A Proven Partner for BSCC Grants
Public safety agencies across California have increasingly turned to data to prove and improve the impact of their work. For agencies receiving funding through the Board of State and Community Corrections (BSCC), that means navigating a rigorous set of evaluation requirements, such as the Local Evaluation Plans, data matrices, quarterly progress reports, and Final Local Evaluation Reports that must meet state standards.
As a trusted evaluation partner for law enforcement agencies, district attorneys’ offices, county behavioral health departments, and probation departments throughout the state, EVALCORP has built deep, specialized expertise in BSCC grant evaluation. EVALCORP currently partners with recipients of Organized Retail Theft (ORT) Prevention Grants, ORT Vertical Prosecution Grants, Proposition 47 grants, the Byrne State Crisis Intervention Program (SCIP) Grants, and Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) funded initiatives.
Evaluating BSCC Grant-Funded Projects
The BSCC seeks to ensure that funded projects are impactful and effective. It is important for grantees to partner with an evaluator who can guide and support project planning and implementation, oversee progress, provide objectivity while ensuring accountability to grant requirements, and communicate the overall results in a compelling way to interested stakeholders. Partnering with EVALCORP guarantees that public safety agencies have access to a team with expertise in evaluation who understands the funding agency’s expectations from day one. Our team has developed a consistent, proven approach to this work, built around a few core principles:
A strong foundation starts with the Local Evaluation Plan
For nearly every BSCC-funded project we support, our first step is developing (or enhancing) a comprehensive Local Evaluation Plan (LEP), including a project logic model and a detailed data matrix. This document becomes the roadmap for the entire grant term. The LEP aligns process and outcome objectives with the specific requirements laid out by the BSCC, and ensures that every metric we track has a clear line back to program goals.
Customized data tools are designed to meet your needs
Rather than imposing a one-size-fits-all data collection system, we design data collection tools (i.e., trackers, surveys, and stakeholder interview protocols) that integrate into each agency’s existing workflow. This might mean building bilingual community surveys, designing tracking spreadsheets that fit easily into staff routines, or working directly with technology teams to ensure case management systems capture data required to inform the evaluation.
Compliance is a continuous process
Throughout the grant period, our team supports the development of quarterly progress reports, participates in task force and steering committee meetings, monitors data quality, and provides program staff with ongoing evaluative insights. This ensures that potential issues are addressed before they might escalate.
Mixed methods tell a fuller story
Our evaluations combine quantitative analysis, often drawing on records management systems, case management data, and criminal justice databases, with qualitative methods like key stakeholder interviews and focus groups. This mixed-methods approach captures cumulative program totals, such as activities and services, while providing deeper context by amplifying individual voices, including participant feedback and programmatic success stories.
The Final or Local Evaluation Report paves the road for continuous success
We approach report development as a rigorous process of data cleaning, integration, and analysis. We produce executive summaries, methodology sections, findings, and recommendations that comply with BSCC requirements. The final reports set agencies up for future success — presenting results in a way that’s compliant with BSCC requirements while remaining consumer-friendly and usable for ongoing funding efforts that demonstrate the program’s impact.
In fact, BSCC adopted an EVALCORP-designed data report as the statewide model for JAG-funded projects in 2018.
Breadth Across Grant Types
Our portfolio of BSCC-funded evaluation work spans a wide range of program models, including:
- ORT Prevention Grants, we evaluate efforts to address organized retail theft, motor vehicle or accessory theft, or cargo theft through community education, technology investment, and collaboration between law enforcement and retailers
- ORT Vertical Prosecution Grants, we evaluate the impact of dedicated prosecution strategies on case outcomes and theft-related crime trends
- JAGs, we evaluate long-running, multi-cycle projects addressing violence prevention, courts, corrections, prevention/education, and drug treatment/interventions
- Proposition 47 Grants, we evaluate reentry, behavioral health, and diversion initiatives for justice-involved individuals with mental health and substance use needs
- Byrne SCIP Grants, we evaluate alternative to law enforcement crisis intervention strategies for individuals experiencing mental health crises
Across this range, our EVALCORP teams have supported efforts ranging from single-agency police department initiatives to complex, multiagency efforts involving probation, housing, employment, mental health, and judicial partners working within results-based accountability frameworks. In several cases, our clients have trusted us as their evaluation partner across multiple, consecutive grant terms.
What Agencies Gain by Partnering with EVALCORP
Agencies that partner with EVALCORP for BSCC grant evaluation consistently benefit from:
- Reduced administrative burden. We shoulder the heavy lifting of evaluation planning, data tool development, and report writing, freeing program staff to focus on service delivery.
- Stronger BSCC compliance. Our familiarity with BSCC guidelines and reporting expectations helps agencies stay on track throughout the grant term.
- Continuous program insight. Ongoing monitoring and data tracking mean agencies aren’t waiting until the final report to understand what’s working and what needs adjustment.
- Evidence to support future funding. A well-documented evaluation record strengthens agencies’ cases when applying for future grant cycles.
- A collaborative partner. From logic model development to final report presentations, we work alongside program staff and stakeholders as an extension of the team, not an outside auditor.
A Partner for the Full Grant Lifecycle
Whether an agency is just beginning a new BSCC-funded initiative or is several years into a multi-term grant, EVALCORP brings the structure, rigor, and responsiveness needed to meet state requirements while generating insights that strengthen program impact.
Preparing for a BSCC grant evaluation or looking for a new evaluation partner for a funding award? EVALCORP would love to connect and discuss how we can support your evaluation needs.
Contact us today to learn more.
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