L3 Evaluations

The instructions, scripts and instrument are submitted below. The questions will be used for the online survey using Survey Monkey.

In-person and Virtual Interviews

Hello, my name is XXXX and I am joined by my colleague XXX. We represent LinkVisum Consulting Group, who is conducting follow-up interviews on behalf of the Community Relations Services of the U.S. Department of Justice.

We appreciate your agreeing to interview regarding your participation in the CRS facilitated dialogue or training program (insert NAME of PROGRAM) held on XXXXXX. The purpose of the interview is to identify the impact and outcomes of (insert NAME OF PROGRAM) and make recommendations for how CRS can improve its services.

As you may know, the Community Relations Service, or CRS, is an agency of the U.S. Department of Justice. CRS serves as “America’s Peacemaker” for community groups, including schools, facing conflict around issues of race, color, national origin, and in prevention of and response to alleged hate crimes based on perceived or actual race, color, national origin, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, or disability. CRS provides facilitation, mediation, training, and consultation services to communities across the country.

Let me share information and expectations about the interview.

1. This interview is scheduled for one hour.

2. We will follow the questions in order as they appear on the survey that you received.

3. We will be taking notes.

4. Responses will not be attributed to a specific individual (you) — just the program attended and the position (for example, law enforcement officer, school principal, SPIRIT council member).

5. We would like to contact you if we need to follow upon a topic, for example, to ensure clarity or elaborate on an idea.

Do you have any questions and agree to proceed with the interview?

Let us get started.

…………………………………………………………………………………………….

Level 3 Evaluations: City-SPIRIT Case Study Questions

1. Your Role in the City-SPIRIT program

1. Check all the following statements that apply:

• I am a community leader/member.

• I am a city official.

• I was a planning group member.

• I am a member of the SPIRIT council.

• I am a former member of the SPIRIT council.

• I was a participant in the SPIRIT program.

• I was an invited participant to the SPIRIT program, but did not attend.

2. Successes and Challenges of City-SPIRIT Council

2. What factors enabled the SPIRIT council to be successful?

3. What challenges, if any, has the SPIRIT council experienced?

3. Improved Skills of City-SPIRIT Council Members

4. Please rate your level of agreement or disagreement with the following statement:

“The strategic planning and implementation skills of the City-SPIRIT council members improved over the course of the council’s meetings.” Do you:

• Strongly agree

• Agree

• Neither agree nor disagree

• Disagree

• Strongly disagree

5. Please give an explanation for your rating.

6. What is the most important reason for this rating? Include any specific events or actions that contributed to your rating.

4. Actions of the City-SPIRIT Council

7. Please rate your level of agreement or disagreement with the following statement:

“The actions of the City-SPIRIT council addressed the issues, tensions, or

conflicts that were identified during the program.” Do you:

• Strongly agree

• Agree

• Neither agree nor disagree

• Disagree

• Strongly Disagree

8. Please give an explanation for your rating.

9. What is the most important reason for this rating? Include any specific events or actions that contributed to your rating.

You will see the top three issues from the CRS City-SPIRIT report identified below.

For each issue, what actions (if any) were completed by the SPIRIT council?

For each action, what were the impacts of those actions?

What impact did this action have on the relationship between city officials and the community?

Issue #1: List issue here.

10. What actions, if any, were completed by the SPIRIT council?

11. For each action, what were the impacts of those actions?

12. What impact did this action have on the relationship between city officials and the community?

Issue #2: List issue here.

13. What actions, if any, were completed by the SPIRIT council?

14. For each action, what were the impacts of those actions?

15. What impact did this action have on the relationship between city officials and the community?

Issue #3: List issue here.

16. What actions, if any, were completed by the SPIRIT council?

17. For each action, what were the impacts of those actions?

18. What impact did this action have on the relationship between city officials and the community?

Additional Actions

19. What other actions (not related to any of the top three issues) did the council complete?

20. For each action, what were the impacts of those actions?

21. What impact did this action have on the relationship between city officials and the community?

Future Actions

22. What future actions, if any, does the City-SPIRIT council plan to implement in the next year?

5. Perceptions of Capacities: Community and City Officials

23. Please rate your level of agreement or disagreement with the following statement:

“The capacities of city officials to prevent and respond to conflicts have improved because of the work of the City-SPIRIT council.” Do you:

• Strongly agree

• Agree

• Neither agree nor disagree

• Disagree

• Strongly disagree

24. Please give an explanation for your rating.

25. What is the most important reason for this rating? Include any specific events or actions that contributed to your rating.

6. Perceptions of the City-SPIRIT Planning Group

Note: The planning group was responsible for planning and completing actions to deliver the City-SPIRIT program except for those performed by the conciliation specialist and the small group facilitators.

