Crime Prevention Action Fund

Application Guide

Introduction

Public Safety Canada’s National Crime Prevention Centre (NCPC) is responsible for implementing the National Crime Prevention Strategy (NCPS).

Building on past successes, lessons learned, and existing knowledge about effective crime prevention, the Strategy’s goal is to prevent and reduce offending among specific at-risk populations. It is now established and widely accepted that well-designed and targeted interventions can help reduce the likelihood of future criminal behaviour.

The priorities of the Strategy are to:

• address early risk factors among vulnerable children and youth at risk;
• respond to priority crime issues (e.g.: youth gangs, drug-related crime);
• prevent recidivism among high risk groups; and
• foster prevention in Aboriginal communities.

In order to achieve its goal, the NCPC provides time-limited funding to selected projects that contribute to preventing crime and to increasing knowledge and application of what works in crime prevention.

For this two-part Guide on the Crime Prevention Action Fund (CPAF): the first part describes the objectives and procedures specific to this funding program, and the second presents the guidelines for the preparation of the project proposal.

Section I : Objectives and procedures for the CPAF

1. Objectives

The CPAF will support:

• projects that aim to reduce offending by using evidence-based model and promising programs which address known risk and protective factors among at-risk children and youth and high risk offenders in communities;
• projects to develop and/or disseminate tools and resources related to effective crime prevention practices;
• innovative projects to explore ways of addressing known risk and protective factors related to offending among at-risk children and youth, and high risk offenders in communities.

A. Model and Promising Programs

Supporting direct evidence-based interventions with at-risk groups is the principal component of the CPAF. Essentially, CPAF is a vehicle for delivering concrete, measurable results while at the same time contributing to the knowledge base of what works to prevent crime in Canada.

Evidence-based model and promising programs are terms used to collectively describe interventions that have been evaluated positively in the past with a good degree of rigour but have not been sufficiently tested in Canada to determine to what extent and how they work to reduce offending. Applicants are encouraged to use these promising and model programs^[1] in their project proposals and NCPC staff will support their efforts in this direction.

The preferred projects will deliver concrete interventions with children (6-11), youth (12-17), young adults (18-24), and former offenders in the community, with target groups selected on the basis that they present many of the risk factors related to offending or re-offending. For example, youth who showed early aggressiveness, have low attachment to school and learning difficulties, show early experimentation with substances, are suspended from school, and associate with delinquent peers, are known to be at greater risk of offending than other youth.

B. Innovative projects

The CPAF will also support innovative projects aimed at developing new interventions with at-risk populations. Unlike model or promising programs, they are not rooted in the existing evidence base in crime prevention. The innovative program may, for example, come from another field such as health, mental health or education, and the purpose of the project is to adapt and test the approach as a crime prevention measure. The project proposal for the implementation of an innovative program should provide a plausible rationale that links the proposed intervention to the desired outcomes (reductions in offending and positive changes in risk and protective factors).

C. Knowledge transfer

Funding under this heading will support selected projects designed to synthesize and present knowledge in a practice-oriented way. The intent of these projects is to equip crime prevention practitioners with better knowledge of what works, in what circumstances, and with whom, and thereby promote the use of proven practices.

For more information on evidence-based approaches and risk and protective factors please see appendices A and B.

2. Eligible Recipients

Eligible recipients include:

• National, provincial, territorial, municipal, Aboriginal, community or professional organizations, societies and associations which have voluntarily associated themselves for a not-for-profit purpose, and which have the mandate to represent their membership or community;
• Aboriginal and non-status Aboriginal governments, organizations and communities;
• Canadian universities, educational institutions/boards of education and Centres of excellence;
• Provincial, municipal and Aboriginal police services;
• Provincial, territorial, municipal and regional governments and their agencies;
• Not-for-profit organizations and associations serving the private sector;
• Under certain conditions, international non-governmental organizations which have as their purpose supporting crime prevention.

Crown Corporations, for-profit groups and individuals are not eligible for funding under the CPAF.

3. Eligible Costs:

Only expenses directly related to approved project activities are eligible, and can include:

• Personnel
• Travel & accommodations
• Material & supplies
• Office equipment
• Rent & utilities
• Evaluation & audit

For more information on eligible costs and other budget considerations, please see the budget section of this document.

