NSW Department of Health

73 Miller Street North Sydney NSW 2060

Tel: (02) 9391 9000

Fax: (02) 9391 9101

TTY: (02) 9391 9900

www.health.nsw.gov.au

This work is copyright. It may be

reproduced in whole or on part for

study training purposes subject to

inclusion of an acknowledgement of

the source. It may not be reproduced

for commercial usage or sale.

Reproduction for purposes other

than those indicated above, requires

written permission from the

NSW Department of Health.

© 2008 NSW Department of Health

ISBN 978-1-74187-322-1

SHPN 08 02 50

Funding to develop this toolkit was provided to NSW Health by the Alcohol Education and Rehabilitation Foundation (AERF).

This toolkit was developed by Kerri Allwood of Allwood & Associates together with NSW CDATs and Community Drug Strategies, Mental Health Drug & Alcohol Office, NSW Health.

Graphic Design and production provided by GraphikExposure.

The advice, feedback, and insights gained through consultation with the above mentioned and the CDATs have been invaluable in the development of this toolkit.

Acknowledgements

This toolkit is intended for use by Community Drug

Action Teams (CDATs) across NSW, aiming to

tackle local alcohol misuse.

Alcohol Education and Rehabilitation Foundation

(AERF) provided funding to NSW Health to assist

CDATs to develop strategies to reduce alcohol

related harms and encourage change in alcohol

misuse behaviours in their local communities.

The toolkit can be used by both new and

established CDATs.

This NSW Health CDAT resource is designed to

be used as a companion to the following

CDAT publications:

Building Successful Community Drug Action

Teams: A Practical Guide 2008

Making a Difference – Celebrating Eight Years

of Community Drug Action in NSW

Copies of these publications can be found at:

www.communitybuilders.nsw.gov.au/drugs_action/

or by calling (02) 9424 5946

Mental Health Drug & Alcohol Office, NSW Health.

About this toolkit

Contents

6 Minister’s foreword

CDATs TACkle loCAl AlCohol issues

8 ABOUT CDATs What are CDATs

Who are CDAT members?

What are CDAT objectives?

9 What actions do CDATs take?

CDAT resources

10 Why CDATs TACkle lOCAl AlCOhOl issUes

Alcohol misuse causes more harm than illicit drugs

11 Sobering statistics

12 CDATs promote harm minimisation

CDATs can be a vehicle for tackling alcohol misuse in the community

13 Community mobilisation

14 Use This TOOlkiT TO TACkle lOCAl AlCOhOl issUes

A ‘game plan’ to guide the decision making process

CDATs

implemenTing A loCAl AlCohol sTrATegy: The ACTion reseArCh CyCle

16 Achieving real change – The Action Research Cycle

17 How the ongoing Action Research Cycles look

The Action Research Cycle supports community development initiatives

18 Be aware of the facts before you proceed

The role of Community Engagement & Action Project Officers

19 Are you up-to-date with NSW Liquor Laws?

Community Impact Statement (CIS)

20 DrinkCheck: A useful tool for CDATs

The issue is iDenTifieD: enTering The ACTion reseArCh CyCle

22 An issue emerges

23 The ‘hot issue’ guides you

24 Alarming media reports

sTep 1 refleCT on The issue

26 Define the problem

27 Gather your evidence

28 Use Rapid Appraisal Methods (RAMs) to enable quick action

29 Stakeholder consultations

Barriers to information gathering

30 Get organised!

31 Analyse the problem

32 Using data collection to create change: The NSW Alcohol Linking Program

The CyCle

The issue

refleCT

sTep 2 DeVelop your ACTion plAn

34 The ‘Community Action Circle’ approach to planning

35 Engage key stakeholders

36 Map the key stakeholders

Take a strategic approach

37 Stakeholder focus

38 Make it easy to participate

39 Tips for building key partnerships

Police and Local Council

40 Liquor Accords

42 Good Sports

43 ‘drug info @ your library’

44 Examples of key partnerships

46 Develop your action plan

Apply project management ‘thinking’ to planning action

47 What alcohol related issue are you going to target or prioritise?

48 Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion

49 Decide on your project aims & objectives

50 A range of goals

51 Examples of alcohol strategies implemented by CDATs locally

52 Prepare your CDAT action plan

53 Plan for any unintended impact

54 Build risk management into your plan

Accessing additional resources

55 Build monitoring & evaluation into your plan

56 What might your evaluation plan include?

plAn sTeps 3 & 4 TAke ACTion / oBserVe The impACT

58 Take action

Observe the impact

59 CDAT project example: Safe Party Squad

CyCle 2 refleCT on ouTComes

62 Reflect on outcomes

63 Decide on your next priority for action

64 Ongoing action research cycles

loCATing resourCes To supporT your sTrATegy

66 Alcohol information, resources, & research

Youth resources

Key partnerships

67 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander resources

Locating support & treatment

CDAT resources

CDAT publications

Useful templates & forms

Resources for running meetings

68 The Action Research Cycle – Decision Making Template

69 Project Plan Template

70 References

ACT & oBserVe

ouTComes

resourCes

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Minister’s foreword

I am very pleased to introduce the toolkit Tackle It! The local game plan on alcohol misuse. Tackle it! is a comprehensive guide for Community Drug Action Teams that will assist them in identifying and developing responses to alcohol-related problems in their communities.

Alcohol plays an important part in the lifestyle of many Australians, however, its misuse is all too often linked with personal and social problems.

Many of us have encountered some aspects of the problems of alcohol abuse - from threats of violence and assaults to family breakdowns.

Our hospital emergency departments are bearing the brunt of the problem of binge drinking and we are seeing an increase in alcohol-related health problems.

Community Drug Action Teams are well placed to identify and respond to alcohol misuse in their communities. There are 80 Community Drug Action Teams across NSW, with more than 1000 people involved from an array of different organisations and social and cultural backgrounds.

Tackle It! is a practical, step-by-step toolkit that will be used to identify alcohol problems within local communities, develop and implement responses and evaluate the results.

The toolkit has been developed as part of the Community Alcohol Education Project which is one of a suite of projects arising from the partnership between the Alcohol Education Rehabilitation Foundation (Ltd) and the NSW Government.

The project includes training for Community Drug Action Team members, web-based materials and enhancing the Teams’ partnerships with key agencies that specialise in alcohol harm reduction.

Tackle It is an important contribution to helping communities better manage alcohol use.

John Della Bosca Minister for Health

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CDATs TACKLE LOCAL ALCOHOL ISSUES

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What are CDats?

The Community Drug Strategies (CDS) program is an initiative of the 1999 NSW Government Drug Summit. Community Drug Action Teams (CDATs) are the primary community engagement strategy used by the CDS program. This program was incorporated into the NSW Health Mental Health and Drugs and Alcohol Office (MHDAO) in 2007. CDS now comprises of two separate, but inter-related programs – Community Engagement and Action (CEA) and Community Drug Information and Education (CDIE).

In 2003 the NSW Government Alcohol Summit proposed that CDATs extend the focus of their activities to also include alcohol misuse. CDATs are one of the main vehicles for increasing the capacity of communities to deal with alcohol misuse.

For many CDATs, tackling alcohol misuse is now the main focus of their work in the community.

There are almost 80 CDATs throughout NSW.

Who are CDat members?

CDATs are voluntary groups of people who represent a broad spectrum of the community, and work together to take action aimed at reducing the harm caused by the misuse of alcohol and other drugs within their communities.

CDAT members have a wide range of expertise, skills and knowledge and can include representatives from a variety of sectors, for example:

Community (eg parents, young people)

Non-government agencies (eg youth services)

Police

Health and community services

Education and schools

Local government

Charity or non-profit organisations

Businesses

Libraries

Club and pub licensees

About CDATs

What are CDat objeCtives? CDAT members work together to identify alcohol and other drug issues impacting on their community, and take action which is aimed at meeting the following objectives:

To increase community capacity

To create links and mobilise resources

To increase stakeholder and community awareness

To enhance stakeholder and community participation

To facilitate better coordinated and collaborative action

(Ref: NSW Drug Summit 1999

Government Plan of Action)

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By listening to the community, and engaging and working with key stakeholders as partners, CDATs develop and implement a variety of diverse and innovative strategies to address their particular community local alcohol issues.

Examples include: activities that provide skills for healthier living, improving community knowledge on drug and alcohol issues and building social networks and social support.

CDAT RESOURCES

This ToolkiT siTs alongside oTher CdaT resourCes, (for example):

Making A Difference – Celebrating Eight Years of Community Drug Action Teams in NSW

Building Successful Community Drug Action Teams – A Practical Guide

Getting the best from your CDAT work: Evaluating Plans, Projects and Team Processes

Working with the Media

Asset Based Community Development

CDAT publications and examples of CDAT projects are available at:

www.communitybuilders.nsw.gov.au/drugs_action/

or by contacting Community Drug Strategies,

NSW Health on (02) 9424 5946

There is a CommuniTy engagemenT & aCTion ProjeCT offiCer based in eaCh of The following area healTh serviCes:

Sydney South West

Sydney West

South Eastern Sydney / Illawarra

Northern Sydney Central Coast

• HunterNewEngland

North Coast

Greater Western

Greater Southern

The Project Officer is a key resource and support for CDATs and

can be contacted at:

www.communitybuilders.nsw.gov.au/drugs_action/map_index.html

or, by calling Community Drug Strategies on (02) 9424 5946

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WhAT ACTiOn DO CDATs TAkE?

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AlCOhOl miSUSE CAUSES mORE hARm ThAn illiCiT DRUgS

Alcoholis2ndonlytotobaccoasthegreatestdrug-relatedcauseofdeathanddiseaseinAustralia.(AustInstituteofHealth&Welfare)

AlthoughwidelyusedandenjoyedinAustraliansociety,riskydrinkingisamajorcontributortoarangeofsocialissuessuchas:

Domesticviolence

Familybreakdown

Child abuse

Financialproblems

Unemployment

Homelessness

Accidents

Hospitalisations&healthissues

Assaults&crime

Sexual assault

Anti-socialbehaviour

ThE STATiSTiCS ARE STAggERing

In NSW, statistics show that alcohol causes shortandlongtermharmtoindividuals andcommunities.

ThecosttoAustraliansofpreventing,managingandtreatingalcoholrelatedproblemsintheareasofhealth,anti-socialbehaviour,andcrimeis in the billions.

go to: www.alcoholinfo.nsw.gov.au for up-to-date alcohol

related statistics.

Why CDATs TACklE lOCAl AlCOhOl iSSUES

the annual cost to the economy in lost productivity, health care, accidents and crime. Australian Institute of Health & Welfare

percentage of Australians who say Australia has a binge drinking culture. SMH 6/7/08

81%

$10.8b

7

In Australia, we have a culture of drinking alcohol to socialise, celebrate, relax and have a good time.

While alcohol can play a positive role in Australian social life, irresponsible drinking has become a concern for communities who are affected by the harm caused personally and socially by alcohol misuse.

