EVALUATION NEEDS OF CRIME CONTROL PLANNERS, DECISIONMAKERS, AND POLICYMAKERS ARE NOT BEING MET REPORT BY THE COMPTROLLER GENERAL TO THE CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES

• NCJ Number: 55425
• Author(s): E B STAATS
• Date Published: 1978
• Length: 208 pages
• Corporate Author: US Government Accountability Office
• Sale Source: National Technical Information Service
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

THE GENERAL ACCOUNTING OFFICE (GAO) REPORTS TO CONGRESS ON SHORTCOMINGS IN LEAA'S EVALUATION EFFORTS AND OFFERS RECOMMENDATIONS FOR IMPROVING THOSE EFFORTS.

Abstract

THE WORK ON WHICH THE REPORT IS BASED WAS PERFORMED IN LATE 1975 AND EARLY 1976 AT LEAA HEADQUARTERS, LEAA REGIONAL OFFICES, STATE PLANNING AGENCIES IN PENNSYLVANIA, KANSAS, CALIFORNIA, AND OREGON, AND SELECTED REGIONAL PLANNING UNITS IN TWO STATES. IN ADDITION, INTERVIEWS WERE CONDUCTED WITH CRIME CONTROL OFFICIALS IN SIX STATES ABOUT LEAA AND STATE EVALUATION ACTIVITIES, SERVICES, AND INFORMATION. GAO CONCLUDES THAT LEAA AND STATE EVALUATION ACTIVITIES AND INFORMATION DO NOT MEET THE PLANNING, DECISIONMAKING, AND POLICYMAKING NEEDS OF MANY PERSONS CONCERNED WITH THE INTERGOVERNMENTAL BLOCK GRANT CRIME CONTROL PROGRAM. THIS CONCLUSION REFLECTS THE FOLLOWING MAJOR FINDINGS: THE AMOUNT AND TYPES OF EVALUATION WORK HAVE NOT BEEN ADEQUATE, THE QUALITY OF EVALUATION STUDIES HAS BEEN QUESTIONABLE, EVALUATION INFORMATION NEEDS OF USERS HAVE NOT BEEN MET, INADEQUATE RESOURCES HAVE BEEN ALLOCATED FOR EVALUATION; ORGANIZATION OF EVALUATION FUNCTIONS HAS LACKED DIRECTION AND EFFECTIVE MANAGEMENT CONTROLS, AND BETTER COORDINATION OF EVALUATION PROGRAM EFFORTS IS NEEDED. LEAA IS URGED TO PLACE GREATER EMPHASIS ON BUILDING EVALUATION INTO PROGRAMS AND PROJECTS BEFORE THEY ARE STARTED, AND TO FACILITATE AND COORDINATE EVALUATION ACTIVITIES BOTH WITHIN ITS ORGANIZATION AND BETWEEN IT AND STATE, REGIONAL, AND LOCAL AGENCIES TO MAKE CERTAIN THAT INFORMATION NEEDS AND BEING MET. CONGRESS IS URGED TO CONSIDER EXPANDING LEAA'S RESEARCH, DEVELOPMENT, DEMONSTRATION, AND EVALUATION ROLE, BUT WITH GREATER, MORE DIRECT INPUT FROM STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT REGARDING THE SCOPE AND DIRECTION OF SUCH ACTIVITIES. THESE AND OTHER RECOMMENDATIONS, TOGETHER WITH FULL DETAILS OF THE STUDY'S METHODS AND FINDINGS, ARE REPORTED. SUPPORTING DATA, LEAA'S RESPONSE TO THE REPORT, AND A LIST OF RELATED GAO REPORTS ARE INCLUDED. (LKM)