4. Funding

Financial assistance will be provided to eligible recipients in the form of a contribution or a grant.

Grants support the development of tools and resources related to effective crime prevention practices, and innovative projects (see par. 1B and 1C) while contributions support evidence-based model and promising programs (see paragraph 1A).

For a grant, the maximum financial support cannot exceed $900,000 per recipient, per project over three years (the yearly maximun is $300,000). In cases where a recipient is managing multiple projects, the overall maximum financial support a recipient can receive yearly (12 months) is $300,000 in grant funding. The duration of funding can not exceed three years.

For a contribution, the maximum financial support can not exceed $7,500,000 per recipient, per project over 5 years (the yearly maximum is $1,500,000). In cases where a recipient is managing multiple projects, the overall maximum financial support a recipient can receive yearly (12 months) is $1,500,000 in contribution funding. The duration of funding cannot exceed five years.

The CPAF does not fund 100% of project costs. It is expected that organizations and community partners will contribute to the cost of the project, financially or in kind through donations of materials, supplies or services. Organizations seeking funding are also expected to obtain in-kind and/or financial contributions from other sources. If applicable, organizations must work to find other sources of funding for activities that will continue beyond funding under the CPAF.

N.B.: The current terms and conditions for the CPAF expire on March 31, 2013. Funding beyond this date will be conditional upon Treasury Board approval for the renewal of the CPAF terms & conditions.

5. Applying for Funding:

It is strongly recommended that you speak to a program officer at your Regional NCPC Office before making an application (you will find the list of NCPC regional offices at www.publicsafety.gc.ca/abt/regional-offices-eng.aspx#cp.) The program officer can inform you regarding upcoming requests for letters of interest in your jurisdiction, whether there are funds available at the time you wish to apply, and about other relevant matters.

Section II – Guidelines for the Preparation of Required Documents

Step 1 – Initial application and project description

Application Form
This form must be completed and submitted along with the Project Description for a funding request to receive initial consideration. Upon receipt of the Application Form and the Project Description the request for funding will be considered formally submitted and an acknowledgement letter will be sent.

Project Description

Direct Intervention projects (developing and implementing model, promising or innovative programs) and Knowledge Transfer projects (conferences, tools etc) require different types of descriptions so be sure to complete the appropriate Project Description form. The information required for both types of projects is detailed below.

The Project Description must be completed and submitted with the Application Form for a funding request to be considered. These two documents can be submitted electronically or by mail.

The Project Description will be examined to determine the eligibility of the project and whether development into a full proposal is warranted. It is therefore important that you answer all the questions and consult the suggested documents to assist in preparing your project description. It is expected that the project description would be between 5 and 10 pages in length.

Components of a Direct Intervention Project

Crime Issue: The aim of the Crime Prevention Action Fund is to reduce offending among targeted populations through a direct intervention. In this question please describe the existing or emerging crime issue(s) you intend to address through this project and why it is important to carry out this project. In order to demonstrate the need for the project be sure to include information such as crime statistics, findings from community needs assessments or other supporting pieces of evidence that speak to the need for the project.

Target Group: Describe the characteristics of the target group who will be receiving the proposed intervention described in your project. Provide as much information as possible on the people you will work with including age group, gender, offending history, socio-demographic characteristics, and number of participants you will reach. Explain how you will select the participants and engage them in the project and identify whether the project is gender-specific and/or whether you will adopt a gendered approach.

Risk/Protective factors: Describe the key risk factors your project will directly address. The risk factors you identify must be related to the crime issue(s) and target group you have identified. (Please see Appendix A for information on risk and protective factors).

