Enabling community action
Victoria is a leader in using the Australian early development census (AEDC) in practical ways that engage everyone.
Much of Victoria’s success has been a consequence of the Local Champions project. The project began in 2009 when the first AEDC data were collected.
The Local Champions project investigates what is needed to enable communities to turn AEDC data into action.
The Local Champions project highlights Victorian case studies of communities using data to improve the lives of children and families.
Each case study tells a story of the critical role that the AEDC and other data play in shifting the focus:
- from knowing something: the results from measures like the AEDC.
- to doing something about it: establishing new networks or building on existing efforts, making new plans or revising and refreshing current work, implementing new and taking the best of past projects while at all times keeping the focus on improving outcomes for children.
The Early Childhood Knowledge Exchange team continues to deliver on the main findings, working with Victorian communities to turn their AEDC data into action by:
- creating free data products for communities, such as the 'Visualising the Evidence' mapping series.
- disseminating knowledge through networks of local champions/brokers; acknowledging the important role of human contact.
- translating knowledge with discussion and cooperation to unravel what the data really means.
- exchanging knowledge by capturing success in Victoria where communities are linking data with strategic planning.
- sharing these models of best practice via case studies, holding conferences and public meetings. See the case studies below.
For the full report, refer to: What enables local communities to use AEDC and other data to improve outcomes for children (PDF, 2MB).
Updated