Current projects

Physical Literacy Enriched Environmental Design in the Latrobe Valley​

The Collaborative Evaluation & Research Centre (CERC) in partnership with the Latrobe Health Assembly (LHA) and the Physical Literacy Enriched Environmental Design (PLEED) group aims to investigate how physical literacy enriched design can improve physical literacy outcomes in the Latrobe Valley. The collaborative action research project will engage with key stakeholders and partners to support the influence of the design of local parks and play spaces in line with physical literacy enriched environment design criteria.

​The Mathison Park in Churchill will be redesigned based on PLEED principles. The CERC team will work in partnership with LHA and PLEED group, Latrobe City Council (LCC), Mathison Park Advisory Committee, and LCC Recreation Planning Team to collect and analyse data on park usage before and after the redesign.

CERC researchers

  • Professor Joanne Porter (lead)
  • Sam Fenton
  • Dr Daria Soldatenko
  • Megan Simic
  • Luis Antonio T. Hualda
  • Dr Sambath My
  • Dr Nicole Coombs

Creating Inclusive Work Environments through Leadership and Management Innovations​

The Collaborative Evaluation & Research Centre (CERC) in partnership with the Victorian Skills Authority (VIC) and Federation TAFE aims to create inclusive work environments in the construction and manufacturing sectors by introducing leadership and management innovations. The output of this project is expected to contribute to addressing challenges in these sectors related to attraction, retention, and completion of apprenticeships.

The leadership and management innovations will be developed through a co-design process with stakeholders of the construction and manufacturing sectors, registered training organisations, employees and their associations, and the government. The innovations will be a package of leadership and management learning materials that will be delivered in formal learning settings.

CERC researchers

  • Professor Joanne Porter (lead)
  • Luis Antonio T. Hualda
  • Dr Daria Soldatenko
  • Associate Professor Blake Peck
  • Dr Emma Siesmaa
  • Dr Sambath My
  • Megan Simic
  • Dr Nicole Coombs

Our Equal Local Government: A Project for Preventing Gendered Violence and Sexual Harassment (in Local Government)

The Collaborative Evaluation & Research Centre (CERC), in partnership with Gippsland Women’s Health (GWH), aims to strengthen and support Local Governments to reduce work-related gendered violence, including sexual harassment (WRGV-SH). Specifically, this project aims to understand how workplace training on work-related gendered violence, including sexual harassment, can increase the knowledge and understanding of Local Government Area (LGA) staff members and promote system change in local governments in Gippsland.

CERC researchers

  • Professor Joanne Porter (lead)
  • Dr Sambath My
  • Dr Carolyn Bailey
  • Megan Simic
  • Maryam Ghasemiardekani
  • Dr Daria Soldatenko
  • Luis Antonio T. Hualda

Gippsland Radio  - Now and into the Future Project

The Collaborative Evaluation & Research Centre (CERC) is conducting a study to gather insights from Gippsland radio listeners. This project will determine the preferences of listeners in the local community to make radio stations more responsive to local needs. This is expected to provide information that can allow radio stations to develop strategies to stay relevant and sustainable.

CERC researchers

  • Professor Joanne Porter (lead)
  • Chelsea Webb
  • Dr Daria Soldatenko
  • Luis Antonio T. Hualda
  • Dr Sambath My
  • Megan Simic
  • Dr Nicole Coombs

Lived experiences of 1000 rural women in Australia​

​​CheekyMac is a local production company wishing to produce a video documentary regarding the lived experiences of 1000 rural women living in rural areas across Australia. To inform this documentary, CheekyMac are working with the Collaborative Evaluation & Research Centre (CERC) at Federation University, to conduct a survey of 1000 women across regional, rural, and remote areas of Australia, exploring a variety of topics such as gender inequality, rurality, employment, childcare, tall poppy syndrome, and gender bias.

​The project aims to better understand how regional, rural and remote women experience these topics, including the benefits, barriers and areas for improvement. This study hopes to more broadly capture the essence of being a woman living in a rural environment. ​The CERC will distribute a national validated survey within Australia based on Australian Bureau of Statistics population density data with the aim to capture a broad sample of 1000 women’s experiences from across the country.

CERC researchers

  • Professor Joanne Porter (lead)
  • Luis Antonio T. Hualda
  • Dr Daria Soldatenko
  • Megan Simic
  • Dr Sambath My
  • Dr Nicole Coombs
  • ​​Kaye Borgelt​

Evaluation of the Broadening Horizons Program in Gippsland​

​​This project will evaluate the Broadening Horizons Program of the Local Learning and Employment Network (LLEN) implemented in the Gippsland Region. The Broadening Horizons Program was developed as a response to identified challenges that students from the Gippsland area encountered related to student engagement, completion rates and youth unemployment. The program links schools with industry partners and allows students to gain real-world experiences by solving real challenges experienced in workplaces. The program has the intention of increasing awareness of students on what to experience in the future, with the hope of guiding students with their aspirations and future career paths.