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•80%ofAustraliansover14yearsdrinkalcohol(AustInstituteofHealth&Welfare)

•1in3homelessindividualsarealcoholdependent(www.acys.info)

•Almost75%ofNSWprisonersconvictedofanassaultoffencereportthatalcoholwasrelatedtotheiroffending(www.alcoholinfo.nsw.gov.au)

•NSWPolicespend$50millionayearrespondingtoalcohol-relatedcrime(www.lawlink.nsw.gov.au)

•AlcoholrelatedinjuryordiseasekillsoneIndigenousAustralianevery38hours–theaverageageofdeathis35yearsofage(NationalDrugandResearchInstitute)

•Alcohol-fuelledassaultshavealmostdoubledduringthepastdecade(BureauofCrimeStatisticsandResearch)

•47%ofallperpetratorsofassaultand43%ofallvictimsofassaultwereintoxicatedpriortotheevent(www.alcoholinfo.nsw.gov.au)

•Neighbourhoodswithlargeclustersoflicensedpremiseshavehighercrimerates,experiencingalmosttwiceasmanyalcohol-relatedproblemsasareaswithlowerconcentrationsoflicensedpremises(NSWBureauofCrimeStatisticsandResearch)

•Eachyear,around3,000peopledieand65,000peoplearehospitalisedasaresultofalcoholabuse(www.alcohol.gov.au)

•Highbloodalcohollevelsareafactorinonethirdofallroadaccidentdeaths(CommonwealthofAustralia)

•Thenumberofyoungwomenhospitalisedafterbingedrinkinghasdoubledinlessthanadecade(AustralianandNewZealandJournalOfPublic

Health2008)

•ExcessivealcoholisinvolvedinathirdofallroaddeathsinAustralia,in50%ofcasesofdomesticphysicalandsexualviolence,in40-70%ofviolentcrimes,and70-80%ofnight-timeassaults(BureauofCrimeStatisticsandResearch)

Sobering statistics

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CDATs pROmOTE hARm minimiSATiOn

CDATsoperatewithintheNationalDrugStrategicFrameworkwhichworkswithinaharmminimisationframework.

Harmminimisationissometimesmisunderstood.

harm minimisaTion is noT abouT : Zero tolerance

Being‘against’abstinence

Going‘soft’onproblematicalcoholuse

Harmminimisationrecognisesthatalcoholisalegalsubstanceandpeoplewillcontinuetohaveaccess to, and use, alcohol.

For CDATs TACkling AlCohol relATeD issues, The Aim is ThereFore To: Identifyharmtoindividualsandthecommunityresultingfromalcoholmisuse

Takeactiontoreducetheharmfuleffectsofalcoholmisuse

Improvehealth,socialandeconomicoutcomesforbothindividualsandcommunity

Reduceharmthrougharangeofstrategiessuchas:

- supplyreductionstrategies

- demandreductionstrategies

- preventionstrategies,responsestoassist saferuse

CDATs CAn bE A vEhiClE fOR TACkling AlCOhOl miSUSE in ThE COmmUniTy Many CDATs already play a central role in tackling alcohol misuse by encouraging a healthy drinking culture and minimising the damage caused by irresponsible drinking within their local community.

As a community-based group, your CDAT is in a good position to identify the alcohol issues which need to be targeted. You are also well placed to take the action required to reduce alcohol related problems and to make your community safer.

Many CDATs have found that generic health promotion messages on irresponsible drinking do not always create change at a local level because they are not targeted and, therefore, are not seen as relevant to the local community.

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7

A well planned

and effectively

implemented

community

mobilisation strategy

can minimise the

effects of harmful

alcohol use.

COmmUniTy mObiliSATiOn

ManyCDATsengagethecommunitytoparticipateinhealthpromotionactivitieswhicharemeaningfulto people locally.

CDATsbringpeopletogethertodeterminewhichalcoholrelatedissuesareimpactingonthecommunity,decideonthegoalstotarget,andworkonactionstoachievethesegoals.

YourCDATisequippedtodeterminehowtobestapplylocalknowledge,skillsandresourcestoachievethesegoalsandtotakeactiontotargetalcoholproblemsinthecommunity.

a CommuniTy mobilisaTion aPProaCh reCognises ThaT: Communitiesplayaroleinbothproducingandrespondingtoalcoholandotherdrugproblems

Targetingindividualproblemusersdoesnotchangeenvironmentalinfluences

Communitiesmustbeinvolvedindecisionmakingandimplementationiflastingchangeisto occur

Localcommunitystrategiesinvolvingstakeholdersarerequiredtochangenormsrelatingtoalcoholandotherdrugrelatedharm

(Source: Midford, 2003)

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USE ThiS TOOlkiT TO TACklE lOCAl AlCOhOl iSSUES

RegardlessofwhetheryouareanewlyformedorwellestablishedCDAT,thistoolkitaimstodevelopyourcapacitytoeffectivelyaddressalcoholmisuseatalocallevel.

ItisrecognisedthatCDATmembershipwillchangeovertimeasnewissuesemerge,interestinissueswillchange,andCDATfocuswillshifttorespondtoemergingissuesinyourcommunity.

Therefore,thistoolkithasbeendesignedtobeusedbyCDATsasanongoingresourcefortakingactiononlocalalcoholproblems.

A ‘gAmE plAn’ TO gUiDE ThE DECiSiOn mAking pROCESS

Usethistoolkitasa‘step-by-step decision makingguide’toassistyouindeciding ‘if, when, and how’ to take action on a local alcohol issue withinyourcommunity.

Thetoolkitprovidesyouwitha‘mental road map’ tosteertheprocessofthinkingthroughthelocalalcoholissuesanddevelopingyourlocalalcoholstrategytoachievetheoutcomesyouseek inyourcommunity.

EACh STEp iS impORTAnT in DEvElOping AnD implEmEnTing lOCAl AlCOhOl STRATEgiES

The toolkit uses the Action Research Cycle to guidetheprocess.ThisapproachisusedbymanyCDATswhenrespondingtospecificalcoholrelatedissuesintheircommunities.

TheActionResearchCycleisevidencebasedandcanbeappliedquicklyandeffectively.Thisapproachwillassistyoutodevelopuniqueandpracticalstrategiesforyourlocalcontext.

As your CDAT has an understandingofyourcommunity,youareinapositiontoidentifytheneedsorproblemsrelatedtolocalalcoholmisuse,andtodecideonthemostappropriate actions to targettheissues.

Thistoolkitguidesyouthrougha‘process’asitisrecognisedthatthereisno‘onesizefitsall’localalcoholstrategy.Astrategywhichissuccessfulinonecommunitymaynotbeappropriateforanother.

yOUR COmmUniTy iS UniqUE – yOUR STRATEgy Will bE UniqUE!

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IMPLEMENTING A LOCAL ALCOHOL STRATEGY: THE ACTION RESEARCH CYCLE

the way in:identify the issue

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5759

21

many CDats have founD the aCtion researCh CyCle to be useful

Action ReseARch:

Is a ‘collaborative’ process

Involves working in ‘partnership’ with members of the community

Encourages the ‘participation’ of key stakeholders as partners

Is ‘qualitative’ – i.e. is more interested in people’s concerns, perceptions, and process, rather than just statistics

Is ‘reflective’ – encourages critical reflection on actions and outcomes

Is ‘responsive’ – to both the situation and the people

Is ‘emergent’ – takes place over time

Is realistic – you can develop your hypotheses ‘on the run’

aChieving real Change - the ‘aCtion researCh CyCle’

As a CDAT, you may already be familiar with the Action Research Cycle. The Action Research Cycle is an evidence based approach to implementing social change within communities.(Ref: Bob Dick, Southern Cross

University 2000)

Regardless of what the presenting issues are, or the nature of the action taken to address the issues, the process involves the following ongoing cycles:

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By undertaking ongoing action research cycles, CDATs can ensure that projects and activities aimed at addressing local alcohol problems:

Are customised and relevant to the local community

Bring together key stakeholders to work as partners

Engage the support of key community leaders

Reflect cultural values

Include resources developed locally

Have built-in flexibility

Build on early successes to strengthen projects

(Ref: Maggie Brady, The Grog

Book, 2005, p. 94)

The AcTion ReseARch cycle suppoRTs communiTy developmenT iniTiATives

The Action

Research Cycle

Identify the local alcohol issue concerning the community.

Reflect on the issue; gather and analyse the evidence to define the problem.

Develop an action plan to tackle the problem which involves key stakeholders.

Put the plan into action and observe the outcomes.

Reflect on outcomes, decide if future action is required, and set new priorities for action (if any).

If ongoing action is required, develop another action plan aimed at targeting the new priorities.

Put the plan into action and observe the outcomes.

Reflect on the outcomes. If future action is required, go back through the cycles until the team is satisfied with the outcomes.

The way in

Cycle One

Cycle Two

Cycle Three

The Issue

1 Reflect

2 Plan

3 Act &4 Observe

1 Reflect on Outcomes

2 Revise Plan

3 Act &4 Observe

1 Reflect on Outcomes

how The ongoing AcTion ReseARch cycles look

CYCLE STAGE ACTIVITY

(Source: K. Seymour-Rolls & I. Hughes, Participatory Action Research, 2008, www.fhs.usyd.edu.au)

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The Role oF communiTy engAgemenT & AcTion (ceA) pRojecT oFFiceRs:

Your local CEA Project Officer can provide guidance at each step of the decision making process when addressing local alcohol misuse issues, for example:

Ensuring your project plan is realistic and achievable

Any likely barriers to implementing your plan

Ways to overcome obstacles

Strategies for ensuring the right people are consulted

Getting projects funded

Learning from previous CDAT alcohol related projects

Adherence to any NSW Health requirements

The Project Officers can be

contacted on: (02) 9424 5946

www.communitybuilders.nsw.gov.

au/drugs_action/

MHDAO (NSW Health) has a wide range of health promotion material available to you to ensure you have up-to-date information and resources on risky drinking.

For up to date information and facts on alcohol go to NSW Health web site: www.health.nsw.gov.au/public-health/dpb/publications.htm

STAYUP TODATE

TIP: Be informed before you act

ARE YOU INFORMED ON THE DRUG ALCOHOL?

Be AwARe oF The FAcTs BeFoRe you pRoceed

Although your CDAT members will probably be knowledgeable about the harms of alcohol, it may be worth thinking about whether you are fully informed of the facts before you develop your action plan aimed at tackling alcohol related problems in your community.

Depending on the issue you are targeting, you might want to brush up on the following information before you begin to implement your local alcohol strategy:

What are the current liquor licensing laws?

What are the different types of alcohol available?

What are the effects of drinking on different body types and sizes?

What are the effects of alcohol when mixed with other drugs?

What is a standard drink?

What is low risk, high risk and binge drinking?

What is the legal blood alcohol level for driving?

What are the alcohol limits during pregnancy?

What is the impact of alcohol on health?

What are the signs of health trouble due to alcohol?

What is the difference between alcohol addiction and problematic drinking?

What are the signs of tolerance or dependence?

What are the symptoms of alcohol withdrawal?

Why does alcohol change some people?

How do different environments affect how people drink (eg physical, cultural, social)?

What treatments are available for people with problematic drinking or dependency?

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ARe you up-To-dATe wiTh nsw liquoR lAws?

In 2008, new NSW Liquor Laws were initiated by the Office of Liquor, Gaming and Racing.

