[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 44 (Monday, March 8, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 11360-11363]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-5670]



[[Page 11359]]

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Part XV





Department of Justice





_______________________________________________________________________



Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention



_______________________________________________________________________



Evaluation of Parents AnonymousSM; Notice

  Federal Register / Vol. 64, No. 44 / Monday, March 8, 1999 / 
Notices  

[[Page 11360]]



DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention
[OJP (OJJDP)-1211]
RIN 1121-ZB45


Evaluation of Parents AnonymousSM

AGENCY: Office of Justice Programs, Office of Juvenile Justice and 
Delinquency Prevention, Justice.

ACTION: Notice of funding availability program announcement.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention 
(OJJDP) is requesting applications for the evaluation of the Parents 
AnonymousSM program. The purpose of the evaluation is to 
assess the implementation and effectiveness of the Parents 
AnonymousSM program in diminishing the impact of risk 
factors, increasing the resiliency of parents and children, preventing 
and treating child abuse and neglect, and preventing juvenile 
delinquency.

DATES: Applications must be submitted by May 7, 1999.

ADDRESSES: The application kit is available from the Juvenile Justice 
Clearinghouse at 800-638-8736. The application kit can also be obtained 
online at OJJDP's Web site at http://www.ojjdp.ncjrs.org.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dean Hoffman, Program Manager, 
Research and Program Development Division, Office of Juvenile Justice 
and Delinquency Prevention, 800 K Street, NW., 3d Floor, Washington, 
D.C. 20531; 202-353-9256. [This is not a toll-free number.]

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    Parents AnonymousSM is the oldest and largest national 
child abuse prevention program in America dedicated to family 
strengthening in partnership with local communities. From a single 
group in 1970, Parents AnonymousSM has grown into more than 
2,300 weekly mutual support groups for parents and complementary 
children's programs. In communities throughout the country, a strong 
partnership exists between local communities, affiliate organizations, 
and Parents AnonymousSM, Inc., the national accrediting 
entity. With a 28-year history and more than 30,000 local volunteers, 
Parents AnonymousSM worked with 100,000 parents and their 
children in 1997 to help prevent child abuse and neglect.
    The Parents Anonymous SM national network consists of 50 
State and local affiliate organizations, which oversee weekly Parents 
Anonymous SM groups and children's programs. Parents 
Anonymous SM, Inc., provides training and technical 
assistance to affiliates, community-based organizations that are 
prospective affiliates, and State and local government agencies to 
foster the development and maintenance of Parents Anonymous 
SM groups. Program materials, technical assistance services, 
and regional and national trainings are designed and conducted by 
Parents Anonymous SM, Inc.
    Mutual support and shared leadership are the cornerstones of the 
Parents Anonymous SM program. Parents Anonymous 
SM organizations partner in local communities with 
volunteers, agencies, and parents to establish groups to strengthen 
families. The program is both a community development model and a 
prevention and treatment model. Parent leaders have meaningful and 
identifiable roles at both the group and organizational levels to 
ensure shared leadership and the development of more responsive 
programs to meet the needs identified by families. This unique model 
actualizes the principles of mutual support and shared leadership not 
just in the program model but at the organizational level through the 
leadership roles of parents in effective outreach to other parents, 
program planning and implementation, strategic planning, fundraising, 
policy decisions, organizational governance, and evaluation activities. 
Parents Anonymous SM, Inc., has set the stage for expanding 
parent leader roles throughout its organizational functions by creating 
the National Parent Leadership Team. This team co-trains, provides 
technical assistance, and develops program materials. Parents Anonymous 
SM partners with parent leaders of diverse ethnic, 
geographic, gender, and cultural backgrounds at all levels of the 
national organization.

Goals

Phase I

     Determine the theoretical premises and principles that 
constitute the Parents Anonymous SM program model, assess 
how this model is being operationalized nationally, and identify the 
roles of parent participants, group facilitators, and program 
coordinators.
     Identify strategies, methods, and functions of parent 
leaders at the group, local, State, and national organizational levels 
of Parents Anonymous SM.
     Identify the factors that motivate parents to seek help 
and stay in the Parents Anonymous SM group and that help 
parents change. Parents Anonymous SM staff members and 
participants and the Project Advisory Board (described below) will help 
identify other important factors to study.

