Dr Jyoti Belur1, Dr Lisa Tompson2, Dr Kritika Jerath3
1University College London, London, United Kingdom, 2University of Waikato, Hamilton, New Zealand, 3University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom
In this presentation we discuss our experience of evaluating one multi-agency partnership MASIP (the Multi Agency Stalking Intervention Programme) piloted in three police forces in England and Wales which revealed a host of challenges for evidencing impact.
Objectives: Multi agency work – where police work in partnership with other agencies – is increasingly being considered the best way to tackle complex crime problems and for safeguarding vulnerable individuals. Examples of partnership work include addressing diverse issues such as youth crime, domestic violence, and even deradicalization programmes. Evaluations of whether such multi agency partnerships “work” (are effective) are few and far between. Consequently, the evidence base for police partnership work is somewhat thin. The objective of this presentation is to discuss the host of challenges for evidencing impact of multi-agency partnerships, using a case study to exemplify key issues.
Methods: We used a mixed-methods framework (EMMIE) to evaluate a multi-agency partnership MASIP piloted in three police forces in England and Wales. This involved qualitative analysis of interview data from stakeholders, victims and perpetrators, and quantitative analysis of partnership data.
Results: Two big challenges for evaluations of multi-agency partnerships were identified: the first was how to evidence the impact on a number of tangible and intangible outcomes that result from partnership working and how much they matter to funders. The second biggest challenge for any partnership can sometimes result from the fact that desirable outcomes for the police and partnership as a whole may either complement or sometimes work contrary to the goals of individual agencies involved.
Conclusion: These challenges have implications for why individual agencies might want to be involved in partnership partnership working with the police, on power relations between police and partners, and ultimately on the longevity of such partnerships.
Biography:
Biographies to come