LIQUOR LAW REFORM: ‘MORE REsPOnsIbILITy, LEss REd TAPE’

New NSW liquor laws aim to meet the following objectives:

Increased access to licensing decisions for local councils and residents

Greater protection for local communities from alcohol related crime

A new complaints system allowing communities to take quick action against licensed venues causing disturbances

More consultation with the community before hours are extended

Expanded powers to impose conditions on licensees to reduce anti-social behaviour

To promote and enforce responsible service and consumption of alcohol and minimise alcohol-related harm

For more information go to:

www.olgr.nsw.gov.au

The new nsW liquor laws include a new COMMUnITy IMPACT sTATEMEnT process to ensure community involvement in liquor licence applications and compliance decisions:

communiTy impAcT sTATemenT (cis)

A Community Impact Statement (CIS) process has been introduced to ensure that the community is involved in liquor licence applications. The process is focused to ensure local stakeholders are properly consulted without unnecessary red tape and costs.

The CIS aims to gauge potential impacts of new licensed venues on local communities, or licensed venues seeking extended trading hours and certain changes to licensed areas.

The CIS is prepared before liquor licence applications are made, summarising the results of consultations by applicants with local councils, police, health, community group representatives, community organisations and the public.

communiTy inpuT inTo licensing decisions

By allowing communities to have input into licensing decisions, the NSW Liquor Laws enable them to take action against licensed venues that have adverse impact on local neighbourhoods.

disTuRBAnce complAinTs

Residents, police and local councils can make a complaint to the Director of Liquor and Gaming about undue disturbance to the quiet and good order of the neighbourhood associated with a licensed venue and/or patrons.

www.olgr.nsw.gov.au

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20

CDATs can download this questionnaire and use it in projects aimed at increasing patron’s awareness of their drinking habits, and identifying whether they are at risk of alcohol-related harm.

DrinkCheck is based on the World Health Organisation’s AUDIT (Alcohol Use Disorders Inventory Test), which is recognised as one of the most effective questionnaires for identifying hazardous or harmful behaviour.

Go to: Alcohol Advisory Council of nZ

www.alac.org.nz/IsyourdrinkingOK.aspx

DrinkCheck: is your drinking ok?

A useFul Tool FoR cdATs

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THE ISSUE IS IDENTIFIED: ENTERING THE ACTION RESEARCH CYCLE

The issue is identified an issue emerges

Something happens in the community which brings an alcohol issue to light and gets people talking.

An issue cAn emeRge in A RAnge of wAys (for example):

A new issue or problem comes to light

An issue that has been troubling the community for some time

A new direction from the government (eg new laws which lead to new funding opportunities)

This is the starting point which triggers your interest and becomes a hot issue for your CDAT.

These issues are referred to by Maggie Brady (The Grog Book, 2005, p.62) as spark topics– that is, the issues that come up once you start talking to people.

A ‘spark topic’ can be any issue that upsets people, and has had a negative impact on them, or people close to them.

An issue which might spARk youR cDAt’s inteRest coulD be (for example):

a fatal car accident

an assault

a media report

new statistics on an entrenched problem

a visible situation impacting on people

anti-social behaviour in hotspots

anecdotal reports

a community leader or champion speaking out

police or other community group expressing concerns

a long term problem people are ‘sick of’

Any of these examples might trigger your CDAT’s interest and create a priority for mobilising community action to reduce the harm caused by the alcohol issue.

entering the ‘aCtion researCh CyCle’

As CDATs, you have your ‘ear to the ground’; listening to the concerns of people; observing problems; tuning into ‘hot issues’ related to alcohol misuse which people are saying are problems in the community.

strike While the iron’s hot

As a CDAT, you have the potential to convince people of the need for action, to overcome resistance, and to mobilise people to take action, if you act at the time of the ‘hot issue’.

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The ‘hoT issue’ guides you

Hot issues guide you, help you to establish the scope of the problem, and assist you to determine where to focus your efforts to achieve the most impact on local alcohol problems.

The hot issue can also reveal how the community contributes to the problem, and can also signal that ‘something needs to be done’ to address a local alcohol problem.

Whether an alcohol related trigger issue is taken up by your CDAT depends on how relevant the issue is to the interests of the group, and whether your CDAT thinks they have the capacity to have an impact on the issue.

KEY QUESTIONS TO ADDRESS:

What are people saying about this issue?

How big does this issue seem to be?

What is the impact on the community?

Why are people concerned about this issue?

Does it appear to be an issue our CDAT could respond to?

Do we want to find out more about this issue?

Your CDAT may wish to discuss these questions in one of its regular meetings.

HORRIFIC CAR CRASH CREATES ACTION:

KYOGLE YOUTH VENTURE – MENTORING PROGRAM

After a horrific car crash, which killed three young people who were on a paddock-bashing joyride following a binge drinking party, the community of Kyogle were moved to act. The Kyogle CDAT organised a community forum and persuaded Geraldine Dougue to facilitate the meeting.

The issue which emerged was that young local males did not have positive role models, and lacked positive risk-taking adventures with older role models to guide them.

So, a mentoring program for boys was set up where teenagers go on a camp to receive training on how to mentor younger boys. Each group then goes on to mentor younger boys and acts as a ‘buddy’ to them for 3-4 years. The younger ones then graduate to become mentors themselves.

The ongoing program provides monthly adventures for ‘at risk’ kids and aims to intervene early in a positive way. (Kyogle CDAT)

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•Everynewbottleshopopenedinaruralareawillleadto32assaults,andeachnewpubinthecitywillspark17domesticviolencecases(SMH15/2/08)

•Atleastone-thirdof18-24yearoldAustraliansconsiderthemselvestobebingedrinkers(VIBE2008)

•Childrenasyoungas12areseekinghelpforalcoholabuse(SMH25/2/08)

•Onein100Australiannewbornscouldbesufferingirreversiblebraindamagecausedbyalcoholexposureinthewomb(TheAge3/12/07)

•Almosttwo-thirdsofhomicidevictimshavealcoholordrugsintheirbodieswhentheyarekilled,and60%ofthosewhodieinafightareintoxicated(SMH24/9/07)

•Thenumberofyoungpeoplehospitalisedafterbingedrinkinghasdoubledinlessthanadecade(SMH10/6/08)

•Thismonth,alcoholwillbeinvolvedinupto90%ofassaults,60%ofrobberieswithoutaweapon,and32%ofsexualassaults(IllawarraMercury7/1/08)

Alarming media reports

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STEP 1REFLECT ON THE ISSUE

Reflect on the issue

Once your CDAT decides to pursue the alcohol related issue further, the next step is reflection. This involves a more in-depth exploration of the issue by:

gathering evidence

identifying and consulting with local key stakeholders

defining the core issues or problems

Define the pRoblem

Although your CDAT might have a good understanding of the issue, you still need to do your research and consult with key stakeholders to fully analyse and define the problem.

Also, by building a solid evidence base, you will be able to develop a persuasive case to convince partners and funders to come on board to take action.

Collecting data on the issue will help to not only inform you, but your CDAT can also inform the community about the problem and facts related to the alcohol issue.

The evidence can be used to increase community awareness of what is going on locally, and assist to mobilise the community to action.

key questions to aDDRess aRe:

What are the facts?

Is there evidence that this is a real problem for our community?

What is the scope of the problem?

Who is affected by the problem?

What is the impact on those affected?

What are the causes or contributing factors?

What is already being done about this issue?

Who is the ‘target group’?

Who are the key stakeholders?

Step 1

ISSUE25

REFLECT

Stakeholder

participation can

strengthen your

CDAT’s capacity to

mobilise community

action and create

real change.

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GATHER YOUR EVIDENCE

Collecting data on the alcohol related issue is important because it:

Identifies the extent of the problem

Allows the community to see itself more clearly

Assists in determining what action to take

Raises awareness and understanding of the hot issue

Enables everyone to understand the scope of the problem

Persuades partners of the need for action

Assists in gaining support from key stakeholders

Identifies priorities to create change

Can be used to lobby for change

Sets a baseline against which to measure change

Enables CDATs to analyse any gaps which might need to be addressed

An important part of this process is finding out what other groups or agencies are doing to tackle the issue you are investigating.

WORk WITH fACTs NOT mYTHs!

‘Media coverage of illicit drugs is disproportionate compared with the many more alcohol related deaths. Every weekend a number of young people across the country die from alcohol related causes, but these statistics hardly rate a mention in the newspapers.

Although road accidents receive the most attention, young people die from alcohol poisoning, or from accidents or violence related to excessive drinking.’

Paul Dillon, National

Communications Manager;

National Cannabis Prevention

and Information Centre (NCPIC);

CDAT Conference in Yass, 2007; as

reported in Drug Action NSW Health

Newsletter Winter 2007)

UsE ‘RApID AppRAIsAl mETHODs’ (RAms) TO ENAblE qUICk ACTION!

Many CDATs, non government organisations (NGOs) and community groups use Rapid Appraisal Methods (RAMs) to collect data to determine local health and social needs.

RAMs allow CDATs to act quickly on a local alcohol issue which is putting the community at risk of harm.

RAMs use a range of sources to gather data, develop hypotheses, draw conclusions, and determine action to address a high risk or problem situation when time is limited.

See World Health Organisation tools:

www.who.int/management/district/monitoring_evaluation/

en/index1.html

CDATs HAVE FOUND RAMs TO BE:

Quick and low cost

Flexible

Community oriented

Do not require ‘professionals’

Information gathered can be used to immediately engage stakeholders and increase the urgency of an issue

BEWARE OF THESE PITFAllS WHICH CAN lIMIT CDATs’ USE OF RAMs DATA:

CDAT’s potential bias

Limitations of the data gathered quickly by a CDAT

Limited CDAT project coordination skills

Lack of CDAT interviewing or group facilitation skills

Lack of CDAT research and analysis skills

Lack of CDAT consultation skills

HOW mUCH TImE Is REqUIRED fOR RAms

The amount of time spent collecting data is entirely up to you; it will depend on the project you are planning, and the time and resources available to your CDAT members.

The aim of RAMs is to quickly gather and analyse data so that timely action can be taken to tackle alcohol issues.

The RAMs ‘evidence’ you gather for your local alcohol project can come from a range of sources, for example:

Needs analysis surveys

Small focus groups

Community forums (eg town meetings)

Individual interviews and mini-surveys

Direct observation

Stakeholder consultations

Collecting personal stories

Public records and statistics

Case studies

Studies and research

Documentary sources

Asking agencies to collect data on a specific issue which was previously unreported / under reported

Agency information:

- community health data

- health service data

- police data

- shelter & refuge data

- road & traffic authority data

- alcohol sales

RAms EVIDENCE

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sTAkEHOlDER CONsUlTATIONs

While good consultation skills are required at all stages of implementing your CDAT local alcohol project, in the ‘initial reflection’ stage, consultation skills will assist you to:

Explore the alcohol related problem with stakeholders

Understand issues from a stakeholder’s perspective

Generate strategies which are relevant to your community

Gain access to information from a wide range of sources

Prioritise your action and address the most important issues first

bARRIERs TO INfORmATION GATHERING

To gather data and information from individuals, groups and agencies to support your local alcohol project, you may need to consider the following potential barriers:

Limited time and skills available to collect data

Agency staff reluctance to release or share data

Target group reluctance to be interviewed or surveyed

Ethical or legal issues for the agency or individuals releasing information

Making agreements on confidentiality and how the data will be used

Lack of trust regarding your agenda

The agency holding data may lack research skills, so you may need research skills to gather data yourself

You may not have research skills so will need to form partnerships (eg with students or stakeholder groups)

TIP If you are asking agencies to record and collect data for your alcohol related issue, assist them by setting up a data collection sheet, making it simple for them to quickly record the number of incidents.

