Evaluation of the Office for Victims of Crime Wraparound Victim Legal Assistance Network Demonstration Project

This continuation will build on the foundation of the previously supported study and will document grantees implementation efforts and engage in a full process and outcome evaluation of the OVC WVLAN demonstration. During the project period, ICF will continue managing the project in collaboration with NIJ, OVC, and the local sites to ensure smooth program operations and provide research guidance as needed; document implementation efforts to further improve understanding of the overall demonstration program and individual site models and their grant activities; develop an outcome evaluation methodology and associated instruments for a comprehensive and rigorous evaluation; and collect and analyze outcome study data to measure how the grantee program affects network collaboration, victims, and service providers. Although the exact methodology cannot be determined until grantees create their intervention models, a description of potential designs and data collection strategies is described.

ICF will ultimately produce a report for NIJ detailing study findings and implications for policy and practice, along with the associated archived data. In addition, ICF will conduct a series of webinars, which will be useful to grantees and for other communities engaging in replication efforts. In all activities and dissemination efforts, the evaluation team will utilize a research-to-practice framework that will increase opportunities for the OVC WVLAN programs to have greater program fidelity and long-term sustainability. Not only will a full-scale evaluation of the OVC WVLAN demonstration assist policymakers in understanding whether Federal funds supporting legal networks can assist victims, and whether this is a cost-effective approach, but it will also provide important information to the field on victims' legal needs and how these needs are (or are not) currently met. The proposed team is exceptionally well-equipped to execute a rigorous project design to meet these goals, given its unique combination of relevant experience and expertise.

nca/ncf

Victims of crime experience a wide range of legal needs, from asserting their rights in criminal proceedings to a number of additional civil legal issues related to the victimization, such as employment, housing, immigration, and custody concerns. In response to these needs, the Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) created a demonstration grant program in 2012, the OVC Wraparound Victim Legal Assistance Network Demonstration Project (WVLAN), to address these legal needs using a holistic, wraparound approach. ICF proposes to undertake a 12-month continuation of a previously funded study to evaluate the OVC WVLAN demonstration.
This continuation will build on the foundation of the previously supported study and will document grantees implementation efforts and engage in a full process and outcome evaluation of the OVC WVLAN demonstration. During the project period, ICF will continue (1) ongoing management and communication with NIJ, OVC, and sites to ensure smooth project operations and advise, as needed; (2) ongoing implementation documentation to improve understanding of the overall demonstration program and individual site models and their grant activities; (3) finalization of the outcome evaluation methodology and instruments for a comprehensive and rigorous evaluation; (4) collection and processing of outcome study data to measure how the grantees projects affect network collaboration, victims, and service providers; (5) collection of cost information to understand the cost implications of implementing wraparound networks; and (6) dissemination to share the results of the study with various stakeholders in the field.
ICF will continue work on the final technical report for NIJ to be delivered in the projects next stage, along with the associated archived data. ICF will also present preliminary findings at research and practitioner conferences and conduct a series of webinars which will be useful to grantees and for other communities engaging in replication efforts. In all activities, ICF will use a research-to-practice framework that will increase opportunities for the OVC WVLAN programs to have greater program fidelity and long-term sustainability. Not only will a full-scale evaluation of the OVC WVLAN demonstration assist policymakers in understanding whether Federal funds supporting legal networks can assist victims, and whether this is a cost-effective approach, but it will also provide important information to the field on victims legal needs and how these needs are (or are not) currently met. The proposed team is exceptionally well-equipped to execute a rigorous project design to meets these goals, given its unique combination of relevant experience and expertise. nca/ncf

Victims of crime experience a wide range of legal needs, from asserting their rights in criminal proceedings to a number of additional civil legal issues related to the victimization, such as employment, housing, immigration, and custody concerns. In response to these needs, the Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) created a demonstration grant program in 2012, the OVC Wraparound Victim Legal Assistance Network Demonstration Project (WVLAN), to address these legal needs using a holistic, wraparound approach. ICF proposes to undertake an 18-month continuation of a previously funded study to evaluate the OVC WVLAN demonstration.

This continuation will build on the foundation of the previously supported study and will document grantees’ implementation efforts and engage in a full process and outcome evaluation of the OVC WVLAN demonstration. During the project period, ICF will continue (1) ongoing management and communication with NIJ, OVC, and sites to ensure smooth project operations and advise, as needed; (2) ongoing implementation documentation to improve understanding of the overall demonstration program and individual site models and their grant activities; (3) updating the outcome evaluation methodology and instruments for a comprehensive and rigorous evaluation; (4) analysis of outcome study data to measure how the grantees’ projects affect network collaboration, victims, and service providers; (5) analysis of cost information to understand the cost implications of implementing wraparound networks; and (6) dissemination to share the results of the study with various stakeholders in the field.

ICF will complete a final technical report for NIJ, journal article(s), and brief(s) at the conclusion of the project, along with the associated archived data. ICF will also present project findings at research and practitioner conferences and webinar(s) which will be useful to grantees and for other communities engaging in replication efforts. In all activities, ICF will use a research-to-practice framework that will increase opportunities for the OVC WVLAN programs to have greater program fidelity and long-term sustainability. Not only will a full-scale evaluation of the OVC WVLAN demonstration assist policymakers in understanding whether Federal funds supporting legal networks can assist victims, and whether this is a cost-effective approach, but it will also provide important information to the field on victims’ legal needs and how these needs are (or are not) currently met. The proposed team is exceptionally well-equipped to execute a rigorous project design to meets these goals, given its unique combination of relevant experience and expertise.

This project contains a research and/or development component, as defined in applicable law.

nca/ncf

As submitted by the applicant: Victims of crime experience a wide range of legal needs, from asserting their rights in criminal proceedings to a number of additional civil legal issues related to the victimization, such as employment, housing, immigration, and custody concerns. In response to these needs, the Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) created a demonstration grant program in 2012, the OVC Wraparound Victim Legal Assistance Network Demonstration Project (WVLAN), to address these legal needs using a holistic, wraparound approach. ICF proposes to undertake an 18-month continuation of a previously funded study to evaluate the OVC WVLAN demonstration.

This continuation will build on the foundation of the previously supported study and will document grantees’ implementation efforts and engage in a full process and outcome evaluation of the OVC WVLAN demonstration. During the project period, ICF will continue (1) ongoing management and communication with NIJ, OVC, and sites to ensure smooth project operations and advise, as needed; (2) ongoing implementation documentation to improve understanding of the overall demonstration program and individual site models and their grant activities; (3) updating the outcome evaluation methodology and instruments for a comprehensive and rigorous evaluation; (4) collection and analysis of outcome study data to measure how the grantees’ projects affect network collaboration, victims, and service providers; (5) analysis of cost information to understand the cost implications of implementing wraparound networks; and (6) dissemination to share the results of the study with various stakeholders in the field.

nca/ncf