Program evaluation and fidelity

Creating written protocols also promotes consistency and continuity while setting the stage for future program evaluation and development.

The BTAU should also focus on continual programmatic evaluation and improvement.

The best practice for achieving any goal involves continuous self-evaluation and improvement.

BTAUs should identify ways of utilizing data to inform program evaluation and strategy development.

For example, the BTAU could assess if bystander reporting increases in response to a focused public messaging campaign.

Similarly, the BTAU could evaluate if multiagency training activities increase the responsiveness of partner agencies during the assessment and management of individuals of concern.

BTAUs will want to be aware of any programmatic strengths or weaknesses and should adapt their procedures appropriately.

If resources allow, BTAUs could consider enlisting external expertise to assist with the technical aspects of program evaluation.

Another key component of program evaluation involves fidelity assessments, or evaluations to determine if the program is being implemented as intended.

While it would be very difficult to measure if a BTAU was responsible for preventing an act of targeted violence, it is possible to measure the BTAU’s internal practices and systems that are meant to reduce the likelihood of an attack.

For example, the BTAU might evaluate whether their program has resulted in increased access to counseling and mental health services for individuals reported to the police department. Such a measure could be part of how the BTAU evaluates its consistency in coordinating interventions to address individual needs.

Other methods for assessing fidelity could involve tracking case documentation accuracy, consistency, and/or quality in alignment with established protocols.

Fidelity data such as these could, for example, help a unit manager explore more efficient practices for case processing if the BTAU is routinely exceeding established timeframes for completing assessments.

After-action reviews allow for another type of program evaluation. Here BTAUs can meet to revisit past cases, identifying which portions of assessment and management worked well and what areas show a need for improvement.

Through this process, BTAUs may identify success stories to share with relevant community partners, in accordance with any applicable privacy restrictions, to enhance awareness of the BTAU and promote engagement.

Moreover, the field of behavioral threat assessment continues to evolve, and the body of research defining best practices continues to grow. As such, BTAUs will require both an awareness of new research and the internal capacity to adapt procedures to align with the latest advancements in the field.