WHO GATHERs THE RAms EVIDENCE?

This can be a simple process. Depending on the issue you are gathering evidence on, your CDAT can undertake the ‘research’ in a variety of ways, for example:

CDATs can gain access to existing agency records

CDATs can ask agencies to record and collect data on a specific issue

CDATs can collect data (eg through consultation processes or surveys)

CDATs can utilise the skills of an ‘expert’ or student interested in assisting

Use the skills of your CEA Project Officer to source, analyse or interpret data

To access data which is meaningful, in a short period of time, you need good consultation skills.

This does not have to take long. Pull everything you have learnt so far into a dot point brief to guide the planning discussion with stakeholders. This will accelerate the action planning process.

You might want to summarise the following points on the alcohol misuse issue you are interested in tackling:

Background to the issue you are targeting

Your findings on the key contributing factors

The target group

Any other associated problems to consider

The key stakeholders and partnerships

The outcomes you seek

Possible actions to address the issue

How other CDATs undertook similar projects

Possible funding streams and resources

You are now ready to use your evidence as part of the process of engaging other stakeholders.

TIP: Prior to engaging stakeholders and beginning the planning process - get organised!

UsING sTAkEHOlDER CONsUlTATION TO GATHER EVIDENCE

DRINK SPIKING PROJECT

The local CDAT heard anecdotal reports from the community about problems with drink spiking in Dubbo. The CDAT speculated that drink spiking might have been going undetected as police and hospital records showed that no incidents were recorded.

The CDAT decided to engage key stakeholders to assess if drink spiking was a problem, and a factor in other incidents such as sexual assaults.

To find out more, the CDAT developed two posters; one aimed at perpetrators and one at victims. These were displayed in all local licensed premises. The CDAT also developed flyers for teachers, police, hospital staff, and bar staff which were aimed at encouraging them to record any incidents of drink spiking. A recording mechanism was set up to make this easy for them.

Follow-up of the data collected revealed that by raising awareness of the issue, more incidents of drink spiking were reported, which supported the anecdotal evidence. (Dubbo CDAT)

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31

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PROBLEM CONTRIBUTING ACTIONS FACTORS (examples only)

(Ref: FACE 2004)

ANAlYsE THE pROblEm

Analyse your evidence to identify the core issues to be addressed in your local alcohol strategy.

There are numerous ways to pull your evidence together and analyse the issues. However, it is important to keep presentations of your findings to stakeholders simple.

For example:

Present data as a simple diagram

Summarise your findings in an easy to read table

Develop a chart showing an overview of your analysis of findings

Party registration with police

Parent education on law

Fines Community

awareness raising

Responsible service of alcohol training

Compliance checks

Fines and license revocation

Training of servers

Photo ID to purchase alcohol

Limit cup sizes Limit hours of

service

Easy access to alcohol

Parents

Older friends

Outlets / bars

Community events / festivals

ExAmplE: TAblE ANAlYsING fINDINGs

ISSUE: UNDERAGE AlCOHOl USE

THE NSW ALCOHOL LINKING PROGRAM

Through the linking program, NSW police are able to monitor and feedback to licensees the number of assaults occurring on their premises.

Police ask four questions relating to the consumption of alcohol of offenders, victims or drivers of a vehicle:

1 Did the person consume alcohol prior to the incident?

2 If so, what is the level of intoxication?

3 Where was the alcohol consumed?

4 Who purchased the alcohol and where?

The data is used to inform and educate licensees of their responsibilities, the consequences of intoxication on their premises and to enhance routine police enforcement strategies.

Through this process, the police have identified the following high risk factors for alcohol related assaults:

• latenightandweekendsespeciallybetween midnight and 3 am

•extendedtradinghoursof licensee premises

Findings indicate that this program has resulted in a reduction in the number of alcohol-related incidents that are reported to, and flagged by, the NSW Police, and that occurred on licensed premises.

Source:

www1.hnehealth.nsw.gov.au/hneph/Alcohol/

AlcohollinkingProgram.htm

Using data collection to create change:

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57

25

21

61

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STEP 2DEVELOP YOUR ACTION PLAN

plan

Once evidence has been gathered and you have decided that the alcohol issue should be pursued further, the next step is to develop an action plan.

the ‘Community aCtion CirCle’ approaCh to planning

CDATs often use the ‘Community Action Circles’* to achieve change in local communities. That is, they bring key stakeholders to the table as partners, and facilitate a process to generate a plan for collective action to address an alcohol problem in the community.

* (Also called Learning Circles – see www.communitybuilders.nsw.gov.au/

building_stronger/inclusive/lcirc.html)

Stakeholder participation can strengthen your CDAT’s capacity to mobilise community action and create real change.

By bringing together key local people, the action plan you develop will be seen as ‘coming from the people’. You need to keep local people involved who understand the issues at a ‘grassroots’ level to ensure the plan is realistic, appropriate, achievable, and one which the community will support.

This approach can avoid common mistakes by ensuring that all planned action on alcohol problems communicates a message which:

Is relevant to local people

Is the right message for your community

Is clear enough for people to understand

‘Belongs’ to the community

Makes people ‘sit up and listen’

Makes people think ‘this message is for me’

Makes people want to do what the message suggests

(Ref: Maggie Brady, The Grog Book, 2005)

Step 233

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PAGE

ENGAGE KEY STAKEHOLDERS

Key stakeholders can be any person or organisation likely to be impacted by, or able to assist in, your local alcohol project.

When you are ready to develop a plan to tackle the local alcohol issue, consider these questions:

Who are the key stakeholders or interest groups?

How can we engage key stakeholders to work as partners on this issue?

What opportunities are there?

What are the likely barriers which might need to be addressed?

What additional resources or skills do we need?

In what areas will we need to use the skills of the CDAT Project Officer?

WiTHOuT THE SuppORT Of KEY STAKEHOLDERS, iT iS DifficuLT TO cREATE REAL cHANGE

When working on an alcohol issue, developing ‘partnerships’ with people in the community is more likely to result in successful outcomes.

The team of stakeholders you pull together will vary according to the nature of the issue and the local conditions.

Many CDATs have found the following benefits of stakeholder ‘participation’:

Taps into the various skills, knowledge, expertise and resources in your community

Increases target group ownership

Increases ‘buy-in’ of those with power to create real change locally

Wins broader community support for the project

Raises awareness of CDAT’s role in the community

Ensures the alcohol project is relevant to the community

pARTNERSHipS mObiLiSE cOmmuNiTY AcTiON

BOURKE ALCOHOL FORUM

The Bourke Alcohol Working Group, a sub-committee of the Bourke CDAT, is a coalition of government agencies and community representatives seeking to develop a long-term solution to address the town’s alcohol related issues.

A community forum was organised and attended by 80 community representatives to discuss concerns about alcohol related abuse and violence in the town. The aim was to ‘untangle facts from myth’, and to develop a 5 year ALCOHOL MANAGEMENT PLAN for the Bourke community.

Forum participants agreed that a Project Officer be engaged to finalise and oversee the implementation of the proposed plan. This process will involve ongoing consultation with the community aimed at tackling chronic alcohol related problems such as violence, injury and crime in the local community. (Bourke CDAT)

STAKEHOLDER pARTNERSHip

MESSAGE IN A BOTTLE

The Hornsby CDAT heard about an older person in the community who had mixed alcohol and prescription drugs and had a severe reaction. The CDAT undertook a consultation process with the target group on the issue (eg Seniors Advisory Committee); researched national data, looked at the local hospital statistics and found evidence that this was an issue for the senior citizen community.

The CDAT secured funds to employ a production company to make a DVD. They actively sought participation of the target group in all aspects of developing the DVD. The CDAT pulled together a team consisting of a local hospital professor, the local Council’s Senior Advisory Committee, and other target group representatives to identify the contributing factors, develop the script, and make the DVD. Volunteers from the target group were engaged as extras on the DVD.

The end product is now used by both professionals (to raise awareness) and people at risk. (Hornsby CDAT)

mAp THE KEY STAKEHOLDERS

Some of the key stakeholders to engage when developing your local alcohol strategy are:

The target group

Local champions on the issue

Community members (who are not on the CDAT; eg: young people)

Community leaders and role models

Liquor Accords (licensees of pubs and clubs)

Police

Government and non-government agencies

Local councils

The library - drug info @ your library

Community organisations

Good Sports

TAKE A STRATEGic AppROAcH

Take a strategic approach to building partnerships with key stakeholders. Effective relationship building skills are important for managing differing personalities and positions.

TIP: Think about WHO to approach and HOW to approach them

When considering engaging partners to tackle a local alcohol problem, think about the following:

What is their attitude or position on the issue?

How much influence or power do they have?

How much support can they offer?

What are their priorities?

What are areas of potential conflict and how can we manage these?

What actions will be criticised or undermined by a key stakeholder?

How can we work in partnership to achieve our common goals?

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STAKEHOLDER fOcuS

Each stakeholder will have a specific focus when tackling alcohol misuse within the community, for example:

CDATs focus on harm minimisation

Service providers focus on clinical intervention

Liquor Accords focus on staying within the law in licensed premises

Police focus on crime prevention and detection

Youth services focus on youth and early intervention

• Individualcommunitymembersfocusontheissuewhich has directly impacted on them personally

Consider the focus of each stakeholder when engaging them on alcohol projects, to ensure that they are involved in ways which are relevant and appropriate to them.

It is important to keep in mind that people you want to engage are often busy, and your CDAT will be asking them to give their time and energy to work on the issue.

Key stakeholders will ask ‘Why should I be involved in the alcohol strategy?’ So you need to:

Convince them there is something of value in it for them

Take the time to get ‘buy in’

Find and articulate a good reason for their involvement

QuESTiONS TO cONSiDER

Some of the questions to consider when approaching stakeholders may include:

How much of a priority is the issue for them?

What is their agenda?

How busy are they?

Can they attend meetings?

What is their education / literacy / meeting skills level?

What is their position on the issue – (eg zero tolerance or harm minimisation?)

What is their commitment?

How informed are they?

What’s in it for them?

YOuR cEA pROjEcT OfficER cAN pLAY A KEY ROLE iN buiLDiNG pARTNERSHipS

Your Project Officer has the skills and the credibility as a NSW Health representative to make contact and build key relationships with stakeholders in cases where strongly held views or positions may be a barrier.

Your Project Officer can also assist you to understand the potential tensions in trying to bring together community members, agencies or business representatives. This potential tension needs to be managed appropriately.

mAKE iT EASY TO pARTicipATE

Make it easy for stakeholders to participate in your alcohol project:

Invest time in building key stakeholder relationships

Be honest about your ideas for the alcohol project

Be upfront with how much of their time will be needed

Let partners come and go depending on the relevance of the issue to them

Brief people fully in a manner and language they understand

Ensure two way communication processes

Ensure transparent decision making processes

Work with them to find a common ground

Liten to any differences and aim for a win/win outcome

Value any level of participation - it may grow

Make meeting processes appropriate to them (eg informal meetings for young people)

Keep meetings short, focussed, and with clear objectives – don’t waste people’s time

Set aside resources to support participation (eg tea / food / transport)

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In any differences,

listen to understand,

express the need for

their support, and

aim for a win/win

outcome

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TipS fOR buiLDiNG KEY pARTNERSHipS

The CDAT companion toolkit Building Successful Community Drug Action Teams – A Practical Guide (page 50-54) includes tips for building partnerships with key stakeholders, in particular:

Encouraging participation across your community

Working with local businesses

Working with and involving young people

Working with culturally and linguistically diverse communities

Working with people with differing views or positions

Working with Indigenous Communities: - It is recommended CDATs refer to The Grog Book by Maggie Brady, 2005

buiLDiNG pARTNERSHipS WiTH KEY STAKEHOLDERS

Building partnerships with the following key stakeholders is particularly relevant for CDATs tackling local alcohol related issues:

1. Police and Local Councils

2. Liquor Accords

3. Good Sports

4. drug info @ your library

The 2008 NSW liquor law reform which includes a ‘Community Impact Assessment’ (refer to page 19) provides CDATs with opportunities to work with Police, Councils and Liquor Accords on local alcohol related issues.

