Phases

Phases web_admin
A woman at an EBDM conference

These are five phases of NIC’s Evidence-Based Decision Making (EBDM) initiative:

  1. Phase I Framework Development:

    Project partners worked with NIC and a multidisciplinary advisory committee to develop the Framework, with the intent to define risk and harm reduction as fundamental goals of the justice system, summarize the strongest of the evidence-based research, and outline a structure and set of principles for achieving EBDM in local justice systems.

    Read about Framework Development

  2. Phase II Planning Process:

    The initiative competitively selected and worked with seven sites as they engaged in a planning process to prepare to implement their local interpretation of the Framework. Their implementation plans were submitted to NIC in June 2011.

    Read about the Planning Process

  3. Phase III Implementation:

    Since August 2011, NIC has provided technical assistance to all seven sites:

    • Eau Claire County, Wisconsin
    • Mesa County, Colorado
    • Ramsey County, Minnesota
    • Grant County, Indiana
    • Yamhill County, Oregon
    • City of Charlottesville/County of Albemarle, Virginia
    • Milwaukee County, Wisconsin

    EBDM project staff will continue to work with the sites through the end of 2013 to revise their local work plans, assist them in implementing key change strategies, and collect data and other information to evaluate the effectiveness of these strategies in meeting their system wide scorecards.

    Read about Implementation

  4. Phase IV Expansion to Statewide Structure:

    In September 2013, NIC entered into a cooperative agreement with the Center for Effective Public Policy to expand EBDM to the state level. Work under this phase of the Initiative includes the provision of technical assistance and the development of tools and protocols to expand EBDM to additional local counties and to state level policy groups within those states with existing EBDM local sites. In support of this work, NIC and the Center partnered with officials in the State of Wisconsin to develop and pilot a statewide Summit on EBDM in January 2014. The purpose of the EBDM Summit was to pilot test the Initiative’s state-level protocols. Read more about the results of the Summit.

    Read more about the results of the Summit

  5. Phase V Building EBDM Capacity at the Individual, Agency, and System Levels:

    Under Phase V of EBDM, the selected state(s) will receive up to 15 months of intensive technical assistance (TA) to begin the work of EBDM at the state level and in multiple local jurisdictions. While Phase IV is focused on building capacity and preparing to expand EBDM efforts in the state, the goal of Phase V is to build capacity to make evidence-based decisions at the individual, agency, and system levels, and to develop plans for implementing systemwide change strategies that will align state and local officials/jurisdictions with one another and with the principles of EBDM. Phase V is a planning phase, similar to the planning process seven EBDM local sites engaged in during Phase II. Full implementation of EBDM strategies is anticipated in Phase VI (the implementation phase).

    Read about building capacity

Phase I - Framework Development

Phase I - Framework Development web_admin

Project partners worked with NIC and a multidisciplinary advisory committee to develop the Framework, with the intent to define risk and harm reduction as fundamental goals of the justice system, summarize the strongest of the evidence-based research, and outline a structure and set of principles for achieving EBDM in local justice systems.

Phase II - Planning Process

Phase II - Planning Process web_admin

Preparing to Implement the EBDM Framework (A Roadmap for Phase II)

