EVALUATIVE CASE STUDY OF THE TRUST PROJECT (AN INTERACTIVE MEDIA CITIZENS PARTICIPATION PROGRAM)

• NCJ Number: 55423
• Author(s): J M BROWNE
• Date Published: 1976
• Length: 299 pages
• Grant Number(s): 75-DF-99-0040
• Sponsoring Agency: US Dept of Justice
• Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY - DOCTORAL DISSERATATION

Annotation

THIS EVALUATIVE CASE STUDY OF A CITIZENS PARTICIPATION PROJECT BASED ON THE INTERACTIVE MEDIA CONCEPT DEALS WITH EVALUATION AS A PRODUCT AND A PROCESS IN THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM.

Abstract

THE STUDY SOUGHT TO DESCRIBE THE FOLLOWING: (1) THE RESULTS OF AN ATTEMPT TO IMPLEMENT AN INTERRACTIVE MEDIA CITIZENS PARTICIPATION WITH OBJECTIVES, RESOURCES, AND CONSTRAINTS PART OF THE TRUST (TO RESHAPE URBAN SYSTEMS TOGETHER) PROJECT; AND (2) FACTORS INFLUENCING THE EVALUATION PROCESS OF AN INTERACTIVE MEDIA CITIZEN PARTICIPATION PROJECT. IN ORDER TO DETERMINE SOME OF THE RESULTS OF THE TRUST PROJECT, THREE PROCEDURES WERE EMPLOYED. FIRST, THE EXTENT OF OBJECTIVES ATTAINMENT RELATED TO VIEWER-DISCUSSION GROUPS WAS MEASURED BY TWO INSTRUMENTS. ALL VIEWER-DISCUSSION PARTICIPANTS WERE REQUESTED TO COMPLETE A SET OF QUESTIONS ON A PRETEST-POSTTEST BASIS USING FEEDBACK QUESTIONNAIRES. QUESTIONS WERE DESIGNED PRIMARILY TO MEASURE PARTICIPANT FEELINGS ABOUT THEIR KNOWLEDGE OF THE DYNAMICS OF THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM AND ABOUT THEIR COMMITMENT AND OBLIGATION TO WORK FOR IMPROVEMENTS IN THE SYSTEM. FOLLOWUP QUESTIONNAIRES WERE EMPLOYED TO SURVEY VIEWER-DISCUSSION GROUP LEADERS SEVERAL MONTHS AFTER THE PROJECT WAS COMPLETED. QUESTIONS WERE INTENDED TO ASCERTAIN WHAT VIEWER-DISCUSSION GROUP ACTIVITIES WERE LIKE AND WHY SOME GROUPS STAYED TOGETHER LONGER THAN OTHERS. SECOND, THE EXTENT OF OBJECTIVES ATTAINMENT RELATED TO COOPERATING ORGANIZATIONS IN THE PROJECT WAS MEASURED BY A SURVEY OF ORGANIZATIONAL REPRESENTATIVES CARRIED OUT SEVERAL MONTHS AFTER THE PROJECT WAS COMPLETED. THIRD, MAJOR EVENTS OR PROCESSES IN THE PROJECT WERE ANALYZED, INCLUDING PROJECT INITIATION, ISSUE IDENTIFICATION, CITIZEN MOBILIZATION, GROUP LEADER TRAINING, SELECTED PROCESSES RELATED TO THE FUNCTIONING OF VIEWER-DISCUSSION GROUPS (I.E., PAPERWORK LOGISTICS AND FEEDBACK/FOLLOWUP), AND AN ACTION FAIR CONFERENCE. EVALUATION WAS NOT DISCUSSED AS A SEPARATE ACTIVITY IN THE COURSE OF THE PROJECT; RATHER, FACTORS IMPACTING THE FORMAT AND CONTENT OF EVALUATION WERE CONSIDERED ALONG WITH THE PARTICULAR ASPECT OF THE PROJECT BEING DISCUSSED. RECOMMENDATIONS PERTINENT TO DIFFERENT EVENTS AND PROCESSES IN THE PROJECT AND TO EVALUATION ARE OFFERED. APPENDIXES CONTAIN SUPPORTING DATA AND THE STUDY QUESTIONNAIRES. REFERENCE NOTES AND A LIST OF SELECTED REFERENCES ARE INCLUDED. (AUTHOR'S ABSTRACT MODIFIED--DEP)