Phase II

     Assess the effectiveness of the Parents Anonymous 
SM program in diminishing the impact of risk factors, 
increasing the resiliency of parents and children, preventing and 
treating child abuse and neglect, and preventing juvenile delinquency.

Objectives

Phase I

     Conduct a process evaluation to accomplish the above goals 
using appropriate qualitative and quantitative methods.
     Design an outcome evaluation to assess the effectiveness 
of the Parents Anonymous SM program in diminishing the 
impact of risk factors, increasing the resiliency of parents and 
children, preventing and treating child abuse and neglect, and 
preventing juvenile delinquency. The design must meet scientifically 
rigorous standards for evaluation and be able to be accomplished in 
Phase II. The evaluator must design and pilot test the instruments to 
be used.
     Produce an interim report describing the results of the 
process evaluation of the development and maintenance of groups and the 
implementation of the theoretical premises, principles, and model of 
Parents Anonymous SM 30 days prior to the end of Phase I. In 
addition, a summary version of this report suitable for publication as 
an Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) 
Bulletin must be prepared.

Phase II

     Continue the process evaluation.
     Conduct the outcome evaluation.
     Produce a report describing the findings of the process 
and outcome evaluations. In addition, a summary version of this report 
suitable for publication as an OJJDP Bulletin must be prepared.

Program Strategy

    This theory-driven evaluation will be conducted in two phases, each 
lasting 18 months. During Phase I, the process evaluation will measure 
the operationalization of the theoretical premises, principles, best 
practices, and model of the Parents Anonymous SM

[[Page 11361]]

program. Phase II of the study will explore the various factors that 
contribute to the program's effectiveness and develop survey 
instruments to measure outcomes related to both parents and their 
children. During Phase II, program outcomes and impacts will be 
measured using the design and data collection instruments developed 
during Phase I.
    Phase I should result in an indepth understanding of why parents 
seek help, what helps them stay in Parents Anonymous SM, how 
the program helps them change, what constitutes the key elements of a 
Parents Anonymous SM group, and other relevant issues. 
Parents Anonymous SM staff members and participants will be 
consulted regarding these other issues. The applicant must address 
cultural diversity issues in the design and implementation of both the 
process and outcome evaluation. The key concepts of mutual support and 
shared leadership and the premises of the Parents Anonymous 
SM model should be explored with a cross section of group 
participants, parent leaders, group facilitators, and program 
coordinators of Parents Anonymous SM organizations. The 
study will also explore the processes and strategies of parent 
leadership development at the group and organizational levels of 
Parents Anonymous SM. Furthermore, it is expected that a 
logic model will be developed to clarify the implementation of the 
theoretical bases of the Parents Anonymous SM program. Phase 
I should result in a survey of the number of families served, family 
composition, race and ages of children, and other descriptive 
information. Phase I also should document how families are referred to 
the program.
    In preparation for Phase II, a major product of Phase I will be the 
design of the outcome study and survey instruments to evaluate the 
effectiveness of Parents Anonymous SM groups and parent 
leadership roles and functions in preventing and treating child abuse 
and neglect.
    Applicants should become familiar with the theoretical framework 
that comprises the Parents Anonymous SM philosophy, 
principles, best practices, and program model. A Parents Anonymous 
SM program package can be obtained through the Juvenile 
Justice Clearinghouse by calling 800-638-8736. In addition, the 
applicant should demonstrate an understanding of the causes of child 
maltreatment, state-of-the-art community-based prevention programs, 
research on the effectiveness of family strengthening programs, and 
mutual support and self-help literature. The applicant's strategies for 
conducting the process and outcome evaluation should reflect an 
understanding of the collaboration between Parents Anonymous 
SM, Inc., and its regional and local organizations, shared 
leadership with program participants, and methodological issues related 
to evaluating mutual support programs and community-based prevention 
programming. Applicants must identify other theory-driven, multisite 
evaluations they have conducted and demonstrate their knowledge and 
skills in conducting them. Applicants should propose both qualitative 
and quantitative methods to achieve the goals set forth in this 
solicitation.
    Applicants must demonstrate cultural sensitivity for parent 
participants and assure the confidentiality of information obtained 
from them.
    This evaluation is to be, in part, a test of the theoretical 
premises, principles, and model of the Parents Anonymous SM 
program. To facilitate this theory-driven evaluation, the evaluator 
should develop a logic model to assess program goals, implementation 
and maintenance strategies, essential elements of the theory-driven 
model, and measurable outcome objectives.
    Once the award is made, Parents Anonymous SM, Inc., will 
introduce the evaluator and the evaluation to the Parents Anonymous 
SM national network, emphasize the usefulness of the 
evaluation, and encourage openness in sharing information, opinions, 
and ideas.
    The grantee will work with staff of Parents Anonymous 
SM, Inc., to determine the scope and nature of Parents 
Anonymous SM organizations and types of groups; to promote 
the usefulness of the evaluation to Parents Anonymous SM 
organizations, parents, and volunteers in order to assure their 
continued cooperation; to engage parent leaders, volunteers, and 
Parents Anonymous SM program staff in helping identify 
relevant program issues; and to establish an overall collaborative 
relationship that will help ensure cooperation between the Parents 
Anonymous SM national network and the evaluator without 
affecting the integrity of the evaluation. It should be noted that a 
national database is currently under development. (The universe of 
Parents Anonymous SM programs will be represented, but 
specifics about the programs may not be.)

