Table of Contents
IntroductionThis guidance document aims to help you build a viable project plan for a crime prevention project. Show
Projects need to demonstrate clear goals, objectives and viability - with measurable outcomes and indicators. This document provides you with the preliminary planning framework to help you build such a project. There are essentially three phases in a project lifecycle:
While not a separate phase, evaluation (which includes ongoing, mid-term, and final evaluation) is an essential part of the cycle, occurs throughout the life of the project, and informs all phases. Project lifecycleWhere are you in the project life cycle?You will first need to determine the phase for which you will be seeking funds. Phase 1: Needs assessmentYour group knows there are some crime problems/issues in the community, but you do not know how big the problems are, whom they affect or what should be done about them. This is the very beginning of the project lifecycle, Needs Assessment, and it could be the focus of a project. Phase 2: Project planningYour community has already identified the specific crime or victimization problem/needs in your community and now wants to plan specific crime prevention activities to address those issues. This is the second phase of the project lifecycle, Project planning, and it could be the focus of a project. Phase 3: ImplementationYour group knows the problems/issues in your community, you have consulted the community and developed a project plan with specific crime prevention activities to address those problems/issues and you are ready to start the project. This is the third phase of the project lifecycle, Implementation, and it could be the focus of a project. Phase 1 - Needs assessmentThis part of the project lifecycle focuses on the community and identifies the specific crime-prevention issue, problem or need to be addressed. It aims to also identify the risk factors that help to explain why a problem exists and the protective factors that can contribute to the solution. (for definitions and examples, see the Risk and Protective Factors fact sheet, which can be found in the Applicants Guide.) The following are questions that you will need to answer in order to build a plan and submit a project proposal for this phase. By answering the questions you will give structure to your project objectives and determine the necessary inputs and activities. On what specific crime or victimization issue in your community will this project focus?
Refer to Appendix 1 - Sample project plan for an example that includes a needs assessment phase. Phase 2 - Project planningThis part of the project lifecycle builds on what was discovered in the first phase. It focuses on what your crime prevention project is actually going to do and how it will address the problem/needs identified in your community. You will need to answer the following questions before assembling the comprehensive project plan:
After you identify what your crime prevention project could do, make a plan to put it into action:
Refer to Appendix 1 - Sample project plan for an example of the project planning phase of a project. Phase 3 - ImplementationThis is the phase of the project lifecycle where your crime prevention project comes to life. How will you start the project?
Refer to Appendix 1 - Sample project plan for an example of the Implementation phase of a project. How to develop your project planUsing your answers to the questions in the first part of this guidance document, you are now ready to build your project plan. The steps described demonstrate how you would go about developing your project plan.
Refer to Appendix 1 - Sample project plan for an example and Terminology for definitions. More about objectives and outcomes When you identify your own objectives and outcomes, be sure they are "SMART":
Objectives and outcomes should be described with action words that indicate the direction of change. Words such as "increase", "improve" or "reduce" are good examples. Saying that a project objective is "to provide recreational opportunities" does not tell us anything about the purpose of those recreational activities or the changes they are expected to bring about. Programs or projects are developed to make change. They are not developed simply for the sake of delivering products or services alone. Saying that these recreational opportunities are going to increase teamwork and leadership skills or reduce vandalism in the after-school hours makes them into SMART objectives. Evaluation planningEvaluation planning comes down to two questions:
It is about building benchmarks and accountability into your plan, and using them to evaluate the plan as you go and after the project is finished. It gives your project a more strategic structure, provides evidence for your results and, importantly, contributes to the knowledge base about effective crime prevention. Valid and reliable measurement toolsValid measurement tools provide information that is a good reflection of what they are trying to measure. For example, if you wanted to measure the extent to which people were victims of a certain type of crime, you might want to look at more than just the number of reports to police since we know that many crimes are unreported. Reliable instruments provide information that is likely to be consistent over time. It will not be affected by small changes in such things as the mood of people who respond to a survey or other circumstances unique to the day on which they complete the survey. Quality and consistencyQuality evaluations also use consistent data collection procedures. For example, interview questions should be asked to all participants in the same way, and interviewees should be careful to record the same information at every session. Where possible, collect data before and after a project. When data is collected only at the end of the project, you can't tell whether there was actually any change that occurred. Good evaluations require resources - that is, time and money. Some evaluation-related activities may be carried out by project staff (for example, questionnaires can be administered by a project coordinator), research assistants (for example, students may compile and analyse data) or by people with special expertise (for example, an evaluation consultant might draft your questionnaire). Be realistic when establishing the outcomes you choose to measure How to develop your evaluation planThe steps described demonstrate how you would go about developing your evaluation plan.
See Appendix 2 - Sample evaluation plan for insights on how to create an evaluation plan. TerminologyGoalA goal is the long-term change in specific problems or situations that you want to see in your community. ObjectiveProject objectives stem from the project goal(s) but are more specific and concrete. Objectives are then achieved through activities.InputInputs identify the resources that are needed to make your project operate. They include things such as staff, facilities and equipment.ActivityActivities are what the project will do to achieve the desired objectives.OutputOutputs are the products, goods or services you expect to produce or deliver as part of your project, or the number of people you expect to serve. They represent the concrete results of your activities.OutcomeOutcomes are the impacts or changes your project activities are expected to make in your community. Outcomes usually occur in stages. Some happen soon after the activities occur (immediate outcomes). These outcomes in turn lead to others down the road (intermediate and long-term outcomes). The long-term outcomes are usually the same as the overall goal(s), while the immediate and intermediate outcomes are similar to objectives. Sometimes several activities work together to achieve one outcome and sometimes one activity has several outcomes.IndicatorAn indicator is information that is collected about a particular process or outcome that lets you know whether it has occurred or not. It tells you what is observable and measurable. Ultimately, all the indicators together tell you whether your project was able to achieve its main objectives and if it went along as planned.Sources/MethodsInformation sources and data collection methodsare simply about where, how and when you will collect the information to document your indicators. Sources of information may include project staff, other agencies, participants and their families, members of the public and the media. Information may be collected via a variety of methods.Appendix 1 - Sample project planObjective(s):
Appendix 2 - Sample evaluation planObjective(s):
Crime Prevention News Releases
Crime Prevention Publications and Reports
Which of the following would be classified as Nonexcludable and Nonrival?A public good has two key characteristics: it is nonexcludable and nonrivalrous. These characteristics make it difficult for market producers to sell the good to individual consumers.
Which of the following explains how the government provides the optimal quantity of a public good?Which of the following explains how the government provides the optimal quantity of a public good? It compares the marginal benefit of an added unit of the good against the government's marginal cost of providing it.
Which of the following is a characteristic of a public good quizlet?The defining characteristics of a public good are non-excludability and non-rivalry.
Which of the following justifies government intervention in the economy quizlet?From an economic standpoint, government intervention is justified: -When the market mechanism fails to achieve the optimal mix of output. -Because the governemtn will encourage the production of private goods. -Because the government can increase the level of market power of private businesses.
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