NEBRASKA - JUVENILE JUSTICE PROGRAM COLLABORATION EVALUATION REPORT

• NCJ Number: 61198
• Author(s): G BURCH
• Date Published: 1978
• Length: 174 pages
• Sponsoring Agency: US Dept of Justice
• Corporate Author: University of Nebraska-Omaha
• Sale Source: National Technical Information Service
• Publication Type: Program/Project Evaluation
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: AN ENGLISH SUMMARY TRANSLATION OF THIS DOCUMENT IS AVAILABLE FOR SALE BY NCJRS. SPECIFY NCJ 78587

Annotation

AN EVALUATION OF THE LEAA-FUNDED PROGRAM DESIGNED TO ORGANIZE THE VOLUNTARY YOUTH SERVING AGENCIES OF NEBRASKA AND IMPROVE SERVICE TO JUVENILE STATUS OFFENDERS IS PRESENTED.

Abstract

THE 1975 PROGRAM WAS UNUSUAL BECAUSE IT WAS DEVELOPED NOT BY A SINGLE AGENCY BUT BY A COLLABORATION OF 15 NATIONAL AGENCIES PROPOSING TO DELIVER COMMUNITY SERVICES BY FORMING AND SUPPORTING LOCAL COLLABORATIONS FOCUSING ON THE ISSUES OF THE STATUS OFFENDER. THE PROJECT WAS EVALUATED BY THE EXTENT OF ITS SUCCESS IN THREE MAJOR PROGRAM TASKS OF BUILDING COLLABORATION ORGANIZATIONS, PLANNING AND IMPLEMENTING PROGRAMS, AND AFFECTING MEMBER ORGANIZATIONS. THE COLLABORATIONS SUCCEEDED IN DEVELOPING THE MEMBERSHIP OF LOCAL YOUTH SERVING AGENCIES AFFILIATED WITH THE ORIGINAL NATIONAL COLLABORATION. THREE ASPECTS OF PROGRAM PLANNING AND IMPLEMENTATION WERE EVALUATED INCLUDING THE NATURE OF THE PLANNING PROCESS AND PLAN ITSELF, THE NATURE OF COMMUNITY NEEDS ASSESSMENT, AND THE IMPLEMENTATION PROCESS. THE FACT THAT PLANNING WAS RUSHED AND OFTEN ALTERED DID NOT DETRACT FROM SIGNIFICANT ACCOMPLISHMENTS IN THIS AREA. IN ALMOST ALL CASES, PROGRAMS WERE FOUND TO BE COST EFFICIENT. REGARDING THE FINAL AREA OF EVALUATION, AFFECTING MEMBER ORGANIZATIONS, INCOMPLETE DATA PRECLUDED DEFINITIVE CONCLUSIONS, BUT PRELIMINARY FINDINGS WERE FAVORABLE. PROGRAM GOALS WERE ACHIEVED; ALL LOCAL COLLABORATIONS WERE SUCCESSFUL IN ACHIEVING THE ORGANIZATIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND PROGRAM PLANNING AS CALLED FOR IN THE PROPOSAL. THE LEVEL OF SUCCESS IN THE ACTUAL IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PLANNED PROGRAMS AND THE DEGREE OF DEVELOPMENT OF A COLLABORATIVE PROCESS VARIED FROM SITE TO SITE. FACTORS AFFECTING THE SUCCESS IN BUILDING COLLABORATIONS INCLUDED GEOGRAPHICAL BOUNDARIES, PREVIOUS COLLABORATION EXPERIENCE IN THE AREA, EXISTENCE OF COMPETING INTERORGANIZATIONAL GROUPS, UNEQUAL POWER AMONG MEMBERS, INTERPERSONAL SKILLS AND ATTITUDES OF STAFFS, AND LEADERSHIP. FLOW CHARTS, TABLES, AN APPENDIX, AND BIBLIOGRAPHY ARE INCLUDED IN THE EVALUATION. (LWM)