Project Advisory Board

    A Project Advisory Board (PAB) will advise the evaluator regarding 
implementation issues, methodologies, feedback, instrumentation, and 
ways to ensure cooperation and collaboration of Parents 
AnonymousSM groups based on the principle of shared 
leadership. The PAB will consist of five members. The evaluation 
grantee will be responsible for recommending four of the PAB members to 
OJJDP. The fifth member will be selected by OJJDP in consultation with 
Parents AnonymousSM, Inc.
    The applicant should recommend members who are evaluators with 
demonstrated expertise in the evaluation of multisite mutual support 
and self-help groups and child maltreatment programs and should also 
include two members from among parents, staff, and volunteers involved 
in the Parents AnonymousSM program. The applicant must 
include names of prospective members with evaluation experience with 
signed letters indicating their willingness to serve. (Parent, staff, 
and volunteer members will be identified after the award is made). Upon 
award, and with approval of OJJDP, members of the PAB will be appointed 
by the evaluator.
    The PAB will be convened twice during Phase I. The first meeting 
will be held soon after the evaluator submits the final evaluation 
design. The PAB will be charged with reviewing the design and 
suggesting modifications. The second meeting will be held at the end of 
Phase I. At this meeting, the PAB will be charged with reviewing the 
process evaluation findings to that point, reviewing the impact 
evaluation design, and informing evaluation activities for the 
remainder of the project.
    The applicant must propose a plan for coordinating both PAB 
meetings, one to be held in Washington, DC, and one in Claremont, CA. 
Also, the evaluator must include in its budget expenses for the meeting 
location, materials, travel and related expenses, and preparation 
day(s) for the PAB members.
    Finally, the applicant must describe a plan for disseminating 
results in a user-friendly manner throughout both phases of the study.

Products

    The following products will be delivered during Phase I:
    1. Within 3 months of the grant award, the grantee will submit a 
final process evaluation design including data collection instruments.
    2. Within 9 months of the grant award, the grantee will submit a 
draft outcome evaluation design including data collection instruments 
to be pilot tested. By the end of Phase I, the data collection 
instruments to be used in the outcome evaluation must have been

