012. The project is focused on the suburbs of Ashcroft, Busby, Cartwright, Green Valley, Heckenberg, Hinchinbrook, Miller and Sadleir. It adopts a whole of government and community partnership approach to improving outcomes for 2168 residents.

Design and Method

Given the overlap among project initiatives conducted in the Miller and 2168 postcode area since 1999, the evaluation is unable to identify community impacts specific to Community 2168. The evaluation therefore serves to inform future program development, project initiatives and service planning in the Miller and 2168 postcode area.

The evaluation uses a mixed-methodology:

  • Random household quantitative surveys of community perceptions of crime, safety, social cohesion, health and service use, conducted every 3 years;
  • qualitative interviews with key Community 2168 stakeholders, including community members, assessing barriers and facilitators to project implementation, conducted every 1-2 years; and
  • qualitative document review of Community 2168 strategic objectives, conducted yearly.
  • Assessment of community capacity through qualitative survey of Community 2168 working parties;
  • Community Mapping – undertaken to identify points of engagement and entry to the community through social infrastructure and facilities.

Ethics approval for this study was received through the Sydney South West Area Health Service and UNSW.