Intervention (Activities): Describe the intervention and give details on what your project will look like in terms of the following: who is delivering/receiving the intervention/activities, what intervention/activities will take place, where they will take place (school, community) and when they will take place (how many sessions, how long in duration). Give as much detail as possible in describing the activities/interventions of your project. Provide evidence to show that the selected intervention can be effective in reducing the risk factors you identified (see Appendix B for information on Evidence-Based Crime Prevention approaches). The likelihood of an intervention being successful increases to the extent that its core components (e.g.:., individual or family counselling, mentoring, skills development, etc.) and required resources (e.g.:., type of professionals, extent of training needed, etc.) are in line with the nature of the problems identified (e.g.:.,poor parenting, delinquent peers and lack of supervision, or poor social abilities) and available resources in the community (availability of trained social workers, counsellors or mentors). The more these relationships are evident in your description, the stronger the case is for the intervention you are proposing to implement.

Concrete Results/Outcomes: The long term goal of the project should speak to reducing the likelihood of offending or re-offending as it relates to the crime issue already identified. Short and intermediate term outcomes focus on the expected changes in the risk factors that are expected to lead to a reduction in offending or re-offending. It may be helpful to think of the short term outcomes as those changes you expect to see as a youth participates in, and/or completes a program. Describe what you expect to see in terms of results over the course of your project both in the short and intermediate term. Provided below is a chart to help you determine your results.

Typical Outcomes Used When Measuring Crime Prevention

Short Term (also known as Immediate Outcomes)	Changes in: Awareness Knowledge Attitude Perceptions Feelings
Short Term (these require more time than those above but are not necessarily intermediate outcomes)	Changes in: Skill (e.g.: employable skills, cognitive skill development)
Intermediate Outcomes (the timing of these can vary depending on the behaviour requiring change)	Changes in Behaviour (e.g.: changes in risk factors that might include aggression, substance abuse Status (e.g.: employable, perceived as a pro-social and productive citizen)
Long Term Outcomes (the timing of these can vary depending on the behaviour requiring change)	Changes in Bullying patterns Arrest and conviction patterns Crime

Reference: Kirkpatrick’s Levels of Evaluation Outcomes (modified to apply crime prevention examples)

Partners: please identify existing and potential partners and how you will involve them in your project.

Example

Name of Partner Organization	Description of partner’s role in the project
St. Mary’s Community Health Centre	Will provide nurse volunteers; talk to schools about program; provide space for training of mentors; provide paper & supplies; will assist in running the project.

Project Description: Knowledge Transfer

Topic: The Crime Prevention Action Fund will support the synthesis and dissemination of evidence and research of effective crime prevention that will increase the application of this knowledge to crime prevention practices designed to reduce offending among high risk groups. For this question please describe the topic(s) and body of knowledge you intend to work with in your project. Explain how the transfer of this knowledge will be important for effective crime prevention practices.

Target Group: Describe the audience (s) you are targeting for the knowledge transfer. Explain why it is important to reach these groups with the knowledge, why this information will be important to them and how the application of the knowledge gained could be applied in order to bring about positive changes in risk and protective factors among high risk populations.

Project Activities: Describe the project including what activities will take place (e.g.: seminar, workshop, conference, tool development), where and when they will take place and who will be responsible for the various parts of the project. Explain why you have chosen the knowledge dissemination activities described,and the basis on which you have determined that they are appropriate for the given target audience(s) and the desired outcomes. Be sure to include the number of people you intend to reach through this initiative.

Concrete Results/Outcomes: Describe what you expect to see in terms of results over the course of your project both in the short and intermediate term. Provided below is a chart to help you determine your results.

Typical Outcomes Used When Measuring Crime Prevention

Short Term (also known as Immediate Outcomes)	Changes in: Awareness of the evidence Knowledge of how to apply the evidence Attitude towards application of evidence Perceptions about knowledge transfer methods Feelings about gaining and applying evidence
Short Term (these require more time than those above but are not necessarily intermediate outcomes)	Changes in: Discussions about programming in crime prevention initiatives
Intermediate Outcomes (the timing of these can vary depending on the behaviour requiring change)	Changes in Behaviour (i.e changes in how practitioners are developing and implementing initiatives based on knowledge provided
Long Term Outcomes (the timing of these can vary depending on the behaviour requiring change)	Changes in: Evidence provided by selected practitioners and others to support new and existing crime prevention initiatives Understanding of effective methods for knowledge transfer and application

Reference: Kirkpatrick's Levels of Evaluation Outcomes (modified to knowledge transfer examples)

Partners: Please identify existing and potential partners and how you will involve them in your project.

