Making sense of experience

Abstract

Society's response to alcohol and drug problems must continually evolve. The author expresses optimism about evaluation's ability to guide change from the ground up through developing a culture of ongoing learning. It is argued that the alcohol and other drug treatment sector has a particular need for empowering professional development processes. The article describes the background to and personal experience of a new unit within a Graduate Diploma in Alcohol and Other Drug Studies course. This article is an edited version of a paper presented on 7 September 2007 at the conference of the Australasian Evaluation Society, ‘Doing Evaluation Better’, Melbourne. Bridget Roberts introduced the presentation by acknowledging the people of the Kulin nation, specifically the Wurundjeri (the first people to occupy the Melbourne area and the custodians of this land), including their elders past and present.