Evaluation is a compliance requirement for grantees funded by the California Board of State and Community Corrections (BSCC). It is also essential for demonstrating accountability, measuring impact, and strengthening programs that aim to enhance community safety and well-being.
One of the key evaluation deliverables required under BSCC grants is the Local Evaluation Plan (LEP). This foundational document sets the stage for grantees to collect, analyze, and use data to assess whether their programs achieve desired outcomes. The LEP serves as a critical roadmap for measuring program implementation, performance, and impact, connecting funded activities to measurable outcomes that advance community safety, justice, and rehabilitation.
Read more to learn what a local evaluation plan is, as well as:
- The requirements of a Local Evaluation Plan (LEP)
- Why LEPs matter
- Common LEP implementation challenges
- The role external evaluators play in LEP Development
What Is a Local Evaluation Plan (LEP)?
A Local Evaluation Plan is a structured, data-driven framework that guides how a BSCC-funded program will measure its progress and effectiveness. It outlines the program’s goals, objectives, data collection methods, evaluation design, and performance metrics to ensure alignment with BSCC’s statewide evaluation requirements.
Typically submitted within the first year of a grant cycle, the LEP serves as both a roadmap and an accountability tool. An LEP connects the day-to-day activities of a program to its intended short- and long-term outcomes.
In other words, while the grant proposal outlines the program’s goals, the LEP defines how success will be measured.
BSCC Requirements and Evaluation Standards
Many BSCC grant programs require grantees to develop an LEP that aligns with the Evaluation Plan and Final Local Evaluation Report (LER) Guidelines.
Programs that include this requirement include, but are not limited to:
- Adult Reentry Grant (ARG)
- Byrne State Crisis Intervention Program (SCIP)*
- California Violence Intervention & Prevention (CalVIP)
- Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG)*
- Organized Retail Theft (ORT) Prevention
- Organized Retail Theft – Vertical Prosecution (ORT-VP)
- Proposition 47
*Quarterly reporting requirements may be different for federally funded BSCC grants
The BSCC functions as both a funder and a statewide data-integrity steward. Its evaluation framework establishes uniform reporting and methodological standards to ensure that all grantees collect consistent, comparable, and high-quality data.
To achieve this, BSCC provides:
- Standardized LEP and LER Guidelines outlining structure, required content, and formatting.
- Evaluation Levels that define methodological rigor.
- Cross-Program Consistency, ensuring metrics such as recidivism, service engagement, and program completion are defined and tracked uniformly across counties.
For an LEP, BSCC’s expectations generally include:
- A clear program description, goals, and target populations
- A logic model linking activities, outputs, and outcomes
- Defined performance measures and indicators
- Evaluation design and methodology (data collection, analysis, reporting)
- Roles and responsibilities for data collection and reporting
- Plans for ongoing monitoring and quality assurance
- A timeline for evaluation activities throughout the grant cycle
At the end of each grant term, grantees must submit a Final LER that aligns with the LEP and assesses whether the program achieved its intended outcomes.
Why LEPs Matter
In addition to compliance assurance, a rigorous LEP strengthens program design, enhances accountability, and contributes to evidence-based decision-making.
1. Establishes Evaluation Rigor
By articulating the program’s theory of change and specifying measurable indicators, the LEP ensures that evaluation efforts are feasible, methodologically sound, and aligned with recognized standards of validity and reliability.
2. Promotes Data Quality and Consistency
The LEP establishes standard data definitions, data sources, data collection methods and frequency, and documentation protocols that improve the accuracy and comparability of data across programs and jurisdictions.
3. Enables Continuous Performance Monitoring
A well-designed LEP establishes mechanisms for real-time tracking of implementation fidelity, service delivery, and outcomes. Programs can use real-time tracking to adapt to changing circumstances, and even report that programs have been unable to meet stated goals (many times due to obstacles such as lengthy procurement processes or data platform challenges).
4. Strengthens Accountability and Transparency
Clearly defined performance metrics and reporting schedules ensure transparency in how funds are used and what outcomes are achieved, supporting both local oversight and BSCC’s statewide evaluation objectives.
5. Supports Sustainability and Scaling
Documented evidence of program impact enhances the potential for sustained funding, replication, and scaling of effective practices beyond the grant term.
Common Implementation Challenges
While most grantees recognize the importance of the LEP, challenges often emerge during its development and implementation phases:
- Data System Limitations: Many jurisdictions rely on legacy systems that are not structured for outcome evaluation, limiting access to real-time, disaggregated data.
- Lack of Defined Baselines: Without pre-intervention data, it can be challenging to establish valid comparison groups or measure change over time.
- Staff Capacity Constraints: Program teams often balance direct service delivery with reporting requirements, leaving them with limited time and expertise for data management.
- Evolving Program Models: As programs adapt during implementation, LEPs must be revised to ensure continued alignment between activities, outputs, and intended outcomes.
- Inconsistent Data Entry or Quality Assurance: Without clear protocols, variability in data entry or missing data can compromise analytic validity.
These challenges underscore the need for early evaluator involvement and ongoing communication between program, administrative, and evaluation teams.
Role of External Evaluators in LEP Development
The BSCC emphasizes the important role of evaluation for all of its grantees and is a strong proponent of early evaluator involvement. They provide resources to all grantees on reporting and evaluation partner roles (for example, see here).
Partnering with an experienced external evaluator enhances the technical quality and practical utility of a LEP. External evaluators bring:
- Methodological Expertise: Experience with mixed-methods evaluation designs, including quasi-experimental and longitudinal models where feasible.
- Tool Development and Validation: Design and pilot of customized data collection instruments (e.g., pre/post surveys, fidelity tracking tools) aligned with BSCC metrics.
- Capacity Building: Training for program staff on data collection protocols, quality assurance, and interpretation of evaluation findings.
- Independent Analysis: Objective data analysis that supports transparency and credibility in reporting.
- Integration with BSCC Requirements: Ensuring local data aligns with state-level indicators and reporting templates to streamline submission of Quarterly Progress Reports (QPRs) and Final LERs.
Early engagement of evaluators during LEP development enables the evaluation framework to evolve in tandem with program implementation, ensuring relevance and methodological soundness throughout the grant cycle.
EVALCORP’s Experience and Approach
EVALCORP has designed and implemented Local Evaluation Plans for BSCC-funded initiatives across California, including JAG, Byrne SCIP, Proposition 47, and Organized Retail Theft Prevention Program grants.
By embedding evaluation as a learning tool rather than just a compliance task, EVALCORP helps grantees transform their LEPs into mechanisms for continuous improvement and long-term impact. For example, we explore the lessons learned as an evaluator for the Organized Retail Theft Grant Program on our blog.
Conclusion
A well-crafted Local Evaluation Plan is both a compliance deliverable and a strategic asset. It provides the structure for rigorous, data-driven evaluation that supports accountability, transparency, and system learning.
For BSCC grantees, investing in a robust LEP supported by strong collaboration between program staff and evaluators ensures that funded efforts contribute not only to local success but also to statewide evidence on what works to build safer, healthier communities.