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U.S. Department of Justice

Office of Justice ProgramsOffice of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention

APRIL 1998 NUMBER 01

Planning a SuccessfulCrime Prevention Project

“Plan ahead,” the oldsaying goes. That’s good advice,

especially when you’re tackling a job asdemanding as planning a project that will prevent

youth crime. This Bulletin will provide you with helpful,hands-on tools to get you started in the right direction.

As a young person, you are uniquely equipped to contrib-ute to solving many of the serious problems that chal-

lenge your generation. It’s hard work, to be sure,but in taking it on, you will be making a dif-

ference for yourself, for other youth,and for future generations.

Planning a SuccessfulCrime Prevention Project

community, youth working together in a groupcan produce even more powerful results. Yourwork is especially productive if you take amajor role in planning activities and participat-ing in them. This Bulletin will help you planyour activities.

Here are some examples of projects that youngpeople around the country have planned andimplemented to prevent crime and make theircommunities safer and healthier.

◆ Iowa (several areas). High school stu-dents produced radio public service an-nouncements to send antidrug use messagesto their peers.

The Success Cycle:Steps for Success

Planning makes perfect? Well, it certainlyhelps! This Bulletin is designed as a workbookto help you plan, select, design, and implementa successful crime prevention project for yourcommunity by using the five steps of theSuccess Cycle. You can conduct a projectwithout completing every step; however, goingthrough all the steps can only improve theoutcome of your project. Many youth leadershave found that good planning makes it easierto follow through on a project and get goodresults from specific activities.

You may find it helpful to first skim throughthis Bulletin to get the “big picture” and thengo through it again with pencil in hand. Youmay also want to photocopy pages and makenotes to help solidify your plans. Always feelfree to go back and add new ideas toyour notes. Good luck!

A Starter List of Ideas

Remember that while your ownattitudes and actions can helpprevent crime and improve your

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◆ Dade County (Miami), FL. Students,supported by school officials, teachers, andcrime watch leaders, formed a school crimewatch program to report crime and suspi-cious behavior on school grounds. Resultshave been dramatic. In the first 2 years ofthe program, school crime was reduced by50 percent.

◆ Evansville, IN. Teens Against Drug Abuse(TADA) performed puppet shows urgingyounger children to stay drug free.

◆ Cleveland, OH; Knoxville, TN; SanFrancisco, CA; and other cities. Youthtrained in mediation are helping otherstudents settle disagreements peacefully.

Possible Program Activities

What can you do to improve conditions in yourschool or neighborhood? Here are more ideas:

◆ Victim/witness assistance. Help youngvictims of crime through peer counseling,accompanying them to court, or helpingthem replace stolen items or repair damages.

◆ Plays, videos, raps, puppet shows,and other entertainment. Design andperform skits and shows for peers, youngerchildren, and neighbors dealing with issuesranging from drug use prevention to latchkeychildren.

◆ Escorts or check-ins for senior citi-zens. Accompany older people to the bankor on other errands. Call seniors at anarranged time each day to make sureeverything is all right.

◆ Teaching. Teach peers about the effects ofcrime and about crime prevention. Teachyounger children personal protection, drugprevention, and other important safety skills.

◆ Home security surveys. With the policedepartment’s training and approval, provideinformation to your community on making

homes safer. Help disabled residents makeneeded improvements in their homes.

◆ Neighborhood Watch. Join one ofAmerica’s most popular local crime preven-tion programs. Keep an eye out for suspi-cious activities or persons and report them tolaw enforcement. Be an active part of yourNeighborhood Watch, or organize one.

◆ Shoplifting education. Team up with localbusinesses to start public informationcampaigns on the costs and consequences ofshoplifting.

◆ Summer recreation. Plan and staffrecreation programs for young children;help repair or build playgrounds; helpprovide outings for disadvantaged or institu-tionalized children.

◆ Community cleanups. Work with others toclean up trashy, rundown, or overgrownpublic areas—or private property, with theowner’s permission. Spruce up schools,neighborhood parks, or the yards of thoseunable to do the work. Clean up or paintover graffiti.

◆ Phone support. Operate an afterschoolcall-in service to offer friendship andguidance to young students, especially thosewho spend the afternoon at home alone.

◆ Drug use prevention. Provide informationto peers, younger children, and adults on thedangers and effects of alcohol and drugconsumption. Obtain training to be a peercounselor and help other young people withproblems that can lead to drug use. Organizeyouth events that show that a drug-freelifestyle is “cool.”

◆ Forums and discussions. Hold assembliesthat help your peers think about issues thataffect their lives, such as drunk driving,pregnancy, higher education, and jobavailability. Allow for participation from theaudience.

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◆ Counseling. Organize counseling servicesto provide informal group counseling,individual counseling, or hotline help foryour peers and others. Hotlines can addresspersonal problems, substance abuse, andmany other issues. You may need to obtainsome training. A good place to start is withyour school’s guidance counselor or a localnonprofit organization.

◆ Vandalism prevention. Emphasize schoolpride. Use films, posters, brochures, andother communication devices to educateyour peers on the costs of vandalism.Challenge everyone to make the school lookas good as possible.

◆ Teen courts. Be a teen judge, lawyer, juror,or court officer. Hear and try cases involvingfellow students. Teen courts are not mockcourts—they hear real cases, make realjudgments, and impose real sentences.

◆ Fairs and displays. Design educationaldisplays for malls, schools, hospitals,businesses, and community centers. Helpgenerate action and recruit new volunteersto help combat crime.

◆ Contests. Organize writing, music, or artcontests for your school or community tohave fun, educate, and build interest incrime prevention and safety issues.