Example

Name of Partner Organization	Description of partner’s role in the project
Criminology department	Will provide students to synthesize findings of studies; will offer space and technology for sessions and will assist in running of the project
Volunteer Centre	Will provide facilitators with practical knowledge of the audience to help deliver sessions

Part 2 – Developing the full proposal

Logic Model

All project proposals must include a well developed logic model. It is an important tool that facilitates planning, implementation and evaluation of a project intervention. A logic model is a systematic and visual way to present and share your understanding of the relationships between the resources you have to operate your project (human and financial resources), the activities you plan to implement (eg., individual and group activities with these children), and the results and impact you hope to achieve (eg., reducing bullying among school children aged 8-11). A logic model is normally presented as a one page visual diagram. In other words, the description of your project is the narrative to your logic model.

Because the logic model diagram needs to fit on one page, it is not possible to provide details. A short descriptive phrase to identify each item in the logic model diagram is sufficient. In some cases it may be appropriate to collapse items. A key element of the logic model diagram is showing the linkages (via lines joining the various boxes) between the activities and the eventual outcomes / impact.

There are a variety of formats by which a logic model may be presented. Appendix C presents the National Crime Prevention Strategy’s logic model as an example.

Commitment towards the development and implementation of an Evaluation Plan

Evaluation is an important aspect of good project management as well as a means of measuring and reporting on a project’s success. There are many different types of evaluations for approved projects. Once your project is approved for funding you will have six months in order to develop a process evaluation plan, as described below. It is expected that the plan will  be prepared by a competent and experienced individual with such plans.

Commitment towards the development and implementation of a Monitoring Plan

As stated above, within six months of funding approval, a monitoring plan to report on the performance of the project. The main task is to collect the information related to the activities undertaken. In particular, it will identify what was done, by whom, with whom, and in what circumstances. The monitoring plan will, in turn, facilitate the preparation of descriptive interim and final project reports on activities, outputs and progress. It is expected that the plan will be prepared by a competent and experienced individual with such plans.

The time and resources required to set up and maintain the monitoring system should be included in your project budget

Process Evaluation

Within six months of funding approval, projects will require a process evaluation plan that should at minimum, answer the following questions:

• To what extent did the project reach its target population?
• Were the project activities implemented as planned?
• Did the project produce the expected outputs?
• Did the project establish the expected partnerships?
• Were staff selection practices, training, and skills adequate for the intervention?

The goal, here, is to identify and solve implementation problems and assess progress towards achieving the project's expected results.

Impact Evaluation

In selected cases, NCPC will conduct an independent, external evaluation of impacts. These studies will help better identify successful interventions and how they work. In these cases, NCPC will issue a service contract to a qualified external evaluator.

WorkPlan : This is where you give a clear picture of how you will put your project into action.

Your proposal must include a project workplan. The workplan is a formal document that is used to guide both project execution and project control. The workplan provides a detailed description and breakdown of the project activities, responsibilities, required resources, timeframes and sequence of events and what is produced as a result of the activities.

Please complete the workplan template below for your project while being as specific as possible. Provide enough details to enable you to monitor your project’s implementation and communicate to others what is required to conduct your project.

Activities (what is being done: eg., parent meetings, therapy sessions, etc.)	Tasks (How, by whom, with what)	Timeframe/dates	Outputs (Direct products or services stemming from the activities of and usually within the control of an organisation itself. e.g.: pamphlet, research study, water treatment plant, training session, etc)

Budget Guide

Your project budget must idenfity all anticipated sources of revenues (requested NCPC contribution, other financial contributions, in-kind contributions) and all projected expenditures related to your proposed project.

Project Revenues

Requested NCPC contribution: NCPC cannot support 100% of the project costs.

In-kind contributions: An in-kind contribution could be donated time, services, supplies, materials or other resources that otherwise would need to be purchased or paid for by the recipient. An in-kind contribution must be supported by a commitment from the donor, can be measured at fair market value, and must be essential to the project’s success. The contribution must be indicated and detailed as a revenue, and the donated materials or services must be indicated and detailed as an expense in the recipient’s budget and financial statement. An example of an in-kind contribution would be a recreational centre providing space for project activities. The market value could be estimated at $300/month for 6 months, totaling $1800.

