Evaluation of the Rural Domestic Violence and Child Victimization Enforcement Grant Progarm Special Initiative: Faith-based and Community Organization Pilot Progarm

The purpose of this evaluation is to determine whether and how intermediary organizations, that work in many different contexts and are supported by the Office of Violence Against Women (OVW), add value to the capacity of rural, faith-based and community organizations (FBCOs) in their delivery of domestic violence programs. Intermediary organizations are strategic. Their objective is to provide FBCOs with technical assistance so they can build their service delivery capacity. The evaluation is contingent on the estimate that Pilot Program awards will be made to twelve intermediaries and that each intermediary will make sub-grant awards to nine FBCOs. The dimensions of capacity-building involve an organization's aspirations, strategies, organizational skills, human resources, systems and infrastructure, organizational structure and culture. The evaluation plans to measure by triangulation the value added of the intermediaries. One dimension is to directly assess the capacity-building effects of intermediaries through interviews and focus groups. A second dimension is to use a Capacity Assessment Grid inventory to measure the capacity building that has taken place within the FBCOs. The final dimension is to examine evidence of capacity building that is available from the FBCO's outcome measures. The evaluation will have baseline measurements, a process evaluation, and an outcome evaluation. The baseline measurement and the process evaluation will be completed in the first year; a pre-post outcome evaluation of the intermediary effects will be completed in the second year. The evaluations will be supported with two site visits to each intermediary, guided by research-based interview protocols, focus group sessions, the capacity assessment grid inventory, a sub-grantee data collection process supported with a written manual and monitored for quality by the AHP/Clemson/ICP evaluation team; and an analysis of the contextual environment of the intermediaries and the sub-grantees. These data will determine the significant processes used by the intermediaries and the FBCOs in the delivery of rural FBCO domestic violence services and capacity building. The processes will be illustrated with logic models that draw the connections between process inputs and the portfolio of intended FBCO outcomes. The rich collection of data will provide for 'thick descriptions' of intermediary and subgrantee activities. The outcome analysis will examine the variation among the sites with case studies supported by appropriate data analysis to find patterns of intermediary capacity building assistance that result in successful FBCO outcomes.