TipS fOR buiLDiNG pARTNERSHipS WiTH pOLicE AND LOcAL cOuNciL

Most CDATs have active police and local council representatives as members

Their involvement on an issue will depend on whether the project has relevance for them

Both are interested in issues relating to public safety, crime prevention, reduction of anti-social behaviour and community disturbance

Ensure you approach the most appropriate person and the alcohol project has relevance to their role

The new liquor laws and Community Impact Assessments (refer to page 19) provide CDATs with even greater potential to work with the Police and Council members on local alcohol related issues

(See example partnerships on

page 44)

1

WHY DO cDATs WANT TO buiLD pARTNERSHipS WiTH LAs?

CDATs tackling alcohol problems related to specific premises will need to develop partnerships with the licensees in order to develop strategies to manage the issue.

With the introduction of the new liquor licensing laws in 2008, licensees are now required to undertake more community consultation to address the community impact of licensed premises on the local community. CDATs can play an important role in this process. (Refer to page 19)

LiQuOR AccORDS

What are LIquor accordS?

Liquor Accords (LAs) are voluntary groups of licensees, overseen by the Office of Liquor, Gaming and Racing (OLGR), who engage in local initiatives to introduce practical solutions to liquor-related problems.

LAs allow licensees to work together and with partners, such as government and community representatives, on ways to improve the operation of liquor outlets and licensed premises. Core members of a LA can include police, councils and CDATs.

to find your local Liquor accord go to:

www.olgr.nsw.gov.au/liquor_liqaccrds_

home.asp

What IS theIr purpoSe?

Whereas CDATs are focused on harm reduction and broader health and social impact on communities, LAs are concerned with issues which emerge in relation to the business of running pubs and clubs.

They are therefore, interested in increasing the safety of pubs and clubs ensuring compliance with the law on issues such as underage drinking and reducing crime around the premises.

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TipS fOR buiLDiNG pARTNERSHipS WiTH LiQuOR AccORDS

Take a professional approach

Introduce yourself to your local LA - be proactive in establishing a relationship

Ask to attend meetings to build an awareness of what LAs are doing – explore opportunities and express interest

Keep up-to-date on LA activities through the OLGR magazine or the LAs e-Accords weekly email newsletter

Increase LAs awareness of CDATs activities by having projects profiled in these publications

Give LAs a ‘reason’ to be involved

Get involved in joint ventures with LAs that have a positive impact on their businesses (eg: supplying buses for patrons from licensed premises)

LAs are time-pressured business people - think about what demands you are asking of them and the relevance to them

Get involved in LA workshops – offer to give a presentations to inform LAs of what CDATs do

Identify problems you can work on together

Aim to build positive bonds – take an issue to LAs that you can tackle as partners

Respect the different perspectives LAs and CDATs are working from – i.e. a business versus harm minimisation focus

Ensure you send a CDAT representative to LA meetings who is an effective communicator

Pilot a project with LAs – trial it, review, evaluate, identify any areas of resistance

pOTENTiAL bARRiERS TO OvERcOmE:

Faulty perceptions from both sides

Coming together as opponents – eg: an angry community member attacking a licensee in a small community

Not seeking to understand the perspectives of LA members or managing potential conflict of interests effectively

Beware of wasting time in meetings

Personality clashes between individual LA and CDAT representatives

Issues regarding ownership of projects may arise and need to be managed

(See example partnerships on

page 44)

2

GOOD SpORTS

What IS Good SportS?

The Australian Drug Foundation’s Good Sports program helps sporting clubs create safer, healthier and more family friendly environments through the responsible management of alcohol, and reducing alcohol related problems such as binge drinking, underage drinking and drink driving.

Good Sports focuses on tackling the culture of community based sports clubs which contribute to alcohol problems by accepting and promoting excessive drinking, and providing inappropriate role models for young people.

Good Sports takes a long term, strategic approach by supporting clubs through an accreditation process which aims to create sustainable, systemic change to the policies and procedures of clubs.

Good Sports’ primary focus is the implementation of its accreditation levels, although additional drug, alcohol and mental health intervention in Good Sports clubs is possible as an extension when driven by local communities.

This program’s model is based on evidence based health promotion rationale and consists of criteria which clubs work through to achieve accreditation where they comply with liquor laws, develop new strategies in relation to the role alcohol plays at the club, and the development of policy.

TipS fOR buiLDiNG pARTNERSHipS WiTH GOOD SpORTS

Seek to understand the Good Sports program

Invite Good Sports to CDAT meetings to stay informed of each other’s activities

Ask to attend Good Sports local meetings

Consult regarding alcohol issues relating to sporting clubs premises

Provide feedback to Good Sports on wider community issues stemming from clubs

Invite Good Sports to community events

For NSW contacts go to

www.goodsports.com.au

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TipS fOR buiLDiNG pARTNERSHipS WiTH ’DRuG iNfO @ YOuR LibRARY’

Seek to understand the role of libraries as an important way of connecting the community with relevant information on alcohol

See libraries as places where people can access alcohol information and resources confidentially, without interacting with anyone

Recognise that librarians are trained to provide information - this is not advice giving

Become familiar with ‘drug info @ your library’ resources as they are relevant, and you can actively refer to, and use, the collection

Build a relationship with your local library – eg holding CDAT meetings in the library

Make it a priority to promote and include ‘drug info @ your library’ in projects – eg hand out promotional material / mention ’drug Info @ your library’ in the CDAT newsletter

Keep up-to-date on what’s in the ‘drug info @ your library’ collection - the collection is updated twice a year and the website is continually updated

NSW State Library seeks CDATs’ advice in order to keep the collection dynamic and up to date – CDATs can provide feedback to ensure the collection is addressing their needs

Arrange a regular ongoing program of contact with libraries (eg quarterly forums)

For more information telephone: (02) 9273 1684

or go to www.druginfo.sl.nsw.gov.au

drug info @ your library

What is ‘drug info @ your library’?

The NSW State Library and NSW Health have established a joint venture called ‘drug info @ your library’. This program involves a collection of books and resources on alcohol and drugs which can be displayed at local libraries and used by CDATs as resources.

The information and resources are accessible by the general public, and provide anonymous access to free information and resources on drugs and alcohol.

‘drug info @ your library’ has also developed a range of promotional resources (eg pens, sun block, competitions, interactive web quiz, post cards, lip balm, USB wristband) which can be utilised by CDATs at community events and are available through the NSW State Library on (02)9273 1684.

4

Examples of key partnerships

pARTNERSHipS WiTH LOcAL pOLicE, cOuNciL, LiQuOR AccORDS AND cDATs

SuppLY MeaNS SuppLY

‘Supply Means Supply’ is a Northern Sydney Central Coast Health Promotion initiative which has evolved into a partnership with local licensing police, liquor accords, councils and CDATs.

Secondary Supply is the illegal sale or supply of alcohol to people under the age of 18 years (minors).

Alcohol kills more young people and is responsible for a greater amount of harm, than all other drugs combined. Secondary supply is the main way that minors obtain their alcohol.

Most alcohol consumed by minors is done in a home setting, rather than in public places; and the majority of heavy drinking by 15 – 17 year olds happens in a home setting in the presence of adults.

The model applied to the work to reduce secondary supply of alcohol to under 18s is known as the E+E+P model:

educatIoN + eNForceMeNt + pubLIcItY

This refers to: community education, targeted policing, and high profile publicity (often of police prosecutions).

The program has included police targeting illegal supply of alcohol to minors; high profile media publicity; television and cinema advertising; sporting club websites and newsletters; information dissemination at bottle shop and local high schools. (eg Hornsby, Pittwater, Moss Vale CDATs)

Source:

www.healthpromotion.com.au/SecondarySupplyIndex.htm

In 2007, a Sydney man was jailed for 9 months after pleading guilty to 42 charges of supplying alcohol to minors with aggravation, some as young as 14 years of age. (NSW OLGR)

pARTNERSHipS WiTH YOuNG pEOpLE

brINK

Hornsby CDAT was concerned about recent statistics showing a dramatic rise in binge drinking among young women aged 14 to 17 years. To develop an educational resource to better inform young girls at risk the CDAT consulted and worked in partnership with young people.

The result was a DVD – Brink – which was developed for young people by young people. The team comprised of 13 teenage girls who worked together interviewing the target group, identifying the main message to be conveyed, and developing the script and interactive quiz. (Hornsby CDAT)

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pARTNERSHipS WiTH LiQuOR AccORDS

thINK the drINK

Many CDATs have worked in partnership with local Liquor Accords and Council to provide subsidised Responsible Service of Alcohol (RSA) accreditation courses for 17 and 18 year old high school students.

This program has been aimed at improving young people’s awareness of risky drinking, liquor laws, and patrons responsibilities in and around licensed venues through the provision of accredited RSA training for young people in the community.

NIGht rIder buS

This project has been a joint venture with licensees who were tired of trouble outside their premises. The aim is to reduce alcohol and drug related harm and crime, and to improve safety and security. The CDAT has provided funds for a bus, staff and security; and patrons pay to use the bus and be dropped off wherever they want to go. Local statistics have shown large reductions in alcohol-related street offences as a result of the transport service. (Albury/Wodonga CDAT)

WaLGet’S ‘No More…It’S our LaW’ poSter

The Office of Liquor Gaming and Racing in conjunction with the Walgett CDAT held a poster competition to promote responsible drinking practices among Aboriginal communities in Walgett. The competition generated several thought provoking posters that challenged the community to think seriously about responsible drinking practices. The competition encouraged local Aboriginal artists to develop posters using culturally appropriate imagery and language. (Walgett CDAT)

coFFS harbour race daY

Coffs Harbour CDAT provided a free (voluntary) mobile breathalyser service at Coffs Harbour race day to encourage people to test their alcohol level.

People who were over the legal limit were encouraged to keep coming back until their alcohol level was down sufficiently to drive, or to take transport which was offered.

This strategy, aimed at reducing drink driving, was set up in partnership with Liquor Accords and the police. The result was a reduction in drink driving charges.

This service not only educated those who were tested (most thought they were below the legal limit) but also allowed the CDAT to develop a partnership with the local Liquor Accord. The service has now expanded to Lismore and Kempsey events such as races, footy games and festivals. (Coffs Harbour CDAT)

Case examples:

DEvELOp YOuR AcTiON pLAN

Now you have the key players on board, you are ready to work through options for action, decide on the best strategy to address the alcohol related issue and document the strategy as a project plan.