◆ Mentoring peers or younger people.Establish a supportive friendship withsomeone in need of a positive role model.Just being friendly and showing a goodexample can often help someone in need.

◆ Conflict resolution and mediation.Learn ways to settle arguments and disputesproductively rather than by fighting orrunning away. Obtain training to become amediator, someone who helps others settletheir disputes peacefully.

What kind of activities appeal to you?Jot down some old favorites or some newideas! Nearly all of the activities listedabove require some degree of adultinvolvement or support, but the bulk ofthe work and the sense of ownership ofthe project remain firmly with the youthperforming the activities.

Step 1: Assessing Your Community’s Needs

The first step of the Success Cycle is to decidewhat project you would like to do for yourcommunity. This depends heavily on what yourcommunity needs. There is no simple formula,but common sense and the following steps canhelp you make the most of your talents in waysthat will help the community.

Identify the Community

Your community may be a block, a neighbor-hood, a school, or a group of young people.Community is defined as a group of people whoshare an affiliation that they recognize. Thecommunity you will target needs to be identi-fied. Use the following questions to do this.

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◆ Planning reports from zoning, health,building, and other local agencies or fromregional planning groups.

◆ Newspaper articles, including those in localweeklies and school newspapers and thoseavailable online.

◆ Police records on crime or other calls forservice in the area.

◆ School building records—security, disciplin-ary, vandalism (repair and maintenance),among others. (Note: This does not includepersonal records of the students.)

◆ Interviews with key leaders—carefullystructured to allow them to give you theirview of what is important to and causingconcern among the community’s members.

◆ Previous surveys of the community.

◆ Your own survey of the community.

Survey the Community

You can use many sources of existing informa-tion to survey a community, but these sourcesmay not tell you all you need to know. Inter-viewing people—asking them what they think,know, desire, or are concerned about—helps tofill in the missing information. You may want tocontact someone at a local newspaper, publicrelations agency, or the communicationsdepartment in a nearby college or university forindepth help on surveying.

Checklist for Surveys

◆ Purpose. Why are you doing this survey?What do you want to know from or aboutyour subjects? Make sure those objectivesare related to your project.

◆ Subjects. Whom should you survey? Forinstance, if your concern is with crime inelementary schools, talking with parents ofhigh school students will not be helpful.

(Also, see “Worksheet 1: Notes on My Commu-nity” on page 21, which can help you organizeyour thoughts.)

◆ How do you describe the boundaries of thecommunity you intend to deal with? (If youtarget a school, does that include all of theschool grounds and all school activities? Ifyou target the neighborhood, where does theneighborhood start and stop? Are peoplewho work in the area but don’t live there partof the neighborhood?)

◆ What groups of people live or come togetherin the community? What physical character-istics or special needs do they have? Whatresources can be found in this community?(Groups of people—students, teachers,administrators, business owners, residents,specific ethnic groups, children. Specialneeds—persons with limited self-mobility,persons who use walking aids or speciallyequipped cars. Resources—athletic fields,classrooms, labs and workshops, streets,houses, apartment buildings, communitycenter, churches, urban leagues.)

◆ How do members of the community define/describe themselves?

◆ Who are the leaders and communicators inthe community? Are there any specialsubgroups? (For example: principal, studentcouncil members, top athletes, club presi-dents, president of neighborhood associa-tion, chief of police, religious leaders, ownerof local newspaper, head of women’s club,head of local advocacy/assistance associa-tion, local government transportationdepartment.)

Consult Information Sources

There are many kinds of information you canuse to expand your knowledge of a community:

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◆ Unit and sampling. Decide what your unitof measure is. Are you looking at classroomsor individual students’ attitudes, a neighbor-hood’s concerns or residents’ individualconcerns? Do you intend to ask everyone, orjust pick a sample? How will you be sure thegroup you sample is similar to the makeup ofthe community as a whole? One of yourteachers may be able to help you with somebasic research tips.

◆ Questions. Write clear, simple questions.Avoid negatives. Use words that suggest aspecific kind of answer. Generally, it isbetter not to ask essay type questions. (Forexample, How long have you lived in thiscommunity? What are your concerns for thecommunity: violence against women?violence against the elderly? the infiltrationof drugs? the infiltration of gangs?)

◆ Testing. Try your questions out on a smallgroup to make sure the questions areunderstood as you meant them to be and theanswers give you useful information.

◆ Method. Decide whether you will mail thesurvey (which is inexpensive but risks lowreturns), use in-person teams for interviews(which can be accurate but time consuming),or ask questions by telephone (which can beefficient but may annoy people who want tobe able to read the questions).

◆ Executing the survey. Create a question-naire, based on your tested questions, thatallows appropriate space for answers to befilled in. Train interviewers as necessary toensure they will all discuss the survey thesame way. Administer the survey to thegroup selected and collect the data.

◆ Tabulating results. Tally up the differentanswers you get by type of answer. Don’tforget to include a space to tally those whodid not answer the question. Decide whether

to count them or not; once you do decide, beconsistent.

◆ Analysis. What’s surprising? What’sexpected and what’s not? Negative, positive,and divided responses (such as “no clearmajority agreed on the need for an eveningjuvenile curfew program”) are importantfindings.

Examine Community Assets

As you look at possible problems to address,ask yourself, what are the assets of my commu-nity? Perhaps students have special skills orthere is strong support for athletic teams. Theremay be an active neighborhood association, alibrary that offers study time or homework help,a community-based police ministation, strongfaith communities, or other similar strongpoints. Perhaps parents take a real interest intheir children’s school, or a senior center offerseager and skilled volunteers. Consider markingboth problem areas and assets on a map of thearea. Build on the assets available in yourcommunity. If your community shows a stronginterest in athletics, organize a softball gamebetween school faculty and students. Charge asmall admission fee and use the proceeds tosponsor a community cleanup activity.

