NCJ Number
82896
Date Published
1981
Length
72 pages
Annotation
This document details the research design, evaluation methodology, and various data collection instrument and procedures for the national evaluation of LEAA's Major White Collar Crime Program.
Abstract
The thrust of the Major White Collar Crime Program was to foster the initial development of white collar crime enforcement units having the capability to investigate and prosecute complex, sophisticated, large-scale frauds and their perpetrators. The goal of the national evaluation was to identify and describe those significant factors affecting the operation and success of agencies having a major white collar crime focus. The evaluation team conducted reviews and examined documents and reports pertaining to project development and operational activities. The team also conducted onsite interviews with key project personnel and representatives from external agencies that participated in project activities. Data were collected over 13 months and involved two rounds of site visits, with the first round involving visits to all 10 projects which were candidates for intensive evaluation and the second round involving visits to the five sites selected for intensive evaluation. A set of data collection instruments was developed to guide interviews of key project personnel. Three other data collection instruments were designed to obtain funding information, organizational information, administrative data, and information on case activities for each grant period of the individual projects. Descriptive, narrative information was analyzed to focus on the differences between planned and actual project operations. Analyses provided (1) comparisons among categories of each variable within a site, (2) comparisons among categories of each variable across sites, and (3) comparisons of the frequency and proportion of total cases studied that were dealt with at various stages in the legal and judicial process across sites. Exhibits portray the forms used in the evaluation and the research questions posed in the evaluation. About 60 references are listed. For the full evaluation report and the executive summary, see NCJ 82894-95.