​This program will identify specific impacts on students and parents, schools, and industry partners. The program evaluation will be co-designed with stakeholders to identify their specific areas of interest, aiming to support them in improving their experience and involvement with the program.

CERC researchers

  • Professor Joanne Porter (lead)
  • Luis Antonio T. Hualda
  • ​Dr Carolyn Bailey
  • Dr Amanda Timmer
  • ​A/Prof Karen Missen
  • Maryam Ghasemiardekani
  • ​​Anne Baker​
  • Dr Sambath My
  • Dr Daria Soldatenko

Regional Air mobility Surrogate Trials (RAST)

The Regional air mobility Surrogate Trials (RAST) being conducted in the Latrobe City region is exploring Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) regional applications.

In partnership with Latrobe City Council, Aerostructures Innovation Research Hub (AIR Hub) Swinburne University of Technology, Textron Systems Australia (TSA) and Invest Victoria, CERC will be coordinating the community engagement aspect of the project. This will include facilitating workshops and events within the Latrobe Valley that are designed to inform and consult; inform communities of the innovative Advanced Air Mobility opportunity and consult with government, industry and aviation stakeholder networks, measuring impact, addressing concerns and answering questions.

CERC researchers

  • Professor Joanne Porter (Lead)
  • Dr Libby Miller
  • Megan Simic
  • Nicole Coombs
  • Dr Sambath My
  • Luis Antonio T. Hualda

For more information about RAST, please visit the links below:

RAST Advanced Air Mobility Website

Drone trial moves closer to take off news article

ABC Victoria radio interview on Advanced Air Mobility 

Evaluation of DELIVER: Delivering Enhanced heaLthcare at home through optImising Virtual tools for oldEr people in Rural and Regional Australia

CERC is evaluating DELIVER: Delivering Enhanced heaLthcare at home through optiIising Virtual tools for older people in Rural and regional Australia. Led by Western Alliance, and in partnership with healthcare consumers, regional and rural health services, universities and primary healthcare providers across western Victoria, the project will identify and build a suite of programs to improve and extend in-home healthcare.

CERC researchers

  • Professor Joanne Porter (Lead)
  • Associate Professor Blake Peck
  • Natalie Bransgrove
  • Dr Daria Soldatenko

Natalie Bransgrove is one of five PhD students as part of the DELIVER project and will be supervised by Professor Joanne Porter and Associate Professor Blake Peck. Natalie’s project aim is to improve healthcare at home for older people living in regional and rural areas using a mixed-method approach.

Evaluation of the Youth-led Gippsland Bushfire Recovery Project

CERC is working in partnership with Latrobe Youth Space to evaluate the impact of a place-based initiative bringing physical activity to rural and remote communities in East Gippsland and Wellington Shire. The Project will provide programs, activities and services to young people aged between 12 and 25 in various towns that will be funded and inclusive. It is a community-building model that supports and enables young people to find their voice.

CERC Researchers

  • Professor Joanne Porter (Lead)
  • Megan Simic
  • Dr Libby Miller
  • Associate Professor Blake Peck
  • Dr Daria Soldatenko
  • Professor Rochelle Eime
  • Professor Carolyn Unsworth
  • Paul Kemel
  • Professor Louisa Remedios

Evaluation of the Peer Relationship Education Partners (PREP) Program – GCASA (Phase 3)

The local organisation New Wave Gippsland (NWG) has been partnering with the Gippsland Centre Against Sexual Assault (GCASA) to build the organisational capacity of New Wave Gippsland since 2020. Together, NWG and GCASA deliver the Gippsland Sexual Lives and Respectful Relationships (SL&RR) project, which facilitates a community-based education program to promote sexuality rights and respectful relationships.

The CERC will work collaboratively with New Wave and GCASA to continue to evaluate the impact, outcomes and process learnings of the planning and implementation of the project. Additionally, CERC will continue to contribute to the capacity-building objectives of the SL&RR project by hosting a series of evaluation workshops. This will enable NWG and GCASA to continue internally evaluating this project in the long term.

CERC researchers

  • Professor Joanne Porter (lead)
  • Dr Sambath My
  • Luis Antonio T. Hualda
  • Dr Daria Soldatenko
  • Megan Simic
  • Dr Carolyn Bailey
  • Dr Nicole Coombs
  • Michael Barbagallo
  • Chelsea Webb
  • Elissa Dabkowski
  • Maryam Ghasemiardekani

Contact

To engage CERC's evaluation services, collaborate with us or ask about our research, please get in touch via the Contact page.