Project Strategy

To develop a successful strategy and a viable application for SVAA funding, applicants must demonstrate commitment from the state's Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) victim assistance and compensation program offices to help develop an academy. States must also demonstrate commitment from an accredited college or university to host and promote the state academy, including assistance in overseeing the planning, implementation, and evaluation of the project.

Vermont's VS2000 Project and the work of building the VVAA was housed in the Vermont Center for Crime Victim Services, the state agency that administers the VOCA funds and the victim compensation program. The VS2000 Project initially funded a half-time training coordinator position to oversee planning for the VVAA. To strengthen the planning phase, Vermont's Network Against Domestic and Sexual Violence (the state's battered women's and rape crisis coalition) committed to providing funding for the balance of the position. The result was a full-time coordinator's position, housed half-time in the state-based Center for Crime Victim Services and half-time in the office of Vermont's Network Against Domestic and Sexual Violence. The intention behind the shared position was to foster a power-sharing relationship with the grassroots coalition from the earliest possible point.

To continue to broaden support for creating the VVAA as a means to reach the VS2000 training goals, the training coordinator devised a simple questionnaire. The questionnaire was intended to reach the broadest range of stakeholders during the conceptual phase of the project, when the training coordinator was openly exploring the perceived value of the state academy model as a way to address the gap in training identified by the VS2000 needs assessment. The questionnaire more specifically focused on the SVAA model rather than the initial VS2000 needs assessment; it was intended to reveal format and topic preferences for potential participants as well as identify the level of commitment and support from allied agencies that might serve as advisers or contribute their training expertise.

The training coordinator conducted phone interviews with fledgling SVAA projects. From these interviews, the coordinator learned that power issues emerged during the planning phase and affected the development of these projects; thus, sensitivity to power dynamics would be required. Potential partners were asked if they would support the concept of an SVAA, and, if so, what was needed to make the concept most effective for them. A series of both open and closed exploratory questions related to SVAA structure, content, and the perceived appropriateness of agencies in charge conveyed a genuine interest in finding out what was needed to create an SVAA that would be planned in a way that was truly responsive.

The newly formed VVAA Advisory Group for the VS2000 Project, composed of the leadership for all key allied criminal justice and grassroots victim-centered agencies, gave its support to the VVAA planning by approving the use of its staff time toward the planning efforts. The questionnaire was supplemented by short, individual face-to-face meetings, brief phone interviews with state agency directors and their training directors, focus groups with relevant task forces, and groups for victims/survivors of crime. Those who offered training from within community-based nonprofits and the criminal justice system were asked to participate in the questionnaire or interview.

At this embryonic stage, what made this approach effective was clarifying the commitment required of those contacted: Strengthen Vermont's exploration of the concept of an academy by answering the questionnaire in whatever form was chosen, and attend one facilitated planning meeting where the results would be presented and decisions would be made as to whether and how the project should continue.