ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS
When conducting an evaluation, you must consider whether it causes any risk, burden, inconvenience or possible breach of privacy to the people involved (be it the clients, staff or the community). In many situations, evaluations involve minimal risk, burden or inconvenience and thus are exempt from a formal ethical review. However, if the potential risk is greater than mere inconvenience and discomfort, it must be reviewed by a Human Research Ethics Committee (HREC). Generally speaking, if your program involves individuals with cognitive impairment and/or if you intend to publish your evaluation results in the future, you should seek formal ethical review. Organisations with no regular access to an HREC should establish a relationship with an HREC constituted and operating in accordance with the National Statement on Ethical Conduct in Human Research 2007 (Updated March 2014) (e.g., university or hospital HRECs).
In situations where a formal ethical review is not required (e.g., if you are conducting evaluation activities only for quality assurance purposes), organisations should still have policies in place to provide guidance and oversight to ensure the evaluation activities are conducted ethically. These policies should address issues such as data collection and use, data security and privacy, relevant Commonwealth, state or territory legislation, relevant professional standards, triggers for consideration of ethical review and the level of ethical review if necessary (for more information, refer to the Ethical Considerations in Quality Assurance and Evaluation Activities - March 2014).
During recruitment, detailed information about relevant ethical issues should be explained to the participants, and participants may express consent orally, in writing or by some other means (e.g., implied consent through the return of a questionnaire). Where a potential participant lacks the capacity to adequately understand the implications of participation, a person or an organisation exercising lawful authority for the potential participant should be provided with that information and decide on his/her behalf.
In situations where a formal ethical review is not required (e.g., if you are conducting evaluation activities only for quality assurance purposes), organisations should still have policies in place to provide guidance and oversight to ensure the evaluation activities are conducted ethically. These policies should address issues such as data collection and use, data security and privacy, relevant Commonwealth, state or territory legislation, relevant professional standards, triggers for consideration of ethical review and the level of ethical review if necessary (for more information, refer to the Ethical Considerations in Quality Assurance and Evaluation Activities - March 2014).
During recruitment, detailed information about relevant ethical issues should be explained to the participants, and participants may express consent orally, in writing or by some other means (e.g., implied consent through the return of a questionnaire). Where a potential participant lacks the capacity to adequately understand the implications of participation, a person or an organisation exercising lawful authority for the potential participant should be provided with that information and decide on his/her behalf.