Core Activities

Likely Action Steps

By the end of the Phase II, the EBDM Site will have…
Build a genuine, collaborative policy team.
  • Administer a policy team collaboration survey (one or more times).
  • Establish ground rules and operating norms.
  • Develop a shared vision statement.
  • Articulate roles and responsibilities of team members.
  • Develop “One Less” individual statements and a team document that reflects these statements.
  • Take other steps to build/enhance the collaborative climate of the policy teams.
  • a highly functioning collaborative policy team.
  • a shared vision for the criminal justice system.
  • a track record of meaningful team accomplishments.
Build individual agencies that are collaborative and in a state of readiness for change.
  • Administer an agency-based collaboration survey (one or more times).
  • Engage staff in the EBDM initiative in specific, purposeful ways (e.g., establish an internal working team to collect information, provide input, and assist in specific objectives).
  • Develop specific action items to address learnings from the survey.
  • agencies that demonstrate a collaborative climate and readiness for change.
  • an engaged staff that provides meaningful, ongoing input into evidence-based policy and practice changes.
Understand current practice within each agency and across the system.
  • Develop a system map.
  • Conduct policy/practice assessment around each decision point to determine the use of evidence-based practices/decision making and continuous quality improvement (CQI) competencies.
  • Gather baseline data.
  • Identify strengths/challenges and targets of change.
  • a full understanding of the basis upon which decisions are made at key points within and across agencies.
  • a set of agreed-upon strengths.
  • a set of agreed-upon targets for change.
Understand and have the capacity to implement evidence-based practices.
  • Administer a knowledge survey to the policy team and agency staff.
  • Assess staff skills in core competency areas.
  • Develop specific strategies to augment knowledge and competencies, where needed.
  • a common understanding of the research (and its limitations) across all relevant agencies/staff.
  • an understanding of the implications of these findings for future policy and practice.
Develop logic models.
  • Administer a knowledge survey to the policy team and agency staff.
  • Assess staff skills in core competency areas.
  • Develop specific strategies to augment knowledge and competencies, where needed.
  • a common understanding of the research (and its limitations) across all relevant agencies/staff.
  • an understanding of the implications of these findings for future policy and practice.
Establish performance measures, determine outcomes, and develop a system scorecard.
  • Agree on key definitions (e.g., “recidivism,” “probation violation”).
  • Develop scorecard items/outcomes.
  • Identify performance measures.
  • Assess data system capacity/collection methods.
  • Build capacity, where needed.
  • a set of agreed-upon performance measures that will enable an objective, empirical evaluation of the effectiveness of the justice system agencies in achieving their agreed vision.
  • benchmarks against which longer-term outcomes can be measured.
  • methods to collect and analyze data on an ongoing basis to inform policy and practice.
  • a systemwide scorecard
Engage and gain the support of a broader set of stakeholders and the community.
  • Conduct a public opinion survey.
  • Compile information/a clear set of messages the team and individual stakeholders can use to inform and engage the community.
  • Define the desired role of the community in justice system activities.
  • Identify individuals/groups within the community who are appropriate for outreach.
  • a strategy for engaging additional stakeholders and the community in meaningful dialogue about the vision/goals of the justice system, the state of knowledge and research, and the system’s performance in achieving these goals.
Engage and gain the support of a broader set of stakeholders and the community. Develop a strategic action plan for implementation.
  • Conduct an analysis of potential barriers to implementation.
  • Develop a plan of action for implementing specific policy and practice changes—who, what, when, where, how.
  • a clear, specific, measurable plan for implementing policy and practice changes that advance evidence-based decision making and further support the achievement of the justice system’s vision and goals.

Phase III - Implementation

Phase III - Implementation web_admin

Since August 2011, NIC has provided technical assistance to all seven sites:

EBDM project staff will continue to work with the sites through the end of 2013 to revise their local work plans, assist them in implementing key change strategies, and collect data and other information to evaluate the effectiveness of these strategies in meeting their system wide scorecards.

Phase IV - Expansion to Statewide Structure

Phase IV - Expansion to Statewide Structure web_admin

In September 2013, NIC partnered with the Center for Effective Public Policy to expand EBDM to the state level. Work under this phase of the Initiative includes the provision of technical assistance and the development of tools and protocols to expand EBDM to additional local counties and to state level policy groups within those states with existing EBDM local sites. In support of this work, NIC and the Center partnered with officials in the State of Wisconsin to develop and pilot a statewide Summit on EBDM in January 2014. The purpose of the EBDM Summit was to pilot test the Initiative’s state-level protocols. Click below for the results of the summit.

Phase V - Building EBDM Capacity at the Individual, Agency, and System Levels

Phase V - Building EBDM Capacity at the Individual, Agency, and System Levels web_admin

Introduction

For Phase V, National Institute of Corrections (NIC) sought applications for states to participate in this phase of the Evidence-Based Decision Making in State and Local Criminal Justice Systems Initiative. In Phase V, states began the process of planning systemwide change strategies at the state level and in multiple local jurisdictions. One state-level executive team and 4-6 local-level policy teams in each selected state are undergoing a planning process to implement changes—selected by the team—across a continuum of criminal justice decision points, as outlined in the Phase V Roadmap. All states involved in Phase IV of were eligible to apply to continue their work with NIC and its partners in Phase V of the Initiative. Three states--Indiana, Virginia, and Wisconsin--were selected to participate in Phase V of the EBDM Initiative.

EBDM Phase V

Under Phase V of EBDM, the selected state(s) will receive up to 15 months of intensive technical assistance (TA) to begin the work of EBDM at the state level and in multiple local jurisdictions. While Phase IV is focused on building capacity and preparing to expand EBDM efforts in the state, the goal of Phase V is to build capacity to make evidence-based decisions at the individual, agency, and system levels, and to develop plans for implementing systemwide change strategies that will align state and local officials/jurisdictions with one another and with the principles of EBDM. Phase V is a planning phase, similar to the planning process seven EBDM local sites engaged in during Phase II. Full implementation of EBDM strategies is anticipated in Phase VI (the implementation phase).