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HIGH-IMPACT ANTI-CRIME PROGRAM - A PROCESS EVALUATION (FROM USE OF EVALUATION BY FEDERAL AGENCIES - PROCEEDINGS OF A SYMPOSIUM, 1977, BY ELEANOR CHELIMSKY - SEE NCJ-49572)

NCJ Number
49580
Author(s)
E CHELMISKY
Date Published
1977
Length
20 pages
Annotation
AN OVERVIEW OF THE NATIONAL EVALUATION OF LEAA'S HIGH IMPACT ANTI-CRIME PROGRAM IS PRESENTED IN AN EVALUATION SYMPOSIUM PAPER.
Abstract
THE PRESENTATION, BY THE HEAD OF THE PRIVATE SECTOR GROUP THAT CONDUCTED THE EVALUATION, WAS PART OF A PANEL ON THE PERSPECTIVES OF COMPANIES THAT PERFORM EVALUATIVE RESEARCH UNDER CONTRACT TO THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. LEAA'S HIGH IMPACT PROGRAM WAS A TEST OF NEW FEDERALISM--THE IDEA THAT LOCAL PRIORITIES SHOULD BE SET LOCALLY--ON THE GRAND SCALE. THE PROGRAM HAD MULTIPLE OBJECTIVES, INVOLVED GRANTS OF $140 MILLION OVER 2 FISCAL YEARS TO AID CRIME CONTROL IN 8 CITIES, RESULTED IN THE IMPLEMENTATION OF 233 ACTION PROJECTS, AND WAS TO BE EVALUATED AT THREE LEVELS (LOCAL, NATIONAL, AND MACROSOCIAL). THE NATIONAL EVALUATION, USING DATA COLLECTED AT THE LOCAL LEVEL, ATTEMPTED TO DRAW CONCLUSIONS ABOUT THE PROCESSES THAT WERE BEING TESTED BY THE HIGH IMPACT PROGRAM. THE DISCUSSION COVERS FACTORS THAT ACCOUNTED FOR THE AMBITIOUSNESS AND COMPLEXITY OF THE PROGRAM; THE DESIGN OF THE PROGRAM; AND DESIGN, IMPLEMENTATION, AND MAJOR FINDINGS OF THE NATIONAL EVALUATION; AND LEAA'S USE OF THE FINDINGS. THAT LEAA MADE CONSIDERABLE USE OF THE NATIONAL EVALUATION FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS IN PLANNING FOR NEW PROGRAMS IS ATTRIBUTED TO THE FACT THAT ONE AGENY PERSON OVERSAW THE EVALUATION EFFORT FROM BEGINNING TO END AND TO CONSIDERABLE INTERACTION BETWEEN THE EVALUATORS AND THE AGENCY. AMONG THE EVALUATORS' MAJOR PROBLEMS WERE RESTRICTIONS ON THEIR PRESENCE IN THE IMPACT CITIES, THEIR INABILITY TO COLLECT THEIR OWN DATA, AND PROBLEMS ARISING FROM NOT HAVING BEEN INVOLVED IN THE EARLY STAGES OF EVALUATION PLANNING. IT IS SUGGESTED THAT BETTER EVALUATION PLANNING AND MORE EFFECTIVE DATA POLICES WOULD SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASE EVALUATION PAYOFFS AT LEAA. (LKM)