For almost 30 years, Janet has worked on projects with many organisations including large CORPORATES AND government agencies. ReCENT YEARS HAVE SEEN JANET FOCUSed LARGELY on MAHI with non-profits.
“For the last 15 years I have been very fortunate to have had a continuous stream of mahi with an amazing group of clients, mostly in the non-profit sector. ”
AOTEAROA BRAIN PROJECT KAUPAPA RORO O AOTEAROA
Janet has been working as Project Lead for this new organisation since late 2021. It’s vision is optimised brain health for all New Zealanders, enabling them to thrive throughout their lives.
Aotearoa New Zealand has more than its fair share of excellent researchers, clinicians and community leaders who are working to realise this vision. ABP is focused on enhancing the brain health ecosystem, so people, whānau, decision makers and health practitioners can have better choices to optimise brain health for all.
Janet’s role as Project Lead has involved:
Leading work to develop a strategy for the organisation
Working with a team of people on the organisation’s establishment, including development of a permanent co-governance structure for the organistion
Running the application and review process for new appointments into the new governance structure
Building a strong communications base for the organisation to communicate with those working in this space
Janet has a strong personal connection to this mahi, having had two grandparents, an Aunt and Uncle diagnosed with dementia, and more recently her father’s mild cognitive impairment has progressed.
The Eisdell Moore Centre at the University of Auckland is focused on “Reducing the impact of hearing and balance disability in New Zealand and the Pacific region through excellence in research, community education and the promotion of quality and equitable clinical service.”
One of the ways it is working to achieve this goal is through grantmaking activities. Janet has been a member of the Centre’s Grants Panel since 2020 and values her involvement with this organisation, reviewing grants applications with other Panel members to maximise the value of the organisation’s precious resources.
the See Here project and the Peter McKenzie Project
The JR McKenzie Trust is a charitable Trust set up in 1940 by Sir John McKenzie, and continued by his family. It has a 70-year history of helping to build stronger communities.
Janet has been fortunate to have managed two significant projects for the Trust - See Here (2005-2011), and the Peter McKenzie Project, PMP (2013 - current day).
The See Here project was a systems change effort to see improved outcomes for children and young people with mild and moderate, often correctable, vision issues. It worked with stakeholders to develop an shared agenda, worked collaboratively to educate and advocate for change with decision makers. This project resulted in a number of changes to policy and practice, particularly through increasing access to glasses funding and improvements to communications around vision screening for tamariki.
The current project, named after Peter McKenzie who seeded the idea, is focused on helping more families in Aotearoa flourish and involves spending down $17 million over up to 20 years to contribute to this goal, using systems change, rather than programmatic approaches.
Janet’s involvement in the project has included:
Initial scoping to aid in decision making on the right focus for this spend down project
Helping to develop and narrow the project’s focus
Completing assessments on the 160 funding proposals
Working with funded groups (Ngā Kaikōkiri) and stregnthening the community of practice working on similar projects nationwide
Working with the project’s governance Committee - an incredible group of people with amazing expertise and experience
““Janet got her head around a complex task very quickly, and produced a cogent and convincing report that not only gave us a clear direction, but also assured us that we had been right to choose her. Her high quality analysis, relationship and communication skills, and passion to contribute to positive social causes were all evident...” ”
““The professionalism, care, integrity and insight that Janet brings allowed us to make strong, informed decisions. Her organisation and preparation skills are superb but her greatest contribution is linked to her ability to focus on the kaupapa and seek collective outcomes that will support transformative change.” ”
DEMENTIA PREVENTION RESEARCH CLINICS
Janet worked from 2020-2023 with a very special team of people led by Professor Lynette Tippett on a database for the Dementia Prevention Research Clinics (DPRCs) for their large longitudinal study. This important collaboration includes researchers and clinicians across three clinics, in Tāmaki Makaurau, Ōtautahi and Ōtepoti.
This study involves research participants from around the country who undergo a comprehensive series of assessments on a regular cycle. These assessments generate a significant amount of data. As at early 2023 there were more than 700,000 datapoints contained in the Database. These data are being interrogated to improve understanding of the risk and protective factors associated with the progression of dementia in order to find better ways to delay or prevent the development of mate wareware in Aotearoa New Zealand.
Janet’s role has involved
Leading work to design and specify the database
Liaising between the National Institute for Health Innovation (developers in this project) and the large team of researchers and clinicians around the motu, and working with a small operations team to drive those changes through to production
Specifying reports to help the team understand what is in the database and how resources can be allocated to complete historical and newly collected data being entered
Managing communications with the team to keep them informed on progress
Janet has a strong personal connection to this mahi, having had two grandparents, an Aunt and Uncle diagnosed with dementia and a father whose mild cognitive impairment has now progressed.
“Janet brought inspirational leadership to this challenging project involving developing a database to house complex clinical and research data from a range of disciplines. She had tremendous vision that facilitated the development of a database that is multifaceted but very useable and now contains a taonga from the generous gift of participation of our participants. Janet grasped very quickly not just the research structure needed, but the ethos and essence of the DPRCs. When our energy flagged, she was able to keep us moving forward with her energy and passion and clear thinking. I can not recommend Janet highly enough.”
the ministry of health (through enable New zealand)
Deafness Notification Database
The New Zealand Deafness Notification Database collects information about the number and characteristics of newly diagnosed hearing losses among children and young people. This original database operated from 1982-2005 but in 2006 no data was being collected. In 2009, Janet restarted the database, with the support of the Audiological Society and Dr Andrea Kelly, designing a new online approach for collecting notifications. This Database has been supported by the Ministry of Health since 2012. You can see the latest report here.
