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Case Study: The Development and Evaluation of Relationship Australia Queensland’s Online Family Dispute Resolution System

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Online Family Dispute Resolution

Part of the book series: Law, Governance and Technology Series ((LGTS,volume 45))

Abstract

The previous chapter emphasised the need for more methodologically rigorous evidence in online family dispute resolution (OFDR) if these technologically-enhanced services are to be useful and enduring. The contribution of Australia to furthering OFDR knowledge and practice worldwide is exemplified by an innovative pilot project conducted by Relationships Australia Queensland in 2009. Both the development of the software and its subsequent evaluation were evidence-based and intended to adhere to best practice through the adoption of an iterative design that incorporated ongoing quantitative and qualitative data from all stakeholders to optimise system functioning and utility. This chapter summarises processes, findings, and recommendations of this pilot across the four stages of the program design: registration, intake, pre-FDR education, and OFDR. Clients and staff reported largely positive attitudes towards OFDR, with need to appreciate the learning curve involved in navigating the system and how the technology qualitatively changes the mediation process. This pilot sets the standard for the development and evaluation of OFDR services in Australia and worldwide by subjecting the service to extensive systematic testing and evaluation to promote continuous learning and improvement.

The figures and the text in this chapter have been reprinted from “Online Family Dispute Resolution Report: Research Evaluation Summary (2011)” by Relationships Australian QLD 2011. Reprinted with permission from Relationships Australia QLD.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    Refer to section 8.1 of report for more detail on the composition of these templates.

  2. 2.

    Refer to pp. 92–93 of report for questions used to guide the evaluation of the OFDR pilot project. Broadly, these questions targeted client experiences and expectations of the OFDR system, the effectiveness and efficiency of the OFDR system compared to other dispute resolution delivery modes, the usability of the system, the training needs of staff, the short and long-term impact of OFDR, and the effectiveness of pre-education OFDR.

  3. 3.

    Refer to pp. 85–87 of report for methodology for these stages.

  4. 4.

    Refer to Table 1 in report for the results of this integration.

  5. 5.

    Refer to pp. 97–102 of report for summaries of each construct and its justification for inclusion into the current evaluation.

  6. 6.

    Refer to p. 131 of report for explanation of each of these constructs.

  7. 7.

    Refer to p. 159 of report for the application of technology training literature to the OFDR training program.

  8. 8.

    Refer to pp. 76–78 of report for measures.

  9. 9.

    Refer to p. 144 of report for a complete list of themes and examples.

  10. 10.

    Refer to pp. 80–81 of report for client and staff measures.

  11. 11.

    Ainsworth et al. (2017).

  12. 12.

    Refer to pp. 212–215 of report for measures.

  13. 13.

    Refer to p. 83 of report for measures.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Health and Sport, Victoria University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia

    Elisabeth Wilson-Evered

  2. Law School, La Trobe University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia

    John Zeleznikow

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  1. Elisabeth Wilson-Evered
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  2. John Zeleznikow
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Wilson-Evered, E., Zeleznikow, J. (2021). Case Study: The Development and Evaluation of Relationship Australia Queensland’s Online Family Dispute Resolution System. In: Online Family Dispute Resolution. Law, Governance and Technology Series, vol 45. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-64645-5_4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-64645-5_4

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