Financial contributions: This term relates to any monetary contribution provided by individuals or organizations to be used for project expenses. A financial contribution should appear in the organization’s ledger as revenue (cheque, transfer of funds, direct deposit, etc.). These expenses must be essential to the successful delivery of the project. An example of a financial contribution would be a $2,000 donation from a foundation to purchase sports equipment for project activities.

Project Expenses

Only expenses directly related to the proposed project activities are eligible for funding by NCPC. The expenses must be essential to the project’s implementation. The following section outlines eligible and ineligible expenses.

Eligible costs

Personnel:

• Salaries and wages for permanent or temporary professional, clerical, technical and/or administrative services, including contributions to the Employment Insurance Commission, the Canada Pension Plan, the Workers' Compensation Board, the Provincial Pension Plan or other Employee Benefit Plans.

Transportation:

• Travel and living expenses related to the delivery of the project, including transportation rental costs and insurance.Expenses must be within Treasury Board Guidelines found on the website www.tbs-sct.gc.ca.

Honoraria:

• Remuneration for a service or participation in a project that is consistent with and essential to the project’s objectives, for example, a time-limited remuneration for volunteer services.

Materials & supplies:

• Purchase of office supplies, printing, photocopying, distribution expenses and/or other materials specific to the project activities. Licenses and other fees related to the project objectives and activities such as for the use of copyrighted models of practice are eligible.
• Purchase of materials and supplies related to the delivery of an intervention for project participants, for example, purchasing supplies required for a homework club to improve academic performance.

Evaluation:

• Costs associated with the evaluation of the project such as consultant fees, data collection, analysis and reporting.

Rent and utilities:

• Rent, normal utilities such as electricity, heat, water, telephone, facsimile, and internet, maintenance of offices and other buildings, and property taxes where these expenses are directly related to the development and implementation of the project.

Equipment:

• Rental or purchase of office equipment such as computers, software, and telephone equipment.
• Rental or purchase of equipment related to the delivery of an intervention for project participants, for example, renting video equipment to record role-playing exercises for an anger management intervention.

Administration:

• Administrative costs should not exceed 15% of the overall budget. This category may include costs related to bookkeeping, payroll services, financial management and reporting, and insurance premiums if they are not already included in other line items.. Although the basis for determining an appropriate allocation of such costs may be expressed as a percentage of the overall project budget, it must be supported by a reasonable methodology and breakdown.

Other costs related to project activities such as:

• Training and Professional Development
• Translation Costs
• Costs related to child care services incurred by the recipient or the project participants. Child care expenses for the period of time the participant is in the project is an eligible expense.
• Meals and/or refreshments for participants in activities and workshops directly related to the project, in accordance with Treasury Board guidelines. For example, providing nutritious snacks for youth during an after-school program.

Ineligible costs

The following costs cannot be funded:

• Capital costs, such as land, buildings, vehicles and most other major capital costs (more than $5K per acquisition);
• Hospitality, that does not meet the eligible expenses criteria;
• Core or ongoing operating expenses that are related to the day-to-day operations of the organization and are unrelated to the project;
• Profit, defined as an excess of revenues over expenditures.

If you have questions regarding eligible and ineligible costs please consult a program officer.

Presenting your budget

To aid in the development of your project budget, use the budget template in MS Excel format found at http://www.publicsafety.gc.ca/prg/cp/cpaf/_fl/cpaf-budget-template-eng.xls. Detailed instructions are included in the template.

If you require additional information or assistance, please contact your NCPC Program Officer.

Letters of support

It is required that you provide a minimum of three (3) letters of support from partners or stakeholders involved in the project. Each letter of support from partners or stakeholders should provide:

• Organization information (including name of partner organization, agency, group or association; and name, phone number, email and mailing address of contact person)
• Description of how the project partner or stakeholder has been involved so far and what their planned involvement in the project will be in the future, including funding or donations, if applicable
• Description of how the supporting partner organization, agency, group or association see the benefit of the project.