[[Page 11362]]

pilot tested and approved by the Office of Management and Budget under 
Paperwork Reduction Act regulations.
    3. The grantee will provide an interim report describing the 
results of the process evaluation. This report should include 
descriptions of the implementation of the theoretical premises, 
principles, and model of Parents AnonymousSM and the 
development and maintenance of groups. This report will be submitted 30 
days prior to the end of Phase I. In addition, a summary version of 
this report suitable for publication as an OJJDP Bulletin must be 
prepared.
    During Phase II, the following products will be delivered:
    1. The grantee will provide a draft final report incorporating the 
results of both the process and outcome evaluations. This report will 
be submitted at least 60 days prior to the end of the 3-year grant 
period to allow for review and comment by OJJDP.
    2. The grantee will provide a final report, including an executive 
summary that can be published as a separate document. This document 
will be submitted 30 days prior to the end of the 3-year grant period. 
In addition, a summary version of this report suitable for publication 
as an OJJDP Bulletin must be prepared.

Eligibility Requirements

    OJJDP invites applications from public and private agencies, 
organizations, institutions, and individuals. Private, for-profit 
organizations must agree to waive any profit or fee. Joint applications 
from two or more eligible applicants are welcome; however, one 
applicant must be clearly indicated as the primary applicant (for 
correspondence, award, and management purposes) and the others 
indicated as coapplicants.

Selection Criteria

    Applicants will be evaluated and rated by a peer review panel 
according to the criteria outlined below.

Problem(s) To Be Addressed (15 points)

    Applicants must include a clear and concise statement of their 
understanding of the nature and extent of child abuse and neglect and 
its prevention and treatment, mutual support programs, and Parents 
AnonymousSM. Applicants should also discuss methodological 
issues and problems associated with this type of evaluation and 
proposed solutions for these potential problems. A thorough 
understanding of theory-driven evaluation, community-based child abuse 
prevention programs, and multisite research of mutual support programs 
on a national level is vital.

Goals and Objectives (10 points)

    Applicants must define specific and measurable goals and objectives 
for coordinating, managing, and producing the products of this process 
and impact evaluation.

Project Design (35 points)

    The applicant must present a clear project design that delineates 
activities necessary to the accomplishment of the goals of this 
announcement along with a timetable for their accomplishment and for 
delivery of the required products. The applicant should demonstrate the 
ability to conduct the evaluation in a manner compatible with the 
shared leadership model and principles of mutual support that are the 
essence of Parents AnonymousSM. The applicant should also 
demonstrate that implementation of the design will not adversely affect 
the effective functioning of the parent groups or overburden the 
resources of the Parents AnonymousSM organizations, but will 
instead represent a true collaborative process with Parents 
AnonymousSM. The applicant must describe how cultural 
diversity will be addressed in the research strategy.

Management and Organizational Capability (30 points)

    The application should include a discussion of how the grantee will 
coordinate and manage this evaluation to achieve the evaluation 
objectives. The applicant's management structure and staffing must be 
adequate and appropriate for the successful implementation of the 
project. The applicant must identify responsible individuals, their 
time commitment, and major tasks. Key staff should have significant 
experience with multisite evaluation research. They must demonstrate 
the ability to work effectively with parent leaders and program 
coordinators in data collection and analysis issues and other 
requirements of the project, and they must provide a role for Parents 
AnonymousSM groups in the evaluation. Staff resumes should 
be attached as part of the appendixes. Research expertise and 
organizational experience with evaluation of mutual support programs 
and/or community-based child abuse and neglect prevention programs are 
important. There should be a demonstration of how cultural diversity 
issues have been addressed in research previously conducted by the 
applicant. The applicant organization should demonstrate expertise in 
theory-driven and collaborative evaluations.

Budget (10 points)

    The applicant must provide a proposed budget that is complete, 
detailed, reasonable, allowable, and cost effective in relation to the 
activities to be undertaken.

Format

    The narrative portion of this application must not exceed 40 pages 
in length (excluding forms, assurances, and appendixes) and must be 
submitted on 8\1/2\ by 11-inch paper, double spaced on one side of the 
paper in a standard 12-point font. This is necessary to maintain fair 
and uniform standards among all applicants. If the narrative does not 
conform to these standards, OJJDP will deem the application ineligible 
for consideration.

