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Session Title: Multi-Method Evaluation of a Comprehensive Community-Based Initiative: The National Weed and Seed Strategy
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Panel Session 867 to be held in Wekiwa 10 on Saturday, Nov 14, 1:40 PM to 3:10 PM
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Sponsored by the Crime and Justice TIG
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| Chair(s): |
| James Trudeau, RTI International, trudeau@rti.org
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| Discussant(s):
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| Denise Viera, United States Department of Justice, denise.viera@usdoj.gov
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| Abstract:
The National Weed and Seed (W&S) Strategy has been implemented in hundreds of communities over the past 15 years and represents the nation's premier effort at integrating crime prevention and community development. The Strategy includes key components of law enforcement, community policing, prevention/intervention/treatment, and neighborhood revitalization; core principles of collaboration, coordination, community participation, and leveraged resources; and the critical role of U.S. Attorneys.
This panel describes the Strategy and cross-site evaluation and presents findings on implementation, outcomes, and linkages between implementation and outcomes. The evaluation provided an overview across the national W&S Initiative using GPRA data from 250+ grantees, Census data, and web-based stakeholder surveys. The evaluation studied 13 sites in detail using surveys of target and comparison community residents; site visits; document review; and data on local business activity. Quantitative analyses (longitudinal growth models and multi-level regression models) are augmented by qualitative synthesis of case studies.
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Evaluation of the National Weed and Seed Strategy: Introduction and Overview
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| James Trudeau, RTI International, trudeau@rti.org
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This presentation describes the National Weed and Seed (W&S) Strategy and the cross-site evaluation. The W&S Strategy includes key components of law enforcement, community policing, prevention/intervention/treatment, and neighborhood restoration; core principles of collaboration, coordination, community participation, and leveraged resources; and the critical role of U.S. Attorneys.
The evaluation integrated process and outcome components to explore linkages between local W&S implementation and outcomes. For all sites the evaluation formulated a broad overview across the national W&S Initiative, using GPRA data from 250+ grantees, Census data, and web-based stakeholder surveys including social network analysis. In 13 Sentinel Sites the evaluation derived additional information from surveys of target and comparison community residents; site visits; document review; and data on local business activity. Analyses included longitudinal growth models, multi-level regression models, and social network analysis. The evaluation was designed to evaluate the national W&S Strategy, rather than simply a collection of individual W&S sites.
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Evaluation of the National Weed and Seed Strategy: Resident Survey Findings
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| James Trudeau, RTI International, trudeau@rti.org
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| Jon Blitstein, RTI International, jblitstein@rti.org
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| Karen Morgan, RTI International, kcmorgan@rti.org
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| Jan Roehl, JRC Consulting, janroehl@redshift.com
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This presentation describes findings from a resident survey conducted in 13 Weed and Seed target areas and matched comparison areas. The presentation describes methods used to sample sites, identify matched comparison areas, and sample households using GIS. Survey findings address resident perceptions of the neighborhood; victimization (e.g. robbery, burglary, violence); perceptions of police; perceptions of city programs, job opportunities, and housing; attitudes toward the neighborhood; participation in programs; and awareness and perceptions of W&S. Survey data are augmented with crime data, census data, and data on employment, businesses, and housing. Multi-level regression models are used to compare outcomes in W&S target areas and matched comparison areas. Observed differences are explained using information on grantee and community characteristics; problems targeted; specific approaches in law enforcement, community policing, prevention/intervention/treatment, and neighborhood revitalization; functioning of the local W&S initiative; and degree and effectiveness of interaction among stakeholders.
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Evaluation of the National Weed and Seed Strategy: Stakeholder Survey Findings
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| Phillip Graham, RTI International, pgraham@rti.org
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| James Trudeau, RTI International, trudeau@rti.org
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| Kelle Barrick, RTI International, kbarrick@rti.org
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This presentation describes findings from a web-based survey of W&S stakeholders conducted in more than 130 sites with more than 1,000 stakeholders. The many approaches used under the W&S Strategy presented the challenge of capturing detailed information on numerous topics while keeping respondent burden manageable. In a modular approach, each stakeholder received one module specific to his or her role or domain (site coordinator, law enforcement, community policing, prevention/intervention/treatment, or neighborhood revitalization) and two additional modules, each addressing one of the following topics: target area problems, local initiative focus, local initiative functioning, and stakeholder collaboration. Findings reflect the breadth and variety of local W&S initiative; agreement/disagreement among different types of stakeholders; alignment between target area problems and initiative focus; and alignment between perceived focus and reported activities. Stakeholder survey data are also used to explain observed outcomes in other data (e.g. crime data, resident survey data).
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Evaluation of the National Weed and Seed Strategy: Synthesis of Case Studies
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| Jan Roehl, JRC Consulting, janroehl@redshift.com
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| James Trudeau, RTI International, trudeau@rti.org
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This presentation describes a synthesis of findings from case studies of 13 Weed and Seed grantees selected for in-depth study. Source materials for case studies included interviews with grantee staff and key stakeholders; observations of grantee activities and tours of target areas; grant applications, progress reports, local evaluations, and other materials; and findings from other cross-site evaluation components (e.g. resident survey, stakeholder survey, crime data).
Cross-site findings from the qualitative case studies describe key site characteristics, activities, accomplishments, and challenges of the 13 Sentinel Sites, with special attention paid to collaboration and coordination, prior and new relationships among key actors, community reaction and involvement, committee functioning, the special role of the U.S. Attorney and other federal agencies, implementation successes and failures, subjective impact of Weed and Seed strategies, and sustainability. The cross-site synthesis describes the common and novel aspects of these processes and how they affected program functioning and success.
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