“We have worked with Janet over the last 6 years managing the DND on behalf of Enable New Zealand . She is very easy to work with, with an excellent communication style and ability to change as the sector changes. She makes it easy to understand complex data and is always developing new ways of viewing the information she is presenting with new insights and always valued analysis of the data. She has amazing networks and partnerships, that she can resource to enhance these interpretations as well. I enjoy working with Janet and would recommend her for project management work. ”
“Janet uses her considerable research skills to provide the hearing sector with reports which help audiology and other professionals make meaning from complex clinical data. These reports are valued by those working in the sector and Janet focuses on making improvements to these each year. We have a strong working relationship with Janet and wouldn’t hesitate to recommend her to others.”
The New Zealand Audiological Society
Janet has worked with the New Zealand Audiological Society since 2004, including designing and running their membership surveys, conducting workforce reviews and completing other mahi.
“Janet Digby (Levare Ltd) has undertaken member surveys for the New Zealand Audiological Society since 2004. The most recent survey, conducted earlier this year, has provided the NZAS Executive Council with valuable insights to support its strategic thinking and planning. Janet provided the NZAS with expert advise on the design of our survey to ensure we maximised member engagement, achieving input from members on key issues of importance for the NZAS. Janet is a thorough professional who brings considerable knowledge and skill to the work she does. I very much enjoyed working with her on the most recent member survey.
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““The New Zealand Audiological society has worked with Janet over the last 10 years and we continue to reap the benefits of this working relationship. Janet undertakes a membership survey for us (membership of close to 350) and works with the executive council to decipher the results and look for some clear action points to work on improving engagement and satisfaction with the membership...She is well regarded by our members and we enjoy a positive ongoing working relationship with her.” ”
“Janet’s work has exceeded expectations. In particular, her willingness to take ownership of issues/projects and find strategies to run them within our often lethargic volunteer environment...She has a bull-dog like tendancy to get jobs done.”
The Hearing House
The Hearing House is a charity for deaf children, their families and adults. It has seen considerable growth in recent years as more and more children receive cochlear implants, and with the inclusion of the adult cochlear implant and hearing aid programmes in 2017.
Janet’s worked with The Hearing House for much of the 20 years to the middle of 2019, on projects including:
Conducting a feasibility study for the recent redevelopment
Redesign of the organisation's client and professional surveys
Managing the design and development of a clinical database and accompanying culture change
Various service evaluations
Leading a strategy development process including full staff involvement
Design and development of the organisation’s first and subsequent annual outcomes reports (2014-2018)
Chairing the paediatric cochlear implant programme’s Research Committee from 2012 to 2018
“Janet has provided expert analysis and advice to me for over 15 years, including as a member of our management team for the last five years. She has a unique skillset that allows her to produce robust and clear reports that supported the strategic direction of the organisation. She led implementation of our clinical database, including working with staff to improve the quality and completeness of our data and our understanding of the impact we have made. As Janet is a contractor, it meant I could buy some of her time when needed, without having to find funding for an additional permanent staff member. I would recommend Janet - her involvement at The Hearing House greatly assisted me in effecting external and internal change.”
“We had implemented a new model for our health service delivery and needed to find a writer who was able to bring everything together and to clearly articulate our purpose and processes.
Janet came recommended. We found her so easy to work with, she was clear from the very beginning. She listened to what we wanted and worked within our tight timeframes. She included us throughout the project and made sure to clarify things she wasn’t sure of. She had an excellent communication style which was really important to us. We never had to chase Janet up on anything she delivered exactly what she said she would.
We would strongly recommend Janet and if we ever needed any other reports we would not hesitate in contracting her again.
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Project HIEDI
The purpose of this project was to advocate for the establishment of a nationwide programme which would screen babies for hearing loss. This programme was implemented around the country from 2008, including all areas of New Zealand by 2012. Janet managed Project HIEDI from 2002 to 2011, with an amazing Steering Team guiding the project’s development.
Janet’s work included:
Development of an evidence-based case as a tool for advocacy with key decision makers
Building awareness and support for change among key stakeholders
Helping to secure official and political support for change
Membership of the Ministry of Health’s Advisory Group on the establishment of newborn hearing screening in Aotearoa New Zealand
Once Cabinet signed off on implementation of a nationwide newborn hearing screening programme, Janet was a member of the Ministry of Health’s Advisory Group on the establishment of newborn hearing screening in Aotearoa New Zealand.
““I am extraordinarily satisfied with the work Janet has provided. The quality is very high…and I would not hesitate for a millisecond to recommend her for any project management position.”
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Pro bono committment
In addition to doing much of her work in the non-profit sector, Janet also works with a small number of clients on a pro-bono basis - to acknowledge the importance of giving back to the community. In recent years this has included work for Radio Lollipop, the Devonport Peninsular Precincts Society, the Eisdell Moore Centre as well as considerable pro bono work for regular clients.
For the last 15 years, Janet has been a guest lecturer at Auckland University, delivering an annual interactive session to Masters of Audiology students since 2010 on The Economics of Hearing Loss. Janet loves this mahi, getting to meet ngā tauira and hearing about their perceptions on this important topic.