Select a Problem To Address

You could try to tackle the most urgent prob-lem, or the one that has gotten the most public-ity, or the one that seems hardest or easiest tosolve. The best chance of success lies inlooking at the problem and looking at what yourgroup can bring together to address it.

You don’t have to respond to a major problemor a sensational crisis. You could addresssomething that has just emerged as a problem,deal with a long-term problem, or prevent a

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problem by strengthening a good thing withinthe school or community. You should pick anissue that excites members of your group andthat is important to the community.

Minuses and pluses. One approach tochoosing an issue to address is minuses andpluses. (For an example, see the diagrambelow.) List minuses—community or schoolproblems you think you would like to workon—on the left side of a piece of paper. Then,in no particular order, list on the right side ofthe paper the various strengths (pluses) yourgroup has or could assemble to do any project.Next, draw lines connecting problems withstrengths that could help solve them. The linescan crisscross and strengths can be connectedmore than once, as can problems. You can get agood idea of which problem(s) your groupshould work on by seeing which problems havethe most connections with the strengths listedon the right-hand side.

Force-field analysis. Another method forlooking at a community’s needs and yourgroup’s ability to address them is called force-field analysis. For a simplified, but useful,version of this approach, see the diagram onthe next page and complete the following steps.

◆ Select a particular problem.

◆ List positive conditions or factors that makethe problem better or keep it from gettingworse. For each factor you list, decidewhether it is a weak, moderate, somewhatstrong, or very strong force. Draw arrowsfrom the left toward the center. There shouldbe one arrow for each factor, and its lengthshould represent how strong that factor is, inyour view.

◆ List negative conditions or factors that makethe problem worse or keep it from gettingbetter. For each factor you list, decidewhether it is a weak force, a moderate force,a somewhat strong force, or a very strongforce on the negative side. Draw arrows fromthe right toward the center. There should beone arrow for each factor and its lengthshould represent how strong that factor is, inyour view.

◆ Then examine both kinds of forces. (You donot need to address any relationshipsbetween them.) Are the negative forcesoverwhelming? Are the positive forcesalready making a difference? Can your groupdo things to either strengthen the positiveforces or weaken the negative ones?

This sort of analysis can highlight not only aproblem your group could take on, but alsostrategies to combat the problem. You should,of course, check with the audience or groupsyou plan to help. Does your proposed projectmeet their needs? Do they already have aproject in the works or under way to providethis help? If so, can your group join in thiseffort?

Minuses Pluses

Problems in the Community Strengths of the Group

Violence Two members belong towomen’s group

Robberies Active Chamber ofCommerce

Rape Can train citizens inprevention techniques

Church leaders voicesupport of antiviolenceefforts

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Step 2: Planning a Successful Project

Sample Force-Field Analysis

Factors Making Things Better (Positive) Factors Making Things Worse (Negative)

Neighborhood Watch Rundown, empty building

Boy’s and Girl’s Clubs Gang rivalries

This entire Bulletin is a planning document, soit might seem odd to focus on operationalplanning as a separate stage. However, organiz-ing how you’re going to address a problemrequires a different focus from deciding whatproblem to address. The second step of theSuccess Cycle will help you figure out how toaddress the problems in your community.

Why have an operational plan? An operationalplan will help you identify specific tasks thatneed to be accomplished, decide how todelegate responsibilities, develop interest andenthusiasm for doing the project, and decidehow to use resources. Planning also helps yourgroup focus on a goal and builds teamwork.

Who devises the plan of action? Your key groupdoes. This group should include members from,or people linked to, most or all of the groupscritical to your success. Some of the peoplewho helped in the assessment should beinvolved in the planning.

For small projects such as a communitycleanup, only your cleanup group and a

neighborhood representative are necessary. Forlarge-scale projects, such as a drug abuseprevention program, you will want to gather notonly youth but representatives of communityorganizations, government agencies, andperhaps the very people you want to help.

Now comes the most important part—creatingthe operational plan. (Some key planning termsare defined on page 8.) Follow the steps below toformulate a successful plan. Use “Worksheet 2:Working Through Your Operational Plan” onpage 22 to take notes.

◆ Identify the target, such as a specific group,that your project will help.

◆ Spell out precise goals and objectives.

◆ Choose strategies (methods and approaches)to reach the goals and objectives.

◆ Determine target dates and priorities.

◆ Divide specific jobs and responsibilitiesamong group members.

◆ Make sure your project can be evaluatedproperly.

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Key Planning Terms

Goal: The purpose of your project; your desired result. For example, to reduce crime inyour school.

Objectives: Specifics that your project should accomplish; measurable results that whenreached mean your goal has been achieved. For example, to contact all youth in yourschool or neighborhood to make them aware of crime problems and to get two-thirds ofthem to join a crime watch program.

Strategy: The ways that you will go about achieving your objectives or goals. For ex-ample, to convince students that crime is a problem in the school, your strategy mightbe to use posters, videos, or student-performed skits to get the message across.

Target dates: The dates by which certain jobs or activities need to be completed,especially so that other actions can go forward.

Step 3: Lining Up Resources

The third step of the Success Cycle focuses onlining up the resources you will need to per-form project activities. Some of these resourcesinclude a central location or office, copyequipment, and computers. What resourceswill you need? Crime prevention and othercommunity-building projects require:

◆ Volunteers who are interested andcommitted.

◆ An organization, formal or informal, to carryout the project.

◆ Materials and services, such as food,printing, and transportation.

◆ Money and/or donations of goods andservices.

◆ Publicity, even if it’s only in the immediate area.

