Evaluation of the NT MOS projects
Professional development
Up to Closing the Gap: Northern Territory
A number of stakeholders in both outreach and local organisations spoke of the value of professional development and 'up skilling' workers in existing services in community. This was discussed both in terms of a collaborative service response, and of enhancing the 'service imprint' of the MOS Plus service between visits.
Approximately half of the professional development sessions conducted by MOS Projects were delivered in Top End (57.3%). One quarter of professional development sessions were held in Katherine (26.7%), with one sixth held in Central Australia (13.3%) (see Figure 40).
There were no trends evident in the Quarterly changes in the number of professional development sessions across the Regions over the evaluation period (see Figure 41).
Education services were the group most likely to have been provided with professional development by MOS Projects, accounting for half of such sessions (46.7%). Other frequent recipients of professional development were health clinics/services (24.0%), and community organisations/committees (17.3%) (see Figure 42).
Figure 40: Professional development sessions per region, as a proportion of total sessions
Text version of Figure 40
Professional development sessions per region, as a proportion of total sessions:- Top End - 57.3% (N = 43)
- Katherine - 26.7% (N = 20)
- Central Australia - 13.3% (N = 10)
- Barkly - 2.7% (N = 2)
Figure 41: Change in the number of professional development sessions by region over time
Text version of Figure 41
Figure 41 shows the change in the number of professional development sessions in each region receiving MOS Plus services in each quarter between 1 July 2008 and 31 March 2011. The change in the number of professional development sessions in each region varies considerably and with no discernable pattern in the evaluation period.In Barkly the number of professional development sessions commenced at zero and ended at zero in the third quarter of 2010-11, after peaking at 1 in both the fourth quarter of 2008-09, and the second quarter of 2009-10, and remaining at zero for all other quarters in the evaluation period.
In Katherine the number of professional development sessions commenced at zero and ended at zero in the third quarter of 2010-11, after peaking at 6 in the fourth quarter of 2008-09, reducing to 4 in both the first and second quarters of 2009-10, returning to zero for the third and fourth quarters of 2009-10, rising to 4 in the first quarter of 2010-11, and reducing to 2 in the second quarter.
In the Top End the number of professional development sessions commenced at 4 and ended at three in the third quarter of 2010-11, after peaking at 11 in the first quarter of 2009-10.
In Central Australia the number of professional development sessions commenced at zero and ended at zero in the third quarter of 2010-11, after peaking at 4 in the fourth quarter of 2008-09. In Central Australia 2 professional development sessions were delivered in each of quarters one and two of 2009-10, reduced to one in quarter three 2009-10, reached 4 in the fourth quarter before reducing to zero in the first quarter of 2010-11, and rising to 1 in the second quarter of 2010-11.
Overall in the period, there were 75 professional development sessions: 2 in the Barkly region, 10 in Central Australia, 20 in the Katherine region and 43 in the Top End region.Top of page
Figure 42: Professional development sessions by audience, as a per cent of total sessions
Text version of Figure 42
Professional development sessions by audience, as a per cent of total sessions:- Education service - 46.7% (N = 35)
- Health clinic/service - 24.0% (N = 18)
- Community organisation/committee - 17.3% (N = 13)
- Welfare services - 6.7% (N = 5)
- Community group - 1.3% (N = 1)
- Other - 4.0% (N = 3)