The national evaluation is intended to examine the viability and effectiveness of the delinquency prevention model developed and implemented under the Community Prevention Grants Program by addressing the following questions:

• What is the impact of the Community Prevention Grants Program on community planning, service delivery, risk factors, protective factors, and juvenile problem behaviors?
• What factors and activities lead to the effective implementation of the Community Prevention Grants Program model?

To address these questions, the evaluation is examining the four key stages of program implementation (community mobilization, assessment and planning, implementation, and institutionalization and monitoring) in 11 participating communities in 6 states (Hawaii, Michigan, Nebraska, Pennsylvania, Vermont, Virginia) through the following key tasks:

Assessment of planning, implementation, and outcome characteristics. This assessment is based on review of relevant materials such as grant applications, community assessments, and program plans; interviews with key players including community leaders, Prevention Policy Board members, project directors, and program staff; and appraisal of existing evaluation plans, capacity, and future evaluation support needs.

Assessment of the efficacy of the Community Prevention Grants Program model. This assessment is based on intensive case studies of each community's theory of change.

In combination, these activities provide a framework for understanding both the process and progress of this long-term delinquency prevention program.

Since 1998, the first year of implementation, the national evaluation team has focused primarily on building relationships and implementing data collection activities, although it has also spent a significant amount of time on developing the capacity of community members to fully engage in data collection efforts. To date, these activities, most often conducted on site, have included the following:

• Establishing collaborative working relationships at the state and community levels.
• Assessing state support for prevention programs, levels of funding, and availability of State-supported training and technical assistance.
• Assessing the communities as they progress through the four Community Prevention Grants Program implementation stages.
• Developing tools for data collection and management.

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