◆ The support of key adult leaders (teachers,principals, city officials, agency staff, etc.).

◆ Evaluations—a way to check on the successof your work.

What are the skills, goods, and servicesneeded for your project?

Recruiting Volunteers

The commitment of volunteers is usually themost significant element in lining up resources.An important question to ask is, how do yourecruit others for your project? Here are someideas:

◆ Ask for help. Most people are willing to helpor do something if asked personally.

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◆ Stress project results. People need a mentalpicture of how things will be made better.

◆ Ask volunteers to recruit friends. (Note:Recruiters should know whether theirfriends are interested enough to do morethan hang out.)

◆ Let people know they will gain skills andopportunities from their volunteer efforts (forinstance, make new friends and gain leader-ship skills). They may also be able to earnschool credit for their activities.

◆ Publicize all your activities (surveys, forums,social events).

◆ Give volunteers public recognition andproper thanks for participating.

◆ Show potential recruits that your projectinvolves activities they enjoy—art, music,writing, speaking, organizing, etc.

To motivate people, you need to know what isimportant to them, what their interests are, andwhat encourages them to participate in anactivity. Youth frequently give the followingreasons for volunteering in crime prevention orcommunity service projects:

◆ Meet new friends.

◆ Do something with friends.

◆ Help others.

◆ Explore careers.

◆ Learn new skills.

◆ List as accomplishment on college orjob application.

◆ Reduce crime against young people.

◆ Make the school or community asafer place.

◆ Help victims of crime.

◆ Be part of a group doing somethinginteresting.

◆ Help someone or some institutionthat asked.

List three ways you will recruit peers toparticipate in your project. What kinds ofmotivation would work in your school orneighborhood?

1.

2.

3.

In many projects, youth have an opportunity todevelop skills that will not only help othersnow, but will also help them in school and lateron in their careers. Circle the skills from thoselisted below that could be developed by your

Skills, Skills, and More Skills

◆ Public speaking

◆ Resourcedevelopment

◆ Counseling

◆ Developing andmanaging coalitions

◆ Salesmanship

◆ Problem solving

◆ Coaching

◆ Playwriting

◆ Time management

◆ Report writing

◆ News reporting

◆ Resourcemanagement

◆ Teaching

◆ Conference/eventplanning

◆ Data analysis

◆ Document designand production

◆ Planning

◆ Developmentfundraising

◆ Teamwork

◆ Survey techniques

◆ Evaluating

◆ Editing

◆ Mentoring

◆ Advertising

◆ Organizing techniques

◆ Personnelmanagement

◆ Chairing meetings

◆ Composing music

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project. Worksheet 3 on page 23 is a volunteerapplication form. Make copies of the form andask each volunteer for your project to completeone. Keep the forms on file for easy referral.

Recruiting Adults

Besides recruiting young volunteers, you willwant help from key adults. These could includeyour principal, teachers, civic leaders, businessleaders, law enforcement officers, parents, andother adults with talents and interests thatcould aid in meeting your goals. Sometimes youwill encounter such adults in the process ofseeking help from a particular agency. Theymay not be connected with an agency, but mayjust be interested in making the school orcommunity better and safer. They may want tohelp you so that the world their children andgrandchildren grow up in will be safer.

You may need to recruit at least one adult toserve as your group’s sponsor or advisor. Youmay need help from an adult with knowledge ina particular area—law, medicine, construction,advertising, and so on. When you seek assis-tance from adults, you should keep several keypoints in mind:

◆ Know what you want. Prepare a specific,brief statement of the kind of help you need.Be ready to explain how this help fits intoyour project and why it is important to yourproject’s goals.

◆ Don’t ask for too much. Frequently, the bestvolunteers (both young people and adults)come from among those who agreed to help“a little.”

◆ Appeal to their interest, just as you wouldwith young people. Reread the “RecruitingVolunteers” section and mentally substitute“adult volunteer” for “volunteer.”

Experience has shown that youth-adult rela-tionships can be better and more productive ifyoung people remember some basic pointers:

◆ Speak out clearly. A number of adultshave said they are more worried that youthhave no opinion than that they have wrong,or inappropriate, ones. It’s a sign of maturityto disagree without being disagreeable. Howis anyone to know about your great idea ifyou keep quiet?

◆ Communicate, don’t stew. Adults havesaid they get frustrated when youth refuse tobring up a problem until it is of hugeproportion. Share a concern or problemwhile it’s still a small issue. It will be easierto solve at that point.

◆ Remember, respect works both ways.Showing simple respect for the adults andyoung people you work with will usually getyou their respect in return.

◆ Be reliable. Don’t make a promise to meeton Thursday at 7 p.m. and then ditch theappointment without even a phone call. Don’toffer to take on tasks you can’t complete.

◆ Dress the part. If you’re going in to askthe head of a local company for help, dressappropriately. Wear “nice” clothes, low-keyaccessories, and a proper hairdo. At yourcelebration picnic, however, dress as wildlyas you like, even if adults are there!

Who are some key adults who might havetalents you need?

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Finding Materials

In addition to recruiting young volunteers andadults, you will also need materials for yourproject. What are some ways to find money andgoods?

◆ Talk with officials from the school, neighbor-hood, or community organization where youwill perform your project. The principal mayhave a fund to provide small amounts forcertain events, or neighborhood organiza-tions may have a small budget or a source offunding. These organizations may have want-ed to do something similar to your project.

◆ Ask local businesses to sponsor your project.In return, they receive public acknowledg-ment for being associated with a visible,positive effort.

◆ Have a special event to raise funds orgoods—car washes, talent shows, or walk-a-thons in which friends, family, and otherspledge a certain amount for each milewalked.