By the end of this step you will be able to answer YES to these questions:

Have we clarified our aims and objectives?

Have we mapped out all options for action?

Have we agreed on our strategy?

Do we have a written project plan?

Does the project plan identify ‘who, what, where, why, how’?

Is our strategy realistic and achievable?

Are we planning to monitor and evaluate the impact of our strategy?

Do we have a risk management plan in place?

AppLY pROjEcT mANAGEmENT ‘THiNKiNG’ TO pLANNiNG AcTiON

This approach ensures that you:

Take a planned approach and achieve quality results

Use your time, resources and energy in the most effective and efficient ways possible

Monitor and measure outcomes to ensure you achieve the results you seek

during the planning stage, work through these steps to develop your local cdat alcohol project plan :

1. Aims and objectives

2. Resources

3. Tasks, steps and timeline

4. Roles and responsibilities

5.Risk management

6. Monitoring and evaluation

mANAGE YOuR pLANNiNG mEETiNGS EffEcTivELY

Managing meetings can be challenging, in particular, managing stakeholder agendas, setting priorities and making decisions on appropriate action to address local alcohol misuse.

Therefore, during the planning stage it is crucial that you apply guidelines to manage meetings so that any conflict of opinion or emotion of key stakeholders is dealt with effectively.

Guidelines are outlined in Building

Successful Community Drug Action

Teams – A Practical Guide (p 146).

For information on CDAT project planning, management and leadership, refer to Building Successful Community Drug Action Teams – A Practical Guide.

Useful templates and forms are available in Word format on the accompanying CD, or can be downloaded for use by CDATs from: www.communitybuilders.nsw.gov.au/drugs_action/templates.html

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WHAT ALcOHOL RELATED iSSuE ARE YOu GOiNG TO TARGET OR pRiORiTiSE?

heaLth & SocIaL ISSueS?

Increasing community awareness of the harms caused by risky drinking

Promotion of the responsible drinking message

Health risks caused by alcohol misuse

The overlap of alcohol and drug misuse

Impact in the home due to alcohol misuse

Gaps in service provision

Unemployment linked to alcohol misuse

Social isolation and poor community connections

Link between sporting activities and drinking

Control over drinking in public places

Creating safe places

Strong local culture of excessive drinking

Cultural differences around alcohol

Foetal alcohol disorder prevention

coMMuNItY SaFetY, crIMe aNd aNtISocIaL behavIour?

Link between crime and alcohol-fuelled disorder

Intoxicated patrons in the night-time economy

Control over supply and licensee responsibility

Drink driving

Drink spiking

Glassing

Offending behaviour patterns due to alcohol

Domestic violence linked to alcohol misuse

Homelessness linked to alcohol

Sexual violence and harassment linked to alcohol use

Hospitalisations, accidents and injuries due to alcohol misuse

33

cHiLDREN & YOuNG pEOpLE?

Underage sales or secondary supply

Underage drinking in public places

At risk groups of young people

Young people binge drinking

Lack of positive role models for young people

Youth boredom as a catalyst for harmful behaviour

Parents whose drinking is causing risk to children

(Source: London Drug and Alcohol Network & Alcohol Concerns, 2004)

WORLD HEALTH ORGANISATION GUIDELINES

Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion, 1986

‘Health promotion is the process of enabling people to increase control over, and to improve, their health.’

Health Promotion Action Means

1. Building healthy public policy (eg changing liquor laws)

2. Creating supportive environments (eg safer supply of alcohol, safe places)

3. Strengthening community action (eg supporting local action through Community Impact Statements)

4. Developing personal skills (eg information, life skills, and awareness raising on alcohol)

5. Reorienting the health services (eg training professionals on alcohol issues and interventions)

www.euro.who.int/aboutwho/policy/20010827_2

Most of your CDAT

activities will fit,

in some form or

another, into one

of the levels of the

Ottawa Charter.

Health Promotion

49

PAGEaIM: What is the specific issue we are targeting?

evIdeNce / ratIoNaLe: Why should we do something about it?

objectIve: What are we trying to do?

tarGet Group: Who is the target group?

Refer to page 68 for the complete

‘Action Research Cycle Decision Making Template’

DECIDE ON yOUR ALCOHOL PROjECT AIMS AND OBjECTIvES

DEciDE ON YOuR pROjEcT AimS AND ObjEcTivES

Before you decide on your actions, it is important to clarify your project aims and objectives: ‘What is the overall impact or outcome you are seeking to achieve?’

Your overarchING cdat StrateGIc aIM:

EXAMPLE: To minimise harm and antisocial behaviour associated with alcohol misuse in your local community, while ensuring that people are able to enjoy alcohol safely and responsibly.

What IS Your cdat project aIM?

What community issue do you intend to address? This is a short statement that describes the general focus and intent of your project.

EXAMPLE: To implement a series of workshops for young people on improving their knowledge on harms caused by alcohol misuse

What are Your cdat project GoaLS?

Goals are broad statements of the long range purpose of the project. Unlike objectives, goals are not measurable, but rather, state a future event you are working towards. Goals are the expectation and include what will change as a result of the program, and who will be affected.

EXAMPLE: To reduce the level of anti-social behaviour of young people in the park where they gather to party over the weekend period.

33

WHAT ARE YOuR cDAT pROjEcT ObjEcTivES?

Objectives are the moving parts of the expectation. Objectives get things done by breaking down the goals into actions which are SMART:

S pecific

M easurable

A ction oriented

R ealistic

T ime limited

33

A RANGE Of GOALS

There are a range of goals that CDATs can have when addressing alcohol issues in the community - for example:

Raise community awareness

Provide information / educate

Develop resources

Develop personal / life skills

Health promotion

Strengthen community

Change community behaviour

Challenge public policy

Reorient service delivery

Diversionary activities

Create supportive / safer environments

Other?

TIP: Once you have agreed on your aims and objectives, write them down and stick to them!

51

PAGE

Outreach project

Interactive touch screen kiosk

Parent support, training and information sessions

Information cards, flyers or brochures, stalls in busy areas

Community forums and workshops

Art workshops and competitions

Battle of the Bands

Sporting activities, sponsoring a team

Community gym

Organising regular activities after school such as art, music, sport

Entering the Play Now Act Now competition

Educational retreats

Mentoring programs

Homework club after school

Alcohol free family fun days, sports days

Good Sports Program Activities

Community garden

Trivia nights for young people or parents with alcohol information

Save-A-Mate first aid training for young people

Educational DVDs

Theatre performances for young people by young people

Radio announcements, TV commercials

SMART Recovery Program

Designated driver program

Driving car simulator with vision impaired ‘beer goggles’

Simulated games

Breathalysing tents at music festivals, race days, community events

Free soft drinks for drivers

Safe Party Squad

Informative drink coasters at venues

Research into reasons behind behaviour and recommending strategies to address these

For more information refer to Building Successful Community

Drug Action Teams – A Practical Guide.

pARTNERSHip WiTH AuSTRALiAN RED cROSS

Save a Mate

Many CDATs across NSW have worked with the Australian Red Cross to deliver the ‘Save A Mate’ first aid training program. The program is aimed at teaching young people first aid skills to help support others who may be experiencing difficulties related to their alcohol or drug consumption.

The program has been extremely well received by participants. It is recognised that in many isolated communities, help isn’t always at hand. The program is also flexible enough to be delivered to people with low levels of numeracy and literacy.

ExAmpLES Of ALcOHOL STRATEGiES

impLEmENTED bY cDATs iN THEiR LOcAL

cOmmuNiTiES

deLIverY optIoNS What options do we have for action?

reSourceS What is our budget or resources?

StepS What are we going to do?

tIMeFraMe When should we do it?

roLeS / reSpoNSIbILItY Who will do what?

StaKehoLderS/ oppoNeNtS Who has an interest in this project?

LocatIoN Where will we do it?

advertISING / MedIa How will we get the message out?

MoNItor How will we monitor how well we are doing?

rISK MaNaGeMeNt What issues or risks may come up?

evaLuatIoN pLaN How will we know if anyone is better off?

project pLaN Have we written down our tasks and steps? Refer to page 69 for the complete ‘Action Research Cycle Decision

Making Template’

PREPARING yOUR ALCOHOL PROjECT ACTION PLAN

pREpARE YOuR cDAT AcTiON pLAN

Your CDAT action plan will vary depending on the issue and the local context.

There is no ‘one size fits all’ approach to addressing alcohol issues in the community.

DEciDE ON YOuR cDAT AcTiONS TO AcHiEvE THE ALcOHOL pROjEcT’S AimS & ObjEcTivES

This is a process of elimination:

Brainstorm the range of options available

Map out the pros and cons of each option

Narrow down the list of options by asking:

- Is this ‘doable’ - given the timeframe and resources available?

- Will it achieve our objectives?

- Will it be appropriate for the target group?

Agree on the best action to address your priority issue

Break down the action into specific tasks and timeline

Decide the best way to communicate the plan to get buy-in and ownership

Agree on roles and responsibilities for the tasks

Identify any resource gaps to be addressed

Discuss possible risks and how these will be addressed

Decide on how you will monitor and evaluate your actions

Write up all of the above into a project plan

For more information refer to

Building Successful Community

Drug Action Teams – A

Practical Guide.

53

PAGE

33

Example – unintended impact:

• Somepublichousingtenantshavediscovered that they can make their homes ‘ALCOHOL FREE ZONES’. This is a legal strategy which tenants can apply for to protect themselves from the harmful alcohol fuelled behaviours of family or community members.

However, making homes alcohol free zones can push alcohol problems into the public domain.

• Alternatively,controloversupplyof alcohol or restrictions on public drinking can push alcohol problems into homes.

iS YOuR LOcAL ALcOHOL STRATEGY LiNKED TO ANY Of THE fOLLOWiNG pLANS?

Crime prevention plans

Safety plans

Local Council Social Plans

NSW Health drug and alcohol prevention plan

Area health clinical services plans

Other specific drug and alcohol plans

Area health promotion plans

pLAN fOR ANY uNiNTENDED impAcT

An important part of risk management is to consider any possible unintended impact your local alcohol strategy might have on the community.

Brainstorm possible unintended impacts, for example:

Community conflict arising

Discrimination against certain groups

Backlash and resistance from groups you are attempting to ‘help’

The problem goes underground

The problem shifts to another place

buiLD RiSK mANAGEmENT iNTO YOuR pLAN

For more information on the following, contact your CDAT Project Officer on (02) 9424 5946.

WorKING WIth chILdreN?

Get a copy of Working with Children Check before you begin, and comply with it fully (go to www.kids.nsw.gov.au)

Get permission slips for children to participate in any activities

WorKING WIth voLuNteerS or the pubLIc?

Work within NSW Health and CDAT insurance and WorkCover requirements

Consider the needs of participants and how will you address these

Ask permission to use any photos or participant information

deveLopING reSourceS WIth NSW heaLth FuNdING or uNder the baNNer oF other aGeNcIeS ?

Your Project Officer can assist in checking your resources before distribution, and will advise if any formal NSW Health or other agency approval process is required.

Do not advertise any agency without their approval.

doeS Your ‘actIoN pLaN’ INvoLve reSearch?

Discuss your research plan with your Project Officer to ensure you adhere to the ethical standards required by NSW Health.

For an overview of research ethics go to: www.nhmrc.gov.au/health_ethics/ research/index.htm

For more information refer to Building Successful Community

Drug Action Teams – A Practical Guide.

