NCJ Number
225518
Journal
International Journal of Comparative and Applied Criminal Justice Volume: 32 Issue: 2 Dated: Fall 2008 Pages: 291-308
Date Published
2008
Length
18 pages
Annotation
This article describes the five phases of the development of an outcome evaluation model for domestic violence programs in Ireland, Portugal, and Scotland, with a focus on evaluating women’s refuges in the pilot testing of the model.
Abstract
The outcome evaluation model developed through this multicountry collaboration apparently met the intended objectives of the project. Overall, the tools were found by workers to be relatively simple to use and interpret; and service users found them to be relevant and easy to complete. The information obtained from the surveys was useful for the refuges and could lead to improvement in both services and efforts to effect social change. The evaluation model showed the impact of domestic-violence refuges on the lives of survivors. The development of the outcome evaluation model occurred in five phases. First, the three primary partners (the three countries) systematically examined the extent to which evaluation activities were already occurring in each of their countries. They also examined domestic-violence staffs’ concerns and needs regarding outcome evaluation. This led to the second phase, which involved constructing outcomes and outcome indicators relevant to domestic-violence workers and survivors. The third phase consisted of designing the initial outcome evaluation model, followed by the fourth phase of implementing a pilot study that tested the model. The fifth and final phase included modifying the model based on the pilot study and writing a report on the model development that could be shared with other countries. The application of this evaluation model to women’s refuges in the three countries is described in detail. 3 tables, 9 notes, and 32 references