Research and Evaluation is an essential component of quality Health Promotion work. For this reason, the HPSU has created a dedicated role for the area.
The role of a Health Promotion Research and Evaluation officer is complex. Their role is to support staff in the planning, evaluation and research components of their work.
This involves extensive liaison with and training of Department of Health Staff across the NT. Due to the integral nature of research and program evaluation to all health promotion initiatives, the Research & Evaluation Officer, is a vital part of the HSPU.
Current Priorities for the Research & Evaluation Officer include:
- Development and implementation of continuous quality improvement processes that strengthen Health Promotion across the Health Services Division.
- More specifically this involves coordinating the implementation of the Quality Improvement Program Planning System or (QIPPS) and providing training and ongoing support in the use of QIPPS. (For more information please see the QIPPS section below.)
- The Research & Evaluation Officer is also responsible for liaison with external Stakeholders in the Northern Territory, in order to develop, contribute and maintain research relationships- these stakeholders include
- Charles Darwin University,
- Menzies School of Health Research,
- Bachelor Institute of tertiary Education, and
- Cooperative Research Centre for Aboriginal Health
For more information about health promotion research and evaluation please contact
Dagmar Schmitt
Health Promotion Research and Evaluation Officer
Ph: (08) 8985 8022
Email: [click here to send email]
QIPPS (Quality Improvement Planning System)
What is QIPPS:
QIPPS stands for Quality Improvement Program Planning System (QIPPS) which is an Australian designed web-based continuous quality improvement tool (CQI) tool that provides a systematic approach to project planning and evaluation with a focus on health promotion, capacity building and community development.
What QIPPS does
QIPPS was designed to fulfil two roles, to support a systematic and evidence-based approach to program planning and evaluation, and to facilitate ongoing reflection and review, the cornerstone of continuous quality improvement.
QIPPS also includes a wide range of supportive information, definitions, research material, references, website links and models that assist in designing program plans and evaluations. The tools are primarily designed for health promotion planning and evaluation, but can be utilised for a broad range of project plans including treatment based projects and business plans.
Who uses QIPPS:
Within Australia and New Zealand QIPPS is used by 75 Victorian Health Services, 6 Primary Care Partnerships, the school of Public Health at Latrobe University, 20 NZ Primary Health Organisations, the International Diabetes Institute and 1 NSW Area Health Service.
Within the Northern Territory Department of Health and Families QIPPS is used by the Environmental Health Branch NT wide, and among programs within the Health Development and Oral Health Branch in Central Australia.
However anyone can access the web-based planning tools (read-only) in addition to a sample version of the tool and browse the Public Library of peer-reviewed projects, free of charge.
How To Access QIPPS
The QIPPS website can be accessed
What are the benefits?
- A systematic approach to project planning & evaluation with a focus on health promotion, capacity building and community development, providing a shared language for practitioners from different disciplines
- A systematic approach to business planning
- A growing evidence base that informs best practice
- A capacity to plan and work collaboratively across large distances, due to minimal software requirements.
- Can be used for quality assurance processes
- Improves health promotion knowledge management
- Builds on experience of others by being able to access project plans from programs within the Health Services Division and access project summaries and contacts from organizations using QIPPS through the subscriber library
- Central storage of evidence, with easy access by all branches, programs and units within the Health Services Division
- Consistent recording of projects
- Source of NT specific data - library of NT case studies
- Plans can be exported into word documents so they can be used for reports or submissions.
- Available to staff within all branches of the Health Services Division
QIPPS Training & Support
The Health Promotion Strategy Unit (HPSU) will provide and coordinate ongoing support and training to staff using QIPPS, as well as assisting with the development of Branch and Unit specific protocols to guide staff in the usage of QIPPS.
To book into any of the sessions, and for more information please contact
Dagmar Schmitt, Health Promotion Research and Evaluation Officer on ext 58022 or email
