USE OF AN ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT MODEL IN THE ASSESSMENT OF THE ORGANIZATION EFFECTIVENESS OF A LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY

• NCJ Number: 15636
• Author(s): W E HOLLAND; R N BLAKENEY
• Date Published: 1974
• Length: 17 pages
• Corporate Author: Organizational Technology, Inc
• Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/
• Publication Type: Program/Project Evaluation
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

A THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK FOR USING ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT FOR EVALUATION IS DEVELOPED, AND APPLIED TO FOUR SYSTEMS IN THE BAY COUNTY ORGANIZED CRIME CONTROL UNIT (OCCU), A COUNTY-WIDE LAW ENFORCEMENT COORDINATION AGENCY.

Abstract

BASIC SYSTEMS CONCEPTS, SUCH AS OUTPUT, ENVIRONMENT, AND IMPACT ARE FIRST EXPLAINED. ORGANIZATIONAL EFFECTIVENESS IS THEN DEFINED AS THE DEGREE OF INFLUENCE OR THE AMOUNT OF IMPACT THAT AN ORGANIZATION HAS ON ITS OWN IMMEDIATE ENVIRONMENT. THE EVALUATION PROCESS IS SHOWN TO BE BUILT ON A SOUND VIEW OF THE ORGANIZATION, ITS OUTPUTS AND ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS, A KNOWLEDGE OF THE ORGANIZATION'S STANDARDS OF DESIRABILITY, AND A COMPARISON OF DESIRED IMPACTS WITH ACTUAL IMPACTS. FOUR METHODS OF IMPACT MEASUREMENT ARE EXPLAINED. A PROJECT HISTORY OF THE OCCU IS GIVEN, AND A SYSTEMS MODEL OF THE PROJECT ORGANIZATION IS PRESENTED. SAMPLE ASSESSMENTS OF THIS PROJECT, SUCH AS IMPACT OF OCCU ON HUMAN RESOURCES IN LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES OR OCCU IMPACT ON COORDINATION/INTELLIGENCE INFORMATION ARE DETAILED, USING THE FOUR METHODS OF IMPACT MEASUREMENT. RESERVATIONS ON THE USE OF THE IMPACT MODEL OF ORGANIZATIONAL EFFECTIVENESS, SUCH AS AMOUNT OF RESOURCES NEEDED TO PERFORM SUCH EVALUATIONS OR PARTICIPANT RESISTANCE TO THIS APPROACH ARE DISCUSSED. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED)