Guidelines for Evaluating Community Crime Prevention Projects

Contents

STAGE 4 - PLANNING FOR ACTION

What you will do in Stage 4

• Draft a plan to release the findings and recommendations to stakeholders and interested parties
• Draft a plan to get the recommendations implemented
• Check the plan with stakeholders
• Refine the evaluation timetable

WHEN TO START DRAFTING AN ACTION PLAN

Start planning how to use the findings and recommendations from the evaluation at the same time as you are developing the tender brief and contract for the Evaluator.

You need to start working out how people will use the results even before you commission the Evaluator. The Evaluator will design the evaluation so that people can use the results appropriately. This will need to be checked and monitored.

Remember that some information may be confidential or sensitive, so it may not be appropriate to report it widely, or at all.

While you should start developing the action plan early, you should not finish it until Stage 7, when you review the results of the evaluation.

Once you see the results you may want to steer the project and the stakeholders in new directions.

PLANNING TO RELEASE THE FINDINGS

1. Get the completed PLANNING SHEETS 2B and 2C.

These list the ways that stakeholders want information, findings and recommendations reported to them.

2. On a piece of paper or in a spreadsheet, list all the ways stakeholders want to be given information, findings and recommendations from the evaluation.

3. Look for ways to make the information easy for stakeholders and interested parties to remember and act on.

Ways of reporting the findings and recommendations might include:

• a detailed written report (the Evaluator should always deliver this)
• a summary report with key findings and recommendations
• articles for stakeholders' newsletters
• articles for newspapers
• inserts in local and community newspapers
• media releases
• brochures, pamphlets, or other small publications
• public community meetings
• briefings for specific stakeholders, such as police and councillors
• television or radio interviews
• a website.

Look for common ways to inform several stakeholders and interested parties at the same time. This will save time and resources.

4. Alongside each way of informing people, list:

• who will prepare the information
• who needs to check the information before it is released
• what needs to be done to prepare the information
• an estimate of how long it will take to prepare and check the information
• an estimate of how much the information will cost to prepare.

Printed documents, overheads and websites will involve at least:

• writing text
• preparing photographs, graphs and illustrations
• having text and illustrations edited
• having the text formatted for publication or browsing
• printing the report or overheads, or uploading text to the site
• distributing printed materials.

Preparing videos and multimedia will involve at least:

• scripting the storyline
• sourcing video material or shooting new footage
• getting permission to use copyright material
• editing the visuals, and adding voiceovers and music
• making sufficient copies of the video
• distributing videos
• arranging video players and times for people to view the video.

Making spoken presentations involves at least:

• arranging a venue
• notifying all involved of the time and location
• preparing overheads, videos, handouts and any other materials
• scripting the presentation.

• Allow at least twice as much time to check and modify something as is spent preparing it.
  You may wish to tailor information for specific audiences.
  Think about which stakeholders will need to approve information before it can be released.

PLANNING FOR ACTION ONCE THE FINDINGS ARE RELEASED

5. Get the completed PLANNING SHEETS 2B and 2C.

These list how stakeholders and interested parties want to use the information, findings and recommendations from the evaluation.

6. On a separate piece of paper for each stakeholder or in a spreadsheet, list what each wants to do when they receive the information, findings and recommendations.

7. Work out all of the steps that need to be completed before each stakeholder can act.

• List these alongside each action
• List them in the order they have to be done.

8. Alongside each action and step, list:

• which stakeholders or other people will carry out these steps
• an estimate of how long each step will take
• when each step needs to take place
• an estimate of the cost of each step.

DRAFTING THE ACTION PLAN

9. Compare the funds, time, resources and staff on your two lists with the evaluation's resources. Make sure what you are proposing is feasible. Revise your lists and timetable if necessary.

You do not need to finalise this list yet because you will revise it again during Stages 6 and 7.

But you do need to make sure your initial plan is realistic.