26. If you were a planning group member: Please rate your level of agreement or disagreement with the following statement:

“The event planning skills of the City-SPIRIT planning group improved over the course of the planning group’s meetings.” Do you:

• Strongly agree

• Agree

• Neither agree nor disagree

• Disagree

• Strongly disagree

• I do not recall.

27. Please give an explanation for your rating.

28. What is the most important reason for this rating? Include any specific events or actions that contributed to your rating.

7. Perceptions of Racial Tensions

29. Please rate below your perceptions of the level of racial tensions prior to the City-SPIRIT program, immediately following the City-SPIRIT program delivery, and now.

Prior to the City-SPIRIT Program	Immediately Following the City-SPIRIT Program Delivery	Now
Very low Low Neither high nor low High Very high	Very low Low Neither high nor low High Very high	Very low Low Neither high nor low High Very high

30. Please give an explanation for your ratings.

31. What is the most important reason for these ratings? Include any specific events or actions that contributed to your rating.

8. Perceptions of Relationships: City Officials and the Community

32. Please rate below your perceptions of the state of the relationship between city officials and the community prior to the City-SPIRIT program, immediately following the City-SPIRIT program delivery, and now.

Prior to the City-SPIRIT Program	Immediately Following the City-SPIRIT Program Delivery	Now
Very poor Poor Neither good nor poor Good Very good	Very poor Poor Neither good nor poor Good Very good	Very poor Poor Neither good nor poor Good Very good

33. Please give an explanation for your ratings.

34. What is the most important reason for these ratings? Include any specific events or actions that contributed to your ratings.

35. Please rate below your perceptions of the level of community trust in city officials prior to the City-SPIRIT program, immediately following the City-SPIRIT program delivery, and now.

Prior to the City-SPIRIT Program	Immediately Following the City-SPIRIT Program Delivery	Now
Very poor Poor Neither good nor poor Good Very good	Very poor Poor Neither good nor poor Good Very good	Very poor Poor Neither good nor poor Good Very good

36. Please give an explanation for your ratings.

37. What is the most important reason for this rating? Include any specific events or actions that contributed to your ratings.

9. Your Relationships with Community Groups and City Officials

38. Please rate below the strength of your relationships with community groups and city officials BEFORE the City-SPIRIT program and Now.

	Community Groups	City Officials
Before the City-SPIRIT Program	Very poor Poor Neither good nor poor Good Very good	Very poor Poor Neither good nor poor Good Very good
Now	Very poor Poor Neither good nor poor Good Very good	Very poor Poor Neither good nor poor Good Very good

39. Please give an explanation for your ratings.

40. What is the most important reason for these ratings? Include any specific events or actions that contributed to your ratings.

41. If you were a planning group member: Please rate below the strength of your relationships with other community groups and local officials BEFORE the planning meetings began and AFTER the planning group’s work was completed.

	Community Groups	City Officials
Before	Very poor Poor Neither good nor poor Good Very good	Very poor Poor Neither good nor poor Good Very good
After	Very poor Poor Neither good nor poor Good Very good	Very poor Poor Neither good nor poor Good Very good

42. Please give an explanation for your rating.

43. What is the most important reason for this rating? Include any specific events or actions that contributed to your ratings.

10. CRS Services and Support

44. Please rate your level of agreement or disagreement with the following statement:

“CRS’s facilitation of the SPIRIT council’s meetings met the council’s needs.” Do you:

• Strongly agree

• Agree

• Neither agree nor disagree

• Disagree

• Strongly disagree

45. If you agree or strongly agree, what specifically did the conciliator do to meet the council’s needs?

46. If you neither agree nor disagree, disagree, or strongly disagree, what could the conciliator have done to meet the City-SPIRIT council’s needs?

47. Please rate your level of agreement or disagreement with the following statement:

“CRS provided the SPIRIT council with tools to sustain the council and implement actions.” Do you:

• Strongly agree

• Agree

• Neither agree nor disagree

• Disagree

• Strongly disagree

48. Please give an explanation for your rating.

49. What is the most important reason for this rating?

50. What other services and support could CRS have provided to the SPIRIT council to improve its ability to implement actions?

11. Significant Impacts of the City-SPIRIT Program

51. Overall, what were the most significant impacts of the City-SPIRIT program?

12. Recommendation of the Program

52. Would you recommend the City-SPIRIT program to another city or town? (Yes or No)

53. If yes, why would you recommend the City-SPIRIT Program?

54. If no, why would you not recommend the City-SPIRIT Program?

13. Closing Comments

55. Do you have any additional comments?

Closing

Again, thank you for taking the time to complete this survey. We greatly appreciate your responses and perspective. If you have any questions about the City-SPIRIT case study, please contact Kit Chalberg at [email protected].

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