Please send your Application Form and Project Description to the appropriate NCPC provincial or territorial office. For contact information please visit: www.PublicSafety.gc.ca/abt/regional-offices-eng.aspx#cp.

NCPC website address and telephone number:

For more information on NCPC funding programs and information tools, please visit www.securitepublique.gc.ca/prg/cp/index-fra.aspx or call the NCPC: 1-800-830-3118.

Appendix A
Risk and Protective Factors

Background

Risk and protective factors related to crime have been identified mainly from longitudinal studies conducted in various countries including the United States, the United Kingdom, Sweden, Australia, New Zealand and Canada. These studies have yielded a great deal of information regarding risk and protective factors. Furthermore, they have revealed a number of pathways in early childhood, in early adolescence, and in early adulthood to anti-social and criminal behaviour.

What are risk and protective factors?

Risk and protective factors help to explain why certain individuals or groups are more or less likely to become involved in crime.

Why are they important?

The concepts of risk and protective factors are important to crime prevention and community safety. They provide a useful and important framework for developing and implementing effective prevention and intervention programs, projects and approaches. Furthermore, the identification of the specific risk factors associated with crime helps us to determine where and how to focus our prevention and intervention efforts.

What level will your project address?

If you think about what influences crime, you will notice that underlying factors are found at many “levels”. Accordingly, risk and protective factors are often organized into five general categories or domains: Individual, Family, Peer group, School, and Neighbourhood / Community.

Other researchers (e.g.: Zubrick and Robson, 2003) have chosen to make the distinction between distal and proximal risk factors. Proximal risk factors are those that are close to the sphere of influence of individuals and their families. Distal risk factors, on the other hand, tend to influence and characterize large populations (e.g.: neighbourhoods or communities) at a broader level.

As an example to further illustrate the points above, the following table contains a partial listing of major risk factors associated with child and youth delinquency, sorted by domain:

Table 1 - Selected Examples of Risk Factors for Child Delinquency and Later Serious and Violent Youth Offending

INDIVIDUAL
Early aggressive, disruptive and impulsive behaviour Early substance use Early onset of anti-social and criminal behaviour
FAMILY
Parental and sibling criminality Parental anti-social behaviour and beliefs Parental substance abuse Family violence, abuse and neglect Poor parental supervision Parents’ poor child-rearing practices Low socioeconomic status of family; extreme economic deprivation Child access to weapons, especially firearms
PEER
Association with delinquent peers Rejection by peers
SCHOOL
Poor academic performance Disruptive behaviour in school; bullying Lack of school attachment Dropping out of school Truancy; school exclusion Low educational aspirations and school motivation Poorly organized and functioning schools
NEIGHBOURHOOD  /  COMMUNITY
Neighbourhood disadvantage and poverty Disorganized neighbourhood Availability of weapons, particularly firearms High crime neighbourhood

SOURCE: Adapted from Loeber and Farrington (2001) and Shaw (2001).

Which factors will you address?

You will need to identify only those risk or protective factors that can be addressed and influenced by your proposed crime prevention project. Remember that some risk or protective factors cannot be changed (e.g.: gender or age); prevention projects focus on those that are quite amenable to change.

A single crime issue (e.g.: youth gangs, drug-related crime, etc.) can involve many risk and protective factors. Furthermore, several long-term studies of multiple risk factors have found that they have a cumulative effect – i.e., the more risk factors an individual is exposed to, the greater the likelihood that he or she will engage in criminal behaviour. As such, it is important to note that prevention and intervention efforts targeting more than one risk factor have been found to be more effective than those which only target a single factor (Wasserman and Miller, 1998).

To identify the key factors that your project will address, you will likely want to:

• Conduct an accurate and thorough diagnosis of the problem via a crime or community safety audit
• Consult specialists and high-quality research on the issue
• Talk to other people affected by the issue
• Consult your project partners and stakeholders
• Use your own experience, knowledge and professional judgement to decide which factor(s) your crime prevention project will address.

