Research into future capacity of advocacy workforce

Many ESOs and advocates have already responded, and have provided vital information about their current capacity to support veterans and their families, and their plans for providing these services in the future.

The surveys will close soon, and ESOs and advocates that have not yet completed the surveys are encouraged to do so.

The researchers are conducting two online surveys, one aimed at ESOs and the other at advocates. 

ESOs were provided with a link to the ESO survey by email.  The survey asks them about their current capacity to support veterans and their plans for the future of their advocacy workforce. 

ESOs that provide advocacy services but have not received an invitation to complete the survey should email shona.bates [at] unsw.edu.au (shona[dot]bates[at]unsw[dot]edu[dot]au).  Some firewalls are also preventing the survey from reaching recipients, so ESO contacts should also check their junk folders.

The survey aimed at advocates is anonymous and asks advocates about the services they currently provide and their plans for the future.  No individual data will be provided to DVA – the information will be consolidated and de‑identified by the research team before being analysed.  It will help determine whether there will be sufficient advocates available to help veterans and their families in the future.

Advocates should have received a link to the survey from their sponsoring ESOs.  Advocates who have not received the link can still participate by visiting the advocacy research webpage, or can be requested by emailing shona.bates [at] unsw.edu.au (shona[dot]bates[at]unsw[dot]edu[dot]au).

It is vital that as many ESOs and advocates participate in the project as possible, in order to help ESOs and DVA identify and plan for the future needs of veterans and their families.