Research and Evaluation Programme

For almost 30 years Great Potentials Foundation has introduced, developed and managed programmes focused on breaking cycles of disadvantage and unleashing the potential of our most at-risk families and youth. We are committed to helping children, young people and families towards brighter futures.

Research and Evaluation is an integral part of our work at Great Potentials Foundation and after nearly 30 years of research and evaluation of our work, we have the numbers to prove the value of what we do.

Our Research and Evaluation Manager, John Patolo, ensures that we can assess the impact of our three Foundation programmes in an ongoing way: HIPPY, MATES and our Family Service Centres. His work provides proof that we are achieving our purpose.

The main goal for this work of research and evaluation is “to intentionally improve our capability and competence”.

We need to know for sure that the work we are doing is having the impact we intend it to – and to make certain that we can adjust aspects of the programmes, where needed, to stay on the cutting edge of community impact.

Patolo is passionate about measuring the impact Great Potentials programmes

“We collect data from all the relevant sources for each programme, designing and implementing research and evaluation plans. After the data is collected, we analyse and translate it into understandable terms, then shares the findings in a relevant and meaningful way with staff, Board of Trustees, stakeholders and prospective stakeholders through published evaluation reports.”

“Over the last year, our research and evaluation programme has continued to prove its worth, helping us improve both our capabilities and our competence, producing consistently high quality and robust research and evaluation which continues to inform the way we deliver our programmes.”

A key initiative for supporting the effective monitoring of the programmes has been the upgrading of our Information Technology systems to a primarily cloud-based system that features the implementation of OneDrive and SharePoint. The advantage of the cloud is it offers added stability with our data management processes and systems with significant benefits to timeliness and the quality of our data. Working on the cloud was also critical in being able to keep working through lockdown when programmes were being delivered and supported remotely.

A significant amount of work has gone into reviewing the Foundation’s current data management processes. This has included ensuring our programmes’ forms and surveys comply with the Privacy Act 1993. An example of this is the work done on the retention of HIPPY forms and surveys stored at the Office and the HIPPY sites. In the next year, MATES and our Family Service Centres will undertake the same process.

Through Patolo’s research and evaluation work, our leadership team and our stakeholders can have confidence in how we are delivering our services for some of the most vulnerable communities in New Zealand.

Facts and Figures