Peer-led programs for people who use drugs (PWUD) play a central role in improving community health and progressing PWUD rights. Their effectiveness stems from strong, positive influence on their communities, the health system, and policy. Despite this, evaluations of peer work often focus on individual-level change and do not measure system-level impacts and synergies. This makes it hard for peer-led responses to show the full extent of their impact and value.

The W3 Framework (https://w3framework.org) provides a conceptual model to support peer-led responses to:

•Demonstrate their full impact and value
•Enhance their implementation, quality, and impact
•Respond quickly and confidently to rapid changes in the broader health sector and policy environment

It can also support mainstream health workers, policymakers, and researchers to better understand and work with peer responses.

This workshop will support participants to understand the W3 Framework and how to apply it to demonstrating the impact of their own work.

•Discuss how a systems framework can support demonstrating the full impact of peer-led work for PWUD

•Describe the W3 Framework systems and functions as they apply to PWUD-led work
—Systems: community, health sector and policy environment
—Functions: engagement, alignment, adaptation, influence

•Use the W3 Framework to reflect on a case example of PWUD-led work

•Examine what constitutes “evidence” and how can we use alternative, non-traditional evidence to help understand, report about, and improve peer work

PWUD peer workers:

•Confidence and motivation about using meaningful evaluation to help their work and benefit their communities


Mainstream health workers, policymakers, and researchers:

•Increased awareness and understanding of:
—The broader roles of peer-led work (beyond individual-level knowledge, behaviour, and attitude change)
—How to create enabling environments that support peer-led work