AccESSiNG ADDiTiONAL RESOuRcES

CDATs are skilled at finding support, funds and in-kind donations from a wide range of sources to support their alcohol strategies.

An alcohol strategy may rely on one or more sources of funding.

For assistance with specific funding such as NSW Health’s Community Engagement and Action ‘Special Grants’, contact CDS.

Do you need to access NSW Health campaign promotional material and resources (eg fact sheets, leaflets, posters, DVDs)?

Contact the Community Drug Information & Education Team at NSW Health (02 9424 5946) to assist you with these questions:

Which resources would be appropriate for your local alcohol strategies?

How should the resource be used?

Who is the intended target group?

How can the resources best be implemented in your strategy?

55

PAGE

buiLD mONiTORiNG AND EvALuATiON iNTO YOuR pLAN

Evaluation should begin in the planning stages of your alcohol project and continue throughout the project.

WhY evaLuate?

Evaluation generates important information about the impact of your alcohol project on the target group and measures the effectiveness of your CDAT actions.

This information is also useful to meet any funding reporting requirements (eg to NSW Health).

What doeS evaLuatIoN INvoLve?

Deciding what you will evaluate

Deciding how you will monitor and evaluate activities

Deciding when you will monitor and evaluate

Developing data collection tools – eg surveys

Collecting and analysing data

Interpreting, sharing, reporting and responding to results

1

2

TYpES Of EvALuATiON PROCESS EvALUATION Subjective data collected on the process of activities undertaken

cdat exaMpLeS:

Focus groups

In-depth interviewing (conversational not structured)

Open ended questionnaires

Participant observation / perceptions

Self report (narrative)

Document analysis

Case studies

Descriptive observations

IMPACT EvALUATION Objective data collected measuring the impact or effectiveness of activities

cdat exaMpLeS:

Existing statistics or data

Pre & post test questionnaires

Scaled ratings

Numbers of participants

Number of resident’s complaints

Reduced alcohol sales

Changes in knowledge scores

Reduced crime rates

Reduced drink driving charges

Improvement to health and accident statistics

WHAT miGHT YOuR EvALuATiON pLAN iNcLuDE?

At its simplest, evaluation of an alcohol related project is about finding out:

Whether the objectives of the project were achieved

How well they were achieved

Adequacy of the timing, funding and other resources

Cost effectiveness of the project

If the activity was considered useful and why

The impact on participants (eg future decisions)

Ways things could have been done better, and what might be done next

Participation level

If the target group was adequately represented

If participation was representative of diverse groups

Whether people with special needs considered that their needs were adequately met

Evaluation of individual activities (eg how useful was information / session)

The wider impact of the project (eg on crime rates; social disturbance)

Any unintended impact of your project (eg backlash, community conflict)

For more information refer to Building Successful Community

Drug Action Teams – A Practical Guide.

33

Most CDATs want to know if their alcohol project made a difference to people’s lives, changed behaviours or improved knowledge and skills.

Asking participants to complete a few simple questions in a pre and post activity questionnaire is an easy way to find out if what you set out to do had an impact!

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STEPS 3 & 4 TAKE ACTION / OBSERVE THE IMPACT

Steps 3 & 4

Take acTion

The next step is to take action to implement your plan. Do what you have decided to do. Take the steps required to make your local alcohol strategy plan a reality.

Then observe the action taken and collect data to evaluate the impact of your activities.

observe The impacT

Monitor and evaluate the impact of your actions by:

Collecting data to measure the effectiveness of your action

Assessing the impact of your actions on the target group

Monitoring the efficient use of budget and resources

Recording outcomes at each stage of the project

Amending strategy if required

Checking progress against the action plan aims and objectives

Addressing any external factors which have impacted on the plan

Addressing any unintended impacts of your actions

Managing risks

57ACT

During the action

stage you are not

only implementing,

but also monitoring

and reviewing your

local alcohol strategy.

58

PAGE

59

PAGE

SAFE PARTY SQUAD (CoFFS HARboUR CDAT)

AIM

The Safe Party Squad project is aimed at addressing the issue of spontaneous parties happening on Coffs Harbour beaches, attracting teenagers and causing malicious damage and anti-social behaviour.

GoAL

The Safe Party Squad’s goal is to reduce the levels of binge drinking and the incidences of malicious damage and anti-social behaviour of young people gathering to party on Coffs Harbour Beaches over the weekend period.

obJECTIVES

1. The Safe Party Squad’s objective is to organise a group of adult volunteers to attend party sites to ensure the safety and well being of young party goers, by providing assistance, water, food, and referrals to services as required.

2. This project utilises a youth focused, systematic approach, targeting young people, and the broader social and physical environments, helping to promote protective factors in young people through the delivery of ‘Save a Mate’ type initiatives and other Peer Education strategies.

continued page 60 >

A local game

plan to tackle

problems caused

by alcohol misuse

59

59

SAFE PARTY SQUAD < continued from previous page

ACTIon AnD obSERVATIon

The Safe Party Squad (SPS) in Coffs Harbour developed a successful action plan to achieve their aims and objectives which involved these steps:

The SPS gained a good understanding of what the main issues were through consultation with the key stakeholders - the young party goers, the police, the community and youth services.

The SPS took the approach that the parties could not be stopped, and the young people should not be punished; but rather a ‘no value judgement’ harm minimisation approach was considered best.

The SPS met with the young party goers to get to know them, and to understand their position, needs and motivation. They thereby gained their trust and were able to develop a collaborative relationship.

A group of volunteers were then trained to work with the young people, ensuring their safety and well being and making referrals to services as required.

Police attend only when they are needed.

Through this process of collaboration, the SPS together with the young people have found ways to better manage some of the issues arising from the young people spontaneously congregating on the beaches of Coffs Harbour.

For example, the young people now advise the SPS about the party as they know that food and water will be provided and an adult will be present to assist if required.

Evaluation revealed that the presence of the SPS had reduced anti-social behaviour and harm to young people at the parties.

Following this positive feedback, funding has now been provided to The Ted Noffs Foundation for the program to be continued for three years.

(Coffs Harbour CDAT)

A community takes

action to minimise

the harm caused by

excessive drinking

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CYCLE 2REFLECT ON OUTCOMES

62

PAGE

Reflect on outcomes

Now you have completed your local alcohol project, bring the team together to discuss the impact of your actions.

Data collected through the evaluation process provides the material required to reflect on the effectiveness and outcomes of your actions.

consider these questions:

Did we achieve what we set out to achieve? If not why not?

Is anyone better off?

Did the activity meet the needs of the target group?

Did our actions have the intended impact?

What was the unintended impact?

What worked well / not so well?

What could we have improved?

What have we learnt?

Was this a good use of resources?

Was our CDAT the best group to undertake the project?

What other issues do we need to consider in future planning?

Do we want to take further action at this time?

this stage involves your cdat:

Learning from analysis of the evaluation findings to improve future alcohol related projects

Preparing any reports on outcomes required (eg accountability to funders)

Providing feedback to key stakeholders on outcomes of the alcohol strategy

Informing the wider community on success of the alcohol project

Deciding on future actions (if any) on the local alcohol problem

Cycle 2

61OUTCOME

Reflect on the outcomes of youR alcohol stRategy:

APProPrIATeNess Were we the appropriate group to do this project?

effeCTIveNess Did the project have the intended impact on the target group?

effICIeNCy Was this a good use of resources?

Refer to page 68 for the complete Action

Research Cycle Decision

Making Template

63

PAGE

6125

33

5759

DECIDE ON YOUR NEXT PRIORITY FOR ACTION

If your CDAT decides to take further action on the local alcohol issue, you will need to decide on your next priority for action.

To do this you recycle back through the stages of reflecting, planning, taking action and observing.

This process will be quicker than the first time around as you have already developed partnerships with some of the key people, you are informed on the relevant issues in the community, and you already have some of the evidence required.

However, it is important not to make assumptions wHen tackling tHe next priority for action on alcoHol.

There may be a number of issues to think about which might have come to light during the first cycle and will need to be addressed in the second cycle when tackling the local alcohol issue:

• Contributingfactorswhichyouwereunaware of during the first project

• Stakeholderswhoareimportantbutwere not engaged

• Evidencewhichhascometolightornotyetbeen sourced

• Variousissuesandproblemswhichwerenotpreviously investigated

Eachalcoholprojectwillvary,soitisimportanttogo back through the action research cycle steps to develop your next priority for tackling alcohol misuse in your community.

64

PAGE

issue isidentified

21ISSUE

33PLAN

57ACT

25REFLECT

59OBSERVE

33PLAN

57ACT

25REFLECT

59OBSERVE

Ongoing action research cycles

(Source: R. Hatten, D. Knapp, & R. Salonga, 1997, in Action Research Electronic Reader, www.fhs.usyd.edu.au)

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LOCATING RESOURCES TO SUPPORT YOUR ALCOHOL STRATEGY

page 65

66

PAGE

Alcohol and Drug Services, Australian Drug Information Network (ADIN)www.adin.com.au

Alcohol Info(Fact sheets)www.alcoholinfo.nsw.gov.au

Australian Bureau of Statistics (Alcohol consumption in Australia)www.abs.gov.au

Alcohol Education and Rehabilitation Foundation (AERF)www.aerf.com.au

Australian Drug Foundation www.druginfo.adf.org.au

Australian Government Department of Health and Ageingwww.alcohol.gov.au

Australian Institute of Health & Welfarewww.aihw.gov.au

Bureau of Crime Statistics & Research NSW(NSW alcohol and crime statistics)www.lawlink.nsw.gov.au/lawlink/bocsar/ll_bocsar.nsf/pages/bocsar_pub_atoc

Drug and Alcohol Multicultural Education Centre (DAMEC)www.damec.org.au

Drug and Alcohol Resources: NSW Healthwww.health.nsw.gov.au

drug info @ your librarywww.druginfo.sl.nsw.gov.au

DrinkCheck: Is Your Drinking ok?www.alac.org.nz/IsYourDrinkingOK.aspx

Drink Wisewww.drinkwise.susu.org

DrugInfo Clearinghousewww.druginfo.adf.org.au

Drug Policywww.druginfo.nsw.gov.au/home

Alcohol Linking Projectwww.hnehealth.nsw.gov.au/hneph/Alcohol/AlcoholLinkingProgram.htm

National Alcohol Strategywww.nationaldrugstrategy.gov.au

The National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre (NDARC)www.ndarc.med.unsw.edu.au ndarcweb.nsf/page/home

National Health and Medical Research Councilwww.nhmrc.gov.au/health_ethics research/index.htm

NSW Roads and Traffic Authority (Driving under the influence of alcohol & other drugs) www.rta.nsw.gov.au/roadsafety/ drinkdriving/index.html

NSW Office of Liquor, Gaming & Racing(Up-to-date information on liquor licensing laws)www.olgr.nsw.gov.au/liquor_ latest_news.asp

Play Now Act Now(Fact sheets on alcohol and other drugs)www.playnowactnow.net.au/reco.html

