The period of transition from military service to civilian life can be extremely stressful, especially for those that leave the Australian Defence Force (ADF) for medical reasons.

The process of claiming compensation is often cited as a significant stressor for these individuals, due in part to delays associated with claims being submitted without the medical evidence required by the Department of Veterans’ Affairs (DVA). In response to these concerns, DVA is conducting the Transition Medical Assessment Pilot Project (TMAPP).

The TMAPP is a 12-month project that aims to improve the transition experience and expedite claim determination for medically transitioning ADF members. Those who take part in the pilot will be assessed by an occupational physician with training in DVA claims processes, who can provide the necessary medical evidence to those responsible for reviewing and determining the outcome of claims.

AHA was engaged to develop an evaluation framework and implementation plan for the TMAPP. For this engagement we will:

• review data collection and related materials used in delivering the TMAPP
• consult with DVA staff involved in the TMAPP
• develop an evaluation framework comprising three interrelated components: a program logic, evaluation domains, and an evaluation toolkit
• develop an implementation plan which will address the practicalities of implementing the evaluation framework by defining processes and responsibilities for data collection and management.

This project will bring together AHA’s broad evaluation expertise and our deep understanding of military and veteran wellbeing to develop a fit-for-purpose approach to enable DVA to measure the success of the TMAPP.