Limitations of risk factors

Although risk factors can be powerful tools for identifying individuals that may be at risk of victimization and/or engaging in criminal behaviour, it is important to note that there are limitations to our knowledge about the use of risk factors. For example:

• No single risk factor or set of risk factors is powerful enough to predict with certainty that an individual will engage in criminal activity. For example, poor academic performance is a known risk factor, however, not every youth who performs poorly in school will go on to engage in criminal activity.
• As stated earlier, some risk factors (e.g.: gender, age) are not amenable to change.
• Some risk factors are not realistic targets of preventive efforts. For instance, eliminating poverty is not a realistic crime prevention goal. On the other hand, projects that aim to offset the effects of poverty are achievable e.g.: projects which include job or other skill building training as part of its strategy.
• Some research studies of risk factors, particularly earlier ones, drew their samples from Caucasian boys and young men. The results of these studies, and their subsequent ability to identify vulnerable youth, may not be easily applied to, for example, girls, women or other ethnic groups.

Conclusion

Over the past four decades, a number of longitudinal studies conducted in various countries have greatly enhanced our knowledge of risk and protective factors associated with crime. Any serious attempt to develop preventive programs to address a particular crime or delinquency issue should be aided by a general understanding of the relevant risk and protective factors.

Additional information on prevention strategies to address the risk and protective factors associated with crime is available at: www.PublicSafety.gc.ca/NCPC.

References and Further Reading

• Farrington, David P. et al. 2006. Criminal Careers Up to age 50 and Life success Up to Age 48: New Findings from the Cambridge Study in Delinquent Development. London: Research, Development and Statistics Directorate, Home Office. Available from: www.crimereduction.homeoffice.gov.uk/crimereduction005.htm.
• Hawkins, J. David et al. 2000. “Predictors of Youth Violence”. OJJDP Juvenile Justice Bulletin. Washington, D.C.: Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice. Available from: www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/ojjdp/179065.pdf.
• Hawkins, J.D. et al. 1998. "A review of predictors of youth violence", pp. 106-146, In R. Loeber and D.P. Farrington (eds.) Serious and Violent Juvenile Offenders: Risk Factors and Successful Interventions. Thousand Oaks, California: Sage.
• Herrenkohl, Todd I. et al. 2000. “Developmental risk factors for youth violence.” Journal of Adolescent Health, 26: 176-186.
• Howell, James C. and Arlen Egley Jr. 2005. “Moving Risk Factors into Developmental Theories of Gang Membership.” Youth Violence and Juvenile Justice. (3)4: 334-354.
• Loeber, Rolf and David P. Farrington (eds.). 2001. Child Delinquents: Development, Intervention and Service Needs. Thousand Oaks, California: Sage.
• Loeber, Rolf et al. 1998. “The development of male offending: Key findings from the first decade of the Pittsburgh Youth Study.” Studies in Crime and Crime Prevention, 7: 141-172.
• Mackenzie, Dorothy Layton. 2006. “Reducing the criminal activities of known offenders and delinquents: Crime prevention in the courts and corrections.” In Evidence-Based Crime Prevention. Lawrence Sherman, David P. Farrington, Brandon C. Welsh and Doris Layton MacKenzie (eds). Revised edition. New York: Routledge.
• Office of the U.S. Surgeon General. 2001. Youth Violence: A Report of the Surgeon General. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Secretary, Office of Public Health and Science, Office of the Surgeon General. Retrieved on August 23, 2007 Available from the Internet at: http://mentalhealth.samhsa.gov/youthviolence/surgeongeneral/SG_Site/home.asp
• Shader, Michael. 2003. Risk Factors for Delinquency: An Overview. Washington, D.C.: Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice. Available from the Internet at: www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/ojjdp/frd030127.pdf.
• Shaw, Margaret. 2001. Investing in Youth: International Approaches to Preventing Crime and Victimization. Montréal: International Centre for the Prevention of Crime. Available from the Internet at: http://hei.unige.ch/sas/files/portal/issueareas/perpetrators/perpet_pdf/2001_Shaw.pdf
• Smart, Diana et al. 2005. Patterns and Precursors of Adolescent Antisocial Behaviour: Outcomes and Connections. Third Report. Australia: Australian Institute of Family Studies. Available from the Internet at: www.aifs.gov.au/atp/pubs/cpv/report3.html.
• Vassallo, Suzanne et al. 2002. Patterns and Precursors of Adolescent Antisocial Behaviour. Australia: Crime Prevention Victoria. Available from the Internet at: www.aifs.gov.au/atp/pubs/cpv/report1.pdf
• Wasserman, G.A. and L.S. Miller. 1998. “The prevention of serious and violent juvenile offending,” pp. 197-247, In Rolf Loeber and David P. Farrington (eds.) Serious and Violent Juvenile Offenders: Risk Factors and Successful Interventions. Thousand Oaks, California: Sage.
• Zubrick, Stephen R. and Anna Robson. 2003. Resilience to Offending in High-Risk Groups: Focus on Aboriginal Youth. Prepared for the Criminology Research Council, Australia. Available from the Internet at: www.criminologyresearchcouncil.gov.au/reports/2003-10-zubrick.html

