Sometime ago Michelle Simons and Robyn Parker wrote an article in which relationship education services in Australia were reviewed (Relationship education services. Family Matters, 2002, 63, 77-79).  They wrote:

"The use of inventories differs from structured programs largely in scale, and while at least two thirds of inventory users indicate that skills training is incorporated into sessions with couples, it would appear that the amount of skills training is rather limited in the majority of cases. This, along with issues relating to follow up and evaluation of inventory-based service activities, is an issue worthy of further attention."

Seven years later, the challenges contained in this statement are just as timely.

There are three worthwhile challenges to PREPARE-ENRICH Administrators using the Prepare-Enrich inventories:

• We need to encourage couples to learn new skills: The Building a Strong Marriage booklet provides a good starting point for this, but the development of skills can all to easily become over-shadowed by the feedback process.  Why not aim for a balanced approach in which feedback and the development of skills (eg. good listening skills; constructive ways of handling conflict) are both valued?

• We need to evaluate our sessions with couples: We have thought about developing a standard form for doing this, but feedback has suggested that there are many different ways of doing this and that the form needs to be suitable to each particular way of working with couples.  Why not develop a short set of questions that couples could answer so that you can obtain some feedback about your way of working with couples?

• We need to be aware of opportunities for follow-up: Premarital work can usefully be followed up a year or so later.  Why not plan with the couple to take ENRICH after they have been married for a year?