◆ Ask local businesses to contribute goods foryour events and treats for your workers.

Don’t let a lack of funds be an obstacle to yourproject. In most cases, a crime prevention orcommunity service project requires very littlemoney; it does require volunteer talent andcommitment. Don’t say you can’t do anythingbecause of lack of funds. Think in terms of

what goods and services you need, and seekthose, not cash. Ask about borrowing equip-ment or trading services.

What are some ways that your projectwill ask for goods, services, and fundsyou need?

What can you trade to receive goodsand services?

Step 4: Acting on Your Plan

This is the most exciting part of the SuccessCycle. When actually doing your project, youwill find that there are a number of things youwill have to deal with. This section reviews twoof the most important aspects of actuallycarrying out a project.

Training

You may need to train volunteers to make surethat they understand the goals and objectives ofyour project, that the information they provideto the project’s audience is correct, that theyhave the skills necessary to perform tasks, and

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Estimated Training Time for YouthCrime Prevention Projects

Number ofProject Training Hours

Community cleanup 1–4

Fairs and displays to educate the public 1–5

Vandalism prevention 2–3

Escort/check-in service for senior citizens 2–3

Shoplifting prevention education 2–4

Neighborhood Watch 4–5

School crime watch 4–6

Home security surveys 4–8

Plays and puppet programs 4–10

Victim/witness assistance 5–20

Teen court 10–120

Teaching child protection 16–20

Counseling of peers or others 20–30

Hotlines 20–30

Mediation 25–30

If you are doing any training, be sure each specific partof the training is planned. This will do much to ensurethe success of your effort. Professional trainers knowthat preparation and organization are 80 percent of goodtraining. Worksheet 4 can help you prepare and organize.

that they know how to handle problems.Training also builds teamwork among yourvolunteers and builds the skills needed for thesuccess of your project. Use “Worksheet 4:Training Planner” on page 24 to plan suchdetails as when and where a training sessionwill take place, the contents and procedures ofa training session, and what additional materi-als will be needed.

Training for crime prevention programs isespecially important. There are right andwrong ways to try to prevent crime. Suppose avolunteer was teaching elementary school

children how to protect themselves at homealone and gave the wrong advice. That could beharmful or dangerous. Check with police,counselors, hospitals, victim services programs,and other local services for proper techniques.

Possible resources for training include—butaren’t limited to—law enforcement officers,victim assistance professionals, trainers fromcorporations, lawyers, drug abuse preventionexperts, adult leaders of youth, advertisingagencies, colleges and universities, communityvolunteer agencies, and youth.

Smart planning includes a good estima-tion of the time that training will take andthe resources it will require. In whatskills or subjects will your volunteersneed training?

How will you meet those needs?

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Leadership: Bringing Your GroupTogether

Good leadership will keep volunteers commit-ted and working together. Leadership is a skill.Like any other skill, it is learned, not inherited,and it takes practice. Doing a project can helpyou practice good leadership skills.

Tips for Good Leadership

◆ Show that you care about your volunteersand fellow workers. Understand the needs ofthose you work with.

◆ Be positive and let others know you appreci-ate their effort.

◆ Use the leadership style needed at the time.Some situations require working together toreach a consensus. Other situations requirea rapid decision with little chance forconsulting others.

◆ Don’t be afraid to delegate authority toothers to get something done.

◆ Ask for help. Don’t try to do it all yourself.

◆ Plan clear, responsible roles for volunteers.

◆ Initiate activities to earn publicity, good will,and more volunteers.

◆ Screen and carefully select volunteers.

◆ Provide supervision and direction.

◆ Monitor and evaluate those working withyou. Stay in regular contact and check all

Step 5: Nurturing, Monitoring, and Evaluating

Recognition: Letting Them KnowThey Matter

All volunteers should be given recognition for theirefforts. This doesn’t involve financial rewards, butan acknowledgment by those who have receivedhelp and by those who know what a big differencethe volunteers have made. The following listsuggests some ways to thank volunteers.

benchmarks and deadlines of those workingwith you.

Do you know some good leaders you caninterview? What strategies work for them?

What can you do to lead in the best waypossible?

The fifth step of the Success Cycle is a veryimportant one and can influence whether or notyou and your volunteers will enjoy workingtogether. It can also influence how people willfeel about volunteering in general and whetheror not they will want to do so again. This stepdeals with showing appreciation to those whowork on the project with you.

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Twenty Ways To Give Recognition toYoung Volunteers*

◆ Make a suggestion box for workers.

◆ Print photos in the school yearbook.

◆ Recognize volunteers at school assemblies.

◆ Hold open meetings to discuss projects.

◆ Ask volunteers to serve as spokespersons atspecial observances.

◆ Provide transportation for your volunteers.

◆ Have a pizza party.

◆ Give volunteers additional responsibility.

◆ Encourage the news media to cover volun-teer activities.

◆ Create a pleasant environment.

◆ Encourage volunteers to talk to othersabout their experiences with the project.

◆ Keep a record for community servicerecognition.

◆ Utilize volunteers as expert advisors fornew projects.

◆ Celebrate outstanding projects andachievements.

◆ Nominate volunteers for awards.

◆ Provide volunteers with training to developnew skills.

◆ Recognize accomplishments of both groupsand individuals.

◆ Award special citations for extraordinaryachievements.

◆ Encourage participation in planning andevaluation.

◆ Remember to say “Thank you,” “Good job,”“We missed you,” and other phrases thatshow your appreciation.

*Adapted from “101 Ways to Give Recognition toVolunteers,” by Vern Lake, Volunteer Services Consultant,Minnesota Department of Public Welfare.