10. Make a copy of PLANNING SHEET 4A for each stakeholder and interested party.

11. For each stakeholder and interested party, list on PLANNING SHEET 4A:

• what information they need and want from the evaluation
• the best ways for providing them with this information, and the Evaluator's findings and recommendations
• what action they want to take with this information
• what steps have to happen to provide this information
  Copy this from the list you prepared in Steps 2-4.
• what steps the project and stakeholders have to take so that stakeholders can act once they have the information
  Copy this from the lists you prepared in Steps 5-8.
• the date each step needs to take place
• an estimate of the cost.

Together, these sheets form the Action Plan.

CHECKING THE DRAFT ACTION PLAN

12. Give the Project Committee the completed PLANNING SHEET 4A. Ask them to check:

• the methods for reporting to stakeholders and interested parties
• the sensitivity of the information to be reported
• the timing of the information and activities
• steps that have to be taken so stakeholders can act
• the overall cost
• whether they can see better ways of reporting the findings and recommendations in a useable form.

Tell them this is a first draft of the timetable for releasing information and acting on the recommendations. Tell them you will send each stakeholder a copy of their PLANNING SHEET 4A to check once the Project Committee has approved the drafts.

13. Make any modifications necessary to PLANNING SHEET 4A.

14. Send each stakeholder a copy of PLANNING SHEET 4A with their details.

Only send stakeholders information that relates to them. Do not send them other stakeholders' details.

Include a covering letter explaining:

• PLANNING SHEET 4A is a draft timetable and list of methods for reporting the findings and acting on the recommendations
• it is based on what the stakeholders have told you, but takes into account the project's limited time and resources
• what you are sending them is not a final plan, and it may change
• if the plan is changed, you will discuss changes with those affected.

15. Ask each stakeholder to check if:

• the information they will get will meet their needs
• the actions they want to take on the findings are correct
• they will be able to act on the information in the form you propose
• your estimated times and costs are accurate
• there is anything missing, unnecessary, inaccurate, wrong or at inconvenient times.

16. Ask them to respond once they have checked PLANNING SHEET 4A to:

• confirm the draft is acceptable to them, or
• make any changes necessary.

Give them a date by which to get back to you. A week or two should be enough for them to consult others in their group and get back to you in writing. If you have not heard from them by the date you gave, contact them again. Remember, deal with each stakeholder separately.

17. Once you have received responses from each stakeholder, make any changes necessary to PLANNING SHEET 4A.

This may require negotiating with stakeholders and the Project Committee to balance different groups' needs. Usually you will find many stakeholders can be informed and helped to act in similar ways.

People will be much more understanding if you explain why you cannot do exactly as they hoped. They will also be in a better position to suggest constructive alternatives.

Follow points A, B and C at the end of Stage 2 for managing stakeholders.

18. Finalise PLANNING SHEET 4A for each stakeholder.

You will give these completed planning sheets to the Evaluator at the beginning of Stage 6.

These sheets, together with other information, will be used to plan the evaluation.

19. Send the Project Committee each stakeholder's completed PLANNING SHEET 4A.

REFINING THE EVALUATION TIMETABLE

20. Get the completed PLANNING SHEET 1A.

This has the draft evaluation timetable you prepared in Stage 1.

21. Make a copy of PLANNING SHEET 4B.

22. Copy all of the timetable details from PLANNING SHEETS 1A and 4A to PLANNING SHEET 4B.

You may need to adjust some of the dates and activities listed on PLANNING SHEET 1A.

Include key dates that may influence the evaluation, such as:

• deadlines for milestones
• school holidays and exam times, in the case of school-based projects
• event dates, where the project involves an event like a street festival
• public holidays
• periods when key project staff or stakeholders will not be available
• dates particular activities in the project will take place that the Evaluator needs to attend.

23. Send the updated evaluation timetable, PLANNING SHEET 4B, to the Project Committee.

REFINING THE ACTION PLAN

You may need to modify the Action Plan and individual planning sheets once you receive some preliminary results from the Evaluator. Stage 6 describes how to do this.