Save-a-Mate – Red Crosswww.redcross.org.au/SAM/

TAFE NSW Alcohol & Drug Unitwww.lg.tafensw.edu.au/2386 adunit/default.htm

Good Sportswww.goodsports.com.au

E-Accords Weekly (Liquor Accords weekly newsletter) www.olgr.nsw.gov.au

Liquor Accords www.olgr.nsw.gov.au/liquor_ liqaccrds_home.asp

NSW Health Alcohol campaigns:• Your Guide to Dealing With Alcohol• Be Part Of It Not Out Of It www.health.nsw.gov.au

State Library - drug info @ your librarywww.druginfo.sl.nsw.gov.a

ALCOHOL INFORMATION, RESOURCES & RESEARCH

YOUTH RESOURCES

KEY PARTNERSHIPS

Australian Clearinghouse for Youth Studies www.acys.info

Department of Community Services – For Young Peoplewww.community.nsw.gov.au/html/young_people/young_people.htm

drug info @ your librarywww.druginfo.sl.nsw.gov.au

The End of Year Celebration Kit(For Year 12 students which focuses on celebrating at the end of their school year safely) www.schools.nsw.edu.au/leavingschool/next

The NSW Commission for Children and Young People(For a copy of ‘Working With Children Check’)www.kids.nsw.gov.au

NSW Department of Education and Trainingwww.schools.nsw.edu.au/learning/yrk12focusareas/druged/index.php

Reachout www.reachout.com.au

Supply Means Supply: Secondary Supply of Alcohol www.healthpromotion.com.au/SecondarySupplyIndex.htm

What are you doing to yourself?A NSW Health interactive educational website and link to print resources aimed at raising awareness of young people and parents about the risks of binge drinking and providing some strategies for responsible drinking.www.whatRUdoing2URself.com

The Sourcewww.youth.gov.au

Somazone(Created by young people for young people - stories and support on alcohol and other drugs) www.somazone.com.au

Youth Action & Policy Associationwww.yapa.org.au

Youth NSWwww.youth.nsw.gov.au

Youth Safe (For a copy of ‘CEA Child Protection Policy’)www.youthsafe.org/safe_celebrate.html

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67

Department of Aboriginal Affairswww.daa.nsw.gov.au

The Grog Book; Maggie Brady; 2005 Available free from: www.alcohol.gov.au

Office for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health (OATSIH) www.health.gov.au/internet/main publishing.nsf/Content/health-oatsih-about

Vibe Health www.vibe.com.au

Alcohol and Drug Information Service (ADIS) - 24hr hotline Ph: (02) 9361 8000 Toll free number: 1800 422 599

Beyond Blue www.beyondblue.org.au

Control Your Drinking Online: A Web-Based Self-Change Program www.acar.net.au

Drug Policy – Treatment www.druginfo.nsw.gov.au/treatment

Family Drug Support www.fds.org.au

Kids Help Line www.kidshelp.com.au

Lifeline www.lifeline.org.au

SMART Recovery Australia www.smartrecoveryaustralia.com.au

Community Builders NSW – Community Drug Action www.communitybuilders.nsw.gov.au/drugs_action

Community Builders NSW – Funding Programs www.communitybuilders.nsw.gov.au/funding/programs/

Community www.community.gov.au

Grants LINK www.grantslink.gov.au/index.aspx

Indent (Funding for alcohol free music events) www.indent.net.au

Links to Learning Community Grants Program(Funding for community organisations to undertake innovative activities with young people who have, or at risk of, leaving school early.)www.det.nsw.edu.au/eas/youth/

Our Community www.ourcommunity.com.au

Copies of these can be ordered or downloaded from: www.communitybuilders.nsw.gov.au/drugs_action/

• Drug Action newsletter

• Making A Difference – Celebrating Eight Years of Community Drug Action Teams in NSW

• Building Successful Community Drug Action Teams – A Practical Guide

• Community Drug Information Initiative

• Drug Action Toolkit

• Getting the best from your CDAT work: Evaluating Plans, Projects and Team Processes

• Working with the Media

• Asset Based Community Development

Forum Communicators Inc. www.forumcommunicators. asn.au/about.html

Meeting Procedures – What to Expect and What is Expected www.cdaeg.com.au/courses/ comm_dev/cd_mtgproced.html

www.cdaeg.com.au/courses/ comm_dev/cd_pfvpt2.html

Meeting Wizard –Your Meeting Planner Centre www.meetingwizard.org/meetings

Managing meetings www.swtafe.vic.edu.au/admin-toolbox/ORG501-meetings/site-map.htm

Writing grant applications www.npguides.org

World Health Organisation tools www.who.int/management/district/monitoring_evaluation/en/index1.html

The following useful templates and forms are available in Word format on the Building Successful Community Drug Action Teams – A Practical Guide accompanying CD, and can also be downloaded for use by CDATs from:

www.communitybuilders.nsw.gov.au/drugs_action/templates.html

Building Successful Community Drug Action Teams (2008)

• Skills Audit (page 22)• Terms of Reference (page 24)• Drug Action Plan (page 26)• Letter inviting people to a CDAT

meeting (page 36)• Meeting agenda (page 38)• Meeting minutes (page 39)• Project planning template (page 60)

• Photography consent form (page 94)• Certificate of Appreciation (page 99)• Act Now logo

A Handbook for CDATs• Work breakdown schedule (page 142)• Project schedule (page 144)

ABORIGINAL AND TORRES STRAIT ISLANDER RESOURCES

LOCATING SUPPORT AND TREATMENT

CDAT RESOURCES

CDAT PUBLICATIONS

ELECTRONIC RESOURCES FOR RUNNING MEETINGS

USEFUL TEMPLATES & FORMS

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68

AN ISSUE IS IDENTIFIED - ENTERING THE CYCLE

What local alcohol issue is the community concerned about? Trigger issueShould this issue be investigated further? Priority

CyCle 1

STEP 1 REFLECT ON THE ISSUE

What are the ‘facts’? .........................................................................................EvidenceIs there enough evidence to take action on this issue?

STEP 2 PLAN

1 Build key partnerships ..................................................................PartnershipsHave we engaged key stakeholders in partnership? ................. Stakeholder support

2 Decide on project aims and objectives What is the specific issue we are targeting? .............................................................AimWhy should we do something about it? ......................................................... RationaleWhat are we trying to do? ............................................................................... ObjectiveWho is the target group? ...........................................................................Target group

3 Prepare the project action plan What options do we have for action? .................................................. Delivery optionsWhat is our budget or resources? .................................................................ResourcesWhat are we going to do? .....................................................................................Steps When should we do it? ..................................................................................TimeframeWho will do what? ........................................................................Roles / responsibilityWho are has an interest in this project? ..............................Stakeholders/ opponentsWhere will we do it? ...........................................................................................LocationHow will we get the message out? ................................................ Advertising / mediaHow will we monitor how well we are doing? ..................................................... MonitorWhat issues or risks may come up during the project? ................. Risk ManagementHow will we know if anyone is better off? ..............................................Evaluation plan Have we written down our tasks and steps? ..............................................Project plan

STEP 3 & 4 ACT & OBSERVE

Have we delivered, monitored, reviewed and recorded the impact of your actions? ............................................................... Monitor & review

CyCle 2

REFLECT ON OUTCOMES

Were we the appropriate group to do this project? .......................... AppropriatenessDid the project have the intended impact on the target group? ............Effectiveness Was this a good use of resources? .................................................................EfficiencyDo we want to take further action in this issue? Yes, back through the cycle

THe ACTION ReSeARCH CyCle - DeCISION MAKING TeMPlATe

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69

Project title

Start date End date

Aim: What is the issue that you intend to address?

History: What projects (if any) have addressed this issue in the past? Were they successful? Would the community benefit from a similar activity or should you proceed in a new direction?

Objective: What is your specific goal? Who are you trying to reach?

Strategy: What action are you going to take to achieve your objective?

Partners: What other agencies or groups would be interested in supporting or contributing to your project?

Management

What actions or tasks Who will be responsible? What is the timeframeneed to be completed? or due date?

Project Evaluation

What results do you What criteria will you use to How will you gather informationexpect from the project? for the evaluation? evaluate the projects success?

PROJeCT PlAN TeMPlATe

Source: Building Successful Community Drug Action Teams – A Practical Guide; NSW Health, 2008

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RefeReNCeS

The maTerial adapTed for This ToolkiT has been sourced from The following references. These references are also recommended for cdaTs and Their members who wanT To furTher explore The Topics covered in This ToolkiT. Beginners Guide to Action Research; Bob Dick, Southern Cross University; 2000

Building Successful Community Drug Action Teams – A Practical Guide; NSW Health; 2008

Changing the Culture of Alcohol Use in Australia; NSW Health 2004

The Community Alcohol Personality Survey: Planning Process and Evaluation; FACE Resources, Training and Action on Alcohol; 2004

Drug Action Toolkit; Community Drug Strategies, NSW Premiers Department, 2004

Drug Action: NSW Community Drug Strategies Newsletter; NSW Health; 2006-07

Enough is Enough: Lets Work Together to Keep Alcohol Under Control; Western Australia, Drug and Alcohol Office; 2004

FAS Tool Kit: Community Action Circles – Generating Solutions Through Collective Action; Canadian Centre of Substance Abuse; www.ccsa.ca/toolkit.

Getting the best from your CDAT work: Evaluating Plans, Projects and Team Processes; NSW Premiers Department, 2004

Good Times, Safe Times: Liquor Accords in NSW - A Toolkit; NSW Office of Liquor, Gaming and Racing; 2006

The Grog Book; Maggie Brady; Revised Edition; Australian Government; Department of Health and Aging; Canberra; 2005 Available free from: www.alcohol.gov.au

Liquor & Gaming: News from the NSW Office of Liquor, Gaming and Racing; 2007

Local Alcohol Strategy Toolkit: Guiding You Through Developing Your Local Alcohol Strategy; London Drug Alcohol Network and Alcohol Concerns; 2004

Making A Difference – Celebrating Eight Years of Community Drug Action Teams in NSW; NSW Health; 2007

NSW Drugs and Community Action Strategy: Framework for Action; NSW Premiers Department, 2000

An Overview of the Methodological Approach of Action Research; R. O’Brien; Faculty of Information Studies, University of Toronto; 2001

Participatory Action Research: Getting the Job Done; Kaye Seymour-Rolls & Ian Hughes; 2008; www2.fhs.usyd.edu.au/arow/o/m01/rseymour.htm

Planning, Implementing, and Evaluating Health Promotion Programs; 3rd ed; 2001; J. McKenzie & J. Smeltzer

Questioning Sustainability in Health Promotion Projects and Programs; L. St Leger; in Health Promotion International 2005, 20(4);

Safe. Sensible. Social. Alcohol Strategy Local Implementation Toolkit; Home Office; Alcohol Strategy Program Office, London; 2008

Stakeholder Analysis: Wining Support for Your Projects; Mind Tools, UK, 2008

Strategy Overview of the Community Drug Strategies Program; www.communitybuilders.nsw.gov.au

Using Rapid Appraisal Methods; Performance Monitoring and Evaluation Tips; in USAID Centre for Development Information and Evaluation; No. 5 1996

What is Community Mobilisation and How Does it Work to Prevent Alcohol and Drug Harm? R. Midford; in Druginfo Vol. 1, No. 4, Feb 2003

World Health Organisation: Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion www.euro.who.int/aboutwho/policy/20010827_2

World Health Organisation Tools www.who.int/management/district/monitoring_evaluation/en/index1.html

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A toolkit for Community Drug Action Teamsworking to tackle alcohol misuse in their communities