List three ways your project will giverecognition to its volunteers.

1.

2.

3.

Evaluation: Monitoring Your Project

While you and your volunteers may feel verygood about your project, you also want to knowwhether it has accomplished something.Evaluating the project can help you learnwhether it has met its goals, but only if youdecide up front what you want to evaluate andhow you will go about doing so. The purpose ofconducting an evaluation is “to answer practi-cal questions of decision-makers and programimplementors who want to know whether tocontinue a program, extend it to other sites,modify it, or close it down” (National CrimePrevention Council, What, me evaluate?Washington, DC: National Crime PreventionCouncil, 1986). You will want to be able toshow that your crime prevention project doesone or all of the following:

◆ Reduces crime.

◆ Reduces fear of crime.

◆ Is cost effective.

◆ Has a lasting impact.

◆ Attracts support and resources.

◆ Makes people feel safe and better aboutbeing in your school or community.

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Performing an evaluation. There are manydifferent ways to evaluate your project. Youmay want to conduct a survey of your targetaudience, asking whether or not certainconditions have improved as a result of yourproject. Compare the results with the results ofyour planning survey. What problems did thecomparison show? Was the target audiencesatisfied with the results of the project? Whatcould have been done better?

While your project is ongoing and when it iscompleted, you will need a way to check on itsprogress and see that it is reaching the basicgoals you set. “Worksheet 5: Assessing YourProject,” on page 25, is a good tool for review-ing your project. The basic measures to useshould go back to your goals and objectives.Was crime reduced in the school or neighbor-hood? Did you reach all the people in theneighborhood you intended to? Did yourproject reach the elementary school childrenyou planned to instruct? Did they learn whatyou were trying to teach them?

What elements of your project can youmeasure to check your progress?

How will you measure those things? (Forexample, you might use reports, officialrecords, interviews, personal visits,surveys, tests, and other methods.)

Review and Summary of the Success Cycle

These five groups of questions are a quickreview of the steps of the Success Cycle asdescribed in this Bulletin. Refer to them asoften as you need to while you are planningyour project. The last worksheet in thisBulletin—“Worksheet 6: Summarizing thePlan” on page 26—will help you summarizeand consolidate all the steps of your plan.

Assessing Your Community’s Needs

◆ What is your target community?

◆ What are some key facts about thatcommunity?

◆ What are some of the problems in thecommunity?

◆ What are some ways to address thoseproblems?

16

◆ What assets can your group offer?

◆ What other kind of help might be needed?

◆ What would you like to do to help?

Planning a Successful Project

◆ What will your project do?

◆ What changes should, or could, come aboutbecause of your project?

◆ What are your goals, objectives, andstrategies?

◆ What are the steps for getting started?

◆ Whose approval must be obtained?

◆ Who should be involved in planning,reviewing, and performing the tasks?

◆ What are the major obstacles you expect toface? How will you overcome them?

◆ What group weaknesses will need to beaddressed to perform the project?

◆ How long will the project take? Can it bebroken into several shorter projects orseparate phases?

◆ How will you get the project back on track ifit gets off track or delayed?

◆ How will you know whether your project hasbeen successful?

◆ How will you thank workers and celebratesuccess?

Lining Up Resources

◆ What specific talents do members of thegroup bring to the project?

◆ What other help must be provided—goods,services, people, money?

◆ Who will act as recordkeeper and treasurer?

◆ Who might want to help? Who else shares aninterest in solving this problem (e.g., civicgroups, businesses, nonprofits)?

◆ What are the best ways to recruit the helpyou need?

◆ What can be done to build the group into ateam?

Acting on Your Plan

◆ What are the tasks to be performed?

◆ In what order should they be done?

◆ Who will handle problems that may arise?

◆ What kind of training is needed? Who willreceive training?

◆ Who (including youth) can provide training?

◆ What will you do to keep and build onparticipants’ enthusiasm?

◆ How can you be sure you are using yourresources efficiently?

Nurturing, Monitoring, and Evaluating

◆ What indicators will you use to measure thesuccess of your project? How will theindicators be measured (e.g., data, charts,graphs)?

◆ How will you ensure that the project resultsin a quality product?

◆ What information should be collected, whoshould collect it, and how frequently shouldit be obtained?

◆ How will any needed “midcourse” correc-tions be made?

◆ What do participants—workers and thosewho benefit—think of the project?

◆ What would have happened if your grouphad not done the project?

◆ How can you find out about stories ofsuccess in your project?

◆ How can volunteers best be recognizedindividually? As a group?

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researchers, juvenile justice practitioners, andthe general public through a broad spectrum ofservices. These include distributing publica-tions, providing online access, responding torequests for assistance, attending and support-ing conferences, and maintaining a library andonline accessible data base of more than35,000 juvenile justice titles.

American Legion Child WelfareFoundation700 North Pennsylvania StreetIndianapolis, IN 46204317–630–1200Internet: www.legion.org

Barrios UnidosWashington, DC, ChapterP.O. Box 21098Washington, DC 20009202–424–6309202–673–4557 (Fax)

Boy Scouts of America1325 Walnut Hill LaneIrving, TX 75015–2079972–580–2000Internet: www.bsa.scouting.org

Boys & Girls Clubs of America1230 West Peachtree Street NW.Atlanta, GA 30309404–815–5700Internet: www.bgca.org

Camp Fire Boys and Girls4601 Madison AvenueKansas City, MO 64112816–756–1950Internet: www.campfire.org

Child Welfare League of America440 First Street NW., Suite 310Washington, DC 20001–2085202–638–2952Internet: www.cwla.org

National Resources forCrime Prevention andCommunity Service Projects

National Crime Prevention Council1700 K Street NW., Second FloorWashington, DC 20006–3817202–466–6272Internet: www.ncpc.org

As part of its mission to enable people toprevent crime and build safer, more caringcommunities, the National Crime PreventionCouncil (NCPC) develops and publishes:

◆ Books.

