VANDU - Genesis, Evolun, Org Struct, Activities - 2001.pdf

A Case Study of Vancouver Area Network of Drug Users (VANDU)
and then it becomes too much for them and things fall apart for those folks, and then
someone else has to step up, or things have to wait.”
VANDU is also constantly evaluating its activities through consultation with its
members at board meetings. When concerns are raised by VANDU members or board
members, these issues are tabled for discussion at the weekly meetings and board
meetings. When the board passes a motion regarding the best way to resolve an issue,
further activities are then refined on the basis of the board’s decision. While individual
executive and board members may express their opinions about the way programs are
being run, in the end, decisions are made democratically by the board as a whole, and
no individual member’s opinion is given greater weight than that of any other,
regardless of executive status or length of time in the organization. One member of the
board explains: “We’re here for the community. Without the community, there is no
VANDU. We record everything that is said at the meetings and that’s how we can see
what is needed and what we are doing and how we are helping – by going over those
flip charts afterwards.”
VANDU has also hired independent academic contractors to assist with formal
program evaluations. Both qualitative and quantitative methods have been used in
conjunction with community-based research approaches. For instance, a contractor was
recently hired to evaluate VANDU’s hepatitis C meetings. This evaluation
demonstrated that the drug users who attend these meetings find them helpful for
social support as well as a source of education about either their illness or how to avoid
contracting and transmitting blood-borne diseases. Evaluations of this kind have been
required of VANDU in order to continue receiving the funding.
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