OVC FY 2022 Measuring the Impact of Victim Services: Implementation, Management, and Sustainment of the Measures for Providers Responding to Victimization Experiences (iMPRoVE) Project

Despite major advancements in the victim service field over the past several decades, efforts to demonstrate the impact and effectiveness of these services have lagged. The field needs data on the outcomes and quality of services from survivors perspectives in order to make necessary improvements to services and demonstrate that victim service funds are making a difference for survivors. The Measures for Providers Responding to Victimization Experiences (iMPRoVE) platform was developed to fulfill this need. It is a low-burden, free-to-use platform and tool that victim service providers (VSPs) can use to collect valuable information about the short-term outcomes of services and survivor perspectives on the way services were provided. The goal of this project is to implement the iMPRoVE tool with VSPs nationwide and develop plans for its sustainability. The following are the major objectives: 1) bring awareness and communication about the iMPRoVE tool and its benefits for VSPs and train them on how to use it; 2) distribute, manage, and sustain the iMPRoVE tool for VSPs nationwide; and 3) use the iMPRoVE tool for the collection of data on outcomes, analyze the data, and disseminate the findings.

RTI International will partner with the Justice Research Statistics Association and the GA Criminal Justice Coordinating Council Statistical Analysis Center to carry out this effort. Key project activities include the following: 1) develop and implement an outreach and communication plan to encourage VSPs to utilize the iMPRoVE tool; 2) develop and implement a training and technical assistance (TTA) plan that includes online resources, an online helpdesk, group TTA webinars, and peer-to-peer training; 3) develop and implement a data collection and analysis plan, which includes a data dashboard that presents aggregate data collected from the iMPRoVE tool; 4) develop and implement a sustainability plan for the iMPRoVE platform; and 5) report on iMPRoVE distribution, usage and functionality, and outcomes of victim services.

These activities will help to move the victim service field from a focus on outputs to a focus on effectiveness and quality of services through the utilization of the iMPRoVE tool. The project will provide OVC and the field with valuable data to quantify and convey to funders and policymakers the critical impact that victim services have on survivors lives.