◆ Kits packed with project ideas and repro-ducible materials easily personalized withproject’s or sponsor’s name.

◆ Brief reports, including the Topics in CrimePrevention series, that give timely, practicalguidance.

◆ Colorful posters.

◆ Many other items and services.

For a free catalog, call 800–627–2911.

Juvenile Justice ClearinghouseP.O. Box 6000Rockville, MD 20849–6000800–638–8736 (8:30 a.m.–7 p.m. ET)301–519–5212 (Fax)800–638–8736 (Fax-on-Demand; select 1,

select 2, and listen for instructions)E-Mail: askncjrs@ncjrs.orgInternet: www.ncjrs.org/ojjhome.htm

The Office of Juvenile Justice and DelinquencyPrevention (OJJDP) created the JuvenileJustice Clearinghouse (JJC) to offer quick andeasy access to juvenile justice information. JJClinks OJJDP’s publications, research findings,and program information to policymakers,

18

Children’s Express1331 H Street NW., Suite 900Washington, DC 20005202–737–7377Internet: www.ce.org

Coalition for Juvenile Justice1211 Connecticut Avenue NW., Suite 414Washington, DC 20036202–467–0864202–887–0738 (Fax)

Communities In Schools, Inc.1199 North Fairfax Street, Suite 300Alexandria, VA 22314703–519–8999703–519–7213 (Fax)

Community Anti-Drug Coalition ofAmerica (CADCA)901 North Pitt Street, Suite 300Alexandria, VA 22314703–706–0560Internet: www.cadca.org

The Corporation for National Service1201 New York Avenue NW.Washington, DC 20525202–606–5000Internet: www.nationalservice.org

Gila River Youth CouncilP.O. Box FSacatone, AR 85247520–562–3065520–562–3963 (Fax)

Girl Scouts of the U.S.A.420 Fifth AvenueNew York, NY 10018212–852–8000Internet: www.gsusa.org

Girls, Inc.30 East 33d Street, Seventh FloorNew York, NY 10016212–689–3700Internet: www.girlsinc.org

Junior Achievement, Inc.One Education WayColorado Springs, CO 80906719–540–8000Internet: www.ja.org

Learn and Serve AmericaCorporation for National Service1201 New York Avenue NW.Washington, DC 20525202–606–5000Internet: www.cns.gov/learn/index.html

Mothers Against Drunk Driving(MADD)511 East John Carpenter Freeway, Suite 700Irving, TX 75062–8187214–744–MADD (214–744–6233)Internet: www.madd.org

National Association of Counties4040 First Street NW.Washington, DC 20001202–393–6226Internet: www.naco.com

National Campaign To Stop Violence:Do the Write ThingThe Kuwait-American Foundation1120 G Street NW., Suite 990Washington, DC 20005202–393–7580202–393–7585 (Fax)

The National Exchange Club3050 Central AvenueToledo, OH 43606419–535–3232Internet: www.nationalexchangeclub.com

National 4–H Council7100 Connecticut AvenueChevy Chase, MD 20815–4999301–961–2820Internet: www.4hcouncil.edu

19

Office of Juvenile Justice andDelinquency Prevention810 Seventh Street NW., Eighth FloorWashington, DC 20531202–307–5911Internet: www.ncjrs.org/ojjhome.htm

Points of Light Foundation1737 H Street NW.Washington, DC 20006–3912202–223–9186Internet: www.pointsoflight.org

Quest International1984 Coffman RoadNewark, OH 43058–4850614–522–6400Internet: www.quest.edu

Southern Regional Violence andSubstance Abuse Prevention CenterUniversity of South CarolinaColumbia, SC 29208803–777–0695803–777–0677 (Fax)

Street Law, Inc.(formerly the National Institutefor Citizen Education in the Law)918 16th Street NW., Suite 602Washington, DC 20006–2902202–293–0088202–293–0089 (Fax)

Teens, Crime, and the Community1700 K Street NW., Second FloorWashington, DC 20006–3817202–466–6272202–296–1356 (Fax)

United National IndianTribal Youth, Inc. (UNITY)P.O. Box 250424010 Lincoln Boulevard, Suite 202Oklahoma City, OK 73125405–424–3010405–424–3018 (Fax)

National Organization for VictimAssistance1757 Park Road NW.Washington, DC 20010202–232–6682Internet: www.access.digex.net\~NOVA

National PTA (National Congress ofParents and Teachers)700 North Rush StreetChicago, IL 60611312–670–6782Internet: www.pta.org

National Victim Center309 West Seventh Street, Suite 705Fort Worth, TX 76102817–877–3355Internet: www.nvc.org

National Youth Leadership Council1910 West County Road BRoseville, MN 55113612–631–3672Internet: www.nylc.org

The National Youth NetworkNational Crime Prevention Council1700 K Street NW., Second FloorWashington, DC 20006–3817202–466–6272Internet: www.ncpc.org

Office of Children andFamily ServicesSergeant Henry Johnson Youth

Leadership AcademyP.O. Box 132Route 10South Kortright, NY 13842518–473–1274607–538–1403 (Fax)

20

Youth Crime Watch of America9300 South Dadeland Boulevard, Suite 100Miami, FL 33156305–670–2409Internet: www.ycwa.org

Youth Service America1101 15th Street NW., Suite 200Washington, DC 20005202–296–2992Internet: www.servenet.org

Youthbuild USA58 Day StreetSomerville, MA 02144617–623–9900617–623–4331 (Fax)

This Bulletin, the first in the Youth in Action series,was produced by the National Crime PreventionCouncil as part of the National Citizens’ CrimePrevention Campaign under a cooperative agree-ment with the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA),Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department ofJustice. The National Crime Prevention Council is anonprofit organization that conducts demonstrationand youth-based programs, produces publicationsand training materials on a variety of subjects, andmanages the day-to-day activities of the NationalCitizens’ Crime Prevention Campaign.Points of view or opinions expressed in this docu-ment are those of the authors and do not necessarilyrepresent the official position or policies of theOffice of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Preven-tion, BJA, or the U.S. Department of Justice.