Award Period

    The project period will be 3 years, funded in two 18-month budget 
periods. Funding after the first budget period depends on grantee 
performance, availability of funds, and other criteria established at 
the time of award.

Award Amount

    Up to $300,000 is available for the initial 18-month budget period. 
The amount of continuation funding is expected to be at a comparable 
level for Phase II; however, it may be at a higher level, contingent 
upon the design and scope of the evaluation.

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number

    For this program, the CFDA number, which is required on Standard 
Form 424, Application for Federal Assistance, is 16.542. This form is 
included in OJJDP's Application Kit, which can be obtained by calling 
the Juvenile Justice Clearinghouse at 800-638-8736 or sending an e-mail 
request to [email protected]. The kit is also available online at 
http://www.ojjdp.ncjrs.org.

Coordination of Federal Efforts

    To encourage better coordination among Federal agencies in 
addressing State and local needs, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) 
is requesting applicants to provide information on the following: (1) 
active Federal grant award(s) supporting this or related efforts, 
including awards from DOJ; (2) any pending application(s) for Federal 
funds for this or related efforts; and (3) plans for coordinating any 
funds described in item (1) or (2) with the funding sought by this 
application. For each Federal award, applicants must include the 
program or project title, the Federal grantor agency, the amount of

[[Page 11363]]

the award, and a brief description of its purpose.
    ``Related efforts'' is defined for these purposes as one of the 
following:
    1. Efforts for the same purpose (i.e., the proposed award would 
supplement, expand, complement, or continue activities funded with 
other Federal grants).
    2. Another phase or component of the same program or project (e.g., 
to implement a planning effort funded by other Federal funds or to 
provide a substance abuse treatment or education component within a 
criminal justice project).
    3. Services of some kind (e.g., technical assistance, research, or 
evaluation) to the program or project described in the application.

Delivery Instructions

    All application packages should be mailed or delivered to the 
Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, c/o Juvenile 
Justice Resource Center, 2277 Research Boulevard, Mail Stop 2K, 
Rockville, MD 20850; 301-519-5535. Note: In the lower left-hand corner 
of the envelope, you must clearly write ``Evaluation of Parents 
AnonymousSM.''

Due Date

    Applicants are responsible for ensuring that the original and five 
copies of the application package are received by 5 p.m. EST on May 7, 
1999.

Contact

    For further information call Dean Hoffman, Program Manager, 
Research and Program Development Division, 202-353-9256, or send an e-
mail inquiry to [email protected]. Potential applicants should not 
directly contact Parents AnonymousSM, Inc., or any 
organizations in the Parents AnonymousSM national network.

Suggested References

Belsky, J. 1993. Etiology of child maltreatment: A developmental-
ecological analysis. Psychological Bulletin 114(3):413-434.
Cohn, A.H. 1979. Essential elements of successful child abuse and 
neglect treatment. Child Abuse and Neglect 3:491-496.
Cohn, A.H., and Daro, D. 1987. Is treatment too late: What ten years 
of evaluative research tells us. Child Abuse and Neglect 11:433-442.
Gray, E. 1986. Child Abuse: Prelude to Delinquency. Washington, DC: 
U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Office of 
Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention.
Hawkins, J., VonCleve, E., and Catalano, R. 1991. Reducing early 
childhood aggression: Results of a primary prevention program. 
Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry 
30:208-217.
Humphreys, K., and Rappaport, J. 1994. Researching self-help/mutual 
aid groups and organizations: Many roads, one journey. Applied & 
Preventive Psychology 3:217-231.
Levine, M. 1988. An analysis of mutual assistance. American Journal 
of Community Psychology 19:167-187.
Riessman, F., and Carroll, D. 1995. Redefining Self-Help: Policy and 
Practice. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers.
Widom, C. 1991. Childhood victimization: Risk factor for 
delinquency. In Adolescent Stress: Causes and Consequences, edited 
by M. Colton and S. Gore. New York: Aldine de Gruyer.

    Dated: March 2, 1999.
Shay Bilchik,
Administrator, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention.
[FR Doc. 99-5670 Filed 3-5-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4410-18-P