Appendix B

Using the Evidence-Based Crime Prevention Approach

The NCPC is dedicated to supporting interventions that are promising or have demonstrated their effectiveness in reducing risk factors related to crime.

An Evidence-Based Approach to Crime Prevention (EBCP) is about using the highest level of science or the best available evidence when making decisions to implement a program designed to prevent crime. The best evidence is reflected in programs that have been proven to work in several social and cultural contexts. Promising programs are also considered useful evidence; however the findings have not been proven in a variety of social settings and require further testing.

Using an evidence-based approach means three things. First, you should demonstrate in your proposal that you have taken the time to review existing information sources of effective practices (eg., the International Centre for the Prevention of Crime, the NCPC, the Blueprints from the University of Colorado, the European Crime Prevention Network, The Campbell Collaboration, etc.) to ensure that the intervention you are proposing is to some extent supported by the existing literature. Secondly, you should establish in your proposal how the risk factors targeted by your intervention are well established in sociological, psychological or criminological literature as being related to the offending behaviour or population group you are targeting. Thirdly, you should make a convincing case that this intervention will adequately address these risk factors.

In using an EBCP approach it is recognized that other factors may influence how you use the evidence in relation to your project. An evidence-informed approach is a more recent movement that acknowledges the use of the EBCP approach but also encourages the documentation and explicit acknowledgement of how other factors or sources of information are being used to influence and contextualize the project/intervention. It is important for your project to identify what evidence you have found, and document how other knowledge, ideas and interests have reshaped the evidence. For example, according to Table 1 this might include combining a systematic review (Section A), with a qualitative study (Section B), and further documenting how a community consultation influenced the design of your project (Section C).

Reviewing the literature of effective or promising practices can be a rather challenging task and therefore, NCPC staff are available to provide support. The NCPC recognizes that the most rigorous evidence (Section A of Table 1) is not always available. In this instance, it is recommended that you attempt to identify the best available research.

Table 1

Levels of Rigor	Type of Evidence	Information and Influence on Decision-Making
Section A: These types of research/evaluation are considered to be the most rigorous as they use a compilation of studies and usually have a comparison group	Research and Evaluation	Meta-Analyses, Systematic reviews (compilation of rigorous evaluation studies) Well designed randomized control trials (RCT’s), Experimental studies and other trials and quasi-experiments
Section B: These types of research/evaluation are considered to be less rigorous than Section A	Research and Evaluation	Analytical studies such as cohort or case control studies Time series analyses Observations, experiences, and case reports Qualitative Studies Pre and Post Test Studies
Section C: This type of information can support research and evaluation results from Section A/B	Knowledge and Information	Results of systematic consultation with networks/groups Internet Non peer reviewed published documents/reports (including policy evaluations and statistical analyses)
Section D: This type of information can support research and evaluation results from Section A/B	Ideals and interests	Opinions and view—‘expert knowledge’ of individuals, groups and networks shaped by past personal and professional experiences, beliefs, values, skills (this is not anecdotal information)

Appendix C

Logic Model

Enlarge image

---

[1] Canada. Public Safety Canada. 2008. Promising and Model Crime Prevention Programs. Ottawa: National Crime Prevention Centre.