The National Youth Network, founded and managedby the Office of Juvenile Justice and DelinquencyPrevention, consists of diverse youth leaders fromacross the Nation who are sponsored by youth-serving organizations. The goal of the Network is torecognize and build upon the power and importanceof youth leadership by uniting young people andadults, through communication and action, toenable youth organizations and nonaffiliated youthto have a positive, formidable impact in our commu-nities and throughout our Nation.

The Office of Juvenile Justice and DelinquencyPrevention is a component of the Office of JusticePrograms, which also includes the Bureau of JusticeAssistance, the Bureau of Justice Statistics, the Na-tional Institute of Justice, and the Office for Victimsof Crime.

21

Worksheet 1: Notes on My Community

Physical boundaries/area designated

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

Groups of people and their special needs

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

Community leaders

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

Resources available

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

Sources of information

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

Methods of assessment

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

Problems in the community

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

Possible solutions

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

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Worksheet 2: Working Through Your Operational Plan

Who or what is the target audience for your project?

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

What are the goals for your project?

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

What are the objectives (the measurable steps or activities) that will lead towardthe accomplishment of your goals?

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

What are your strategies? Some strategy questions include: Whom should you include in yourplanning process? With whom will you work? How will you reach your target audience? What willcause people to remember your message?

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

What is the critical timeline for your project? What things must be done first? What is thenecessary order for key steps? What action deadlines does the timeline dictate?

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

List the activities, who will take responsibility for getting them done, and the date (the day,week, or month) by which each one needs to be completed for your plan to work. Highlightany critical timetables or deadlines. You should be listing tasks that will carry out your goalsand objectives. (For example, deliver written information to each person in the target group,hold three meetings to discuss issues, publish three bulletins on the progress of the crimewatch program.)

Activity Performed By (Name) Target Date

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

As you work through the rest of the Success Cycle, you will determine how your group willrecruit volunteers, gather resources, provide necessary training, divide tasks, monitor progress,and evaluate outcomes. All these actions will be based upon the answers above.

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Worksheet 3: Volunteer Application

Name ____________________________________________________________________________

Address __________________________________________________________________________

City _______________________________ State______________ZIP Code __________________

Home Phone ___________________________________________Homeroom ________________

Why do you want to volunteer?

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

What skills would you like to learn while volunteering?

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

List current skills/assets (typing, acting, sports, licensed driver, reading to the elderly, goodcommunicator, filing, creating posters and other advertising materials, etc.)

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

Schedule: (Check approximate time when you would be able to volunteer.)

Mon Tues Wed Thurs Fri Sat Sun

Morning________________________________________________________________________

Afternoon________________________________________________________________________

Evening________________________________________________________________________

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Worksheet 4: Training Planner

Training specifics (Time, date, place, audience, setting, length of training)

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

Goal (Purpose or reason for the training)

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

Objective (What people should know, think, or do by the end of the training)

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

Activities (Specific tasks that will be accomplished)

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

Aids (Audiovisual equipment and other items needed to provide instruction)

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

Lesson plan (Outline of the contents and procedures for the sessions)

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

Vocabulary (Words that need to be defined)

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

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Worksheet 5: Assessing Your Project

Make a list of all of the ways that your community has improved thanks to your program. Thenlist all the things that have stayed the same and those that have gotten worse.

Better Stayed the Same Worse

Look at your list and think back to your goals and objectives. Which goals were met?Which were partially met? In which areas did you fail altogether?

Succeeded in Partially Succeeded in Failed inMeeting These Meeting These Meeting TheseObjectives and Goals Objectives and Goals Objectives and Goals

It is important to understand that a successful project may not meet every goal or objective.No project can be perfect. Don’t worry if there are some areas in which your project failed.The whole point of doing an evaluation is to find out what worked and what didn’t so that theproject can be improved the next time. Look back at your last list and choose three goals orobjectives that your project didn’t address well. Then think of how these areas can be improvedin the future.

Our project did not meet We could succeedthis goal/objective: in this area if:

1. ____________________________________ 1. _____________________________________

2. ____________________________________ 2. _____________________________________

3. ____________________________________ 3. _____________________________________

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Worksheet 6: Summarizing the Plan

Needs

The community we will help is:

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

Problem or Need in the Community What We Could Do

Goals and Strategies

Target Audience

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

Goals

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

Objectives

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

Strategies

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

Activities Performed By (Name) Target Date

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

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Resources

Skills, people, and goods and services needed for the project

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

Ways to recruit fellow youth

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

Adults we will want to recruit

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

Some ways in which our project will obtain the goods, services, or money needed

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

Putting the Plan Into Action

Training needs for the project

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

Ways in which those who participate in the project will be given recognition

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

Evaluating

What we will measure

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

How we will measure

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

U.S. Department of Justice

Office of Justice Programs

Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention

Washington, DC 20531

Official BusinessPenalty for Private Use $300

Youth in Action Bulletin NCJ–170024

BULK RATEU.S. POSTAGE PAID

DOJ/OJJDPPermit No. G–91