In response to a Congressional requirement to collect data on the effectiveness of Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) grant activities, the Office on Violence Against Women (OVW), in partnership with the University of Southern Maine, Muskie School of Public Service, Institute for Child and Family Policy (The Muskie School), established the VAWA Measuring Effectiveness Initiative. With the assistance of the Muskie School, and after extensive consultation with OVW grantees and experts in the field, OVW developed program-specific forms that collect quantitative data on staffing, victim services, criminal justice case processing, and other grant program services unique to each OVW grant program. These reports also collect qualitative data on the status of grantee progress on project goals and objectives, significant areas of remaining need, and the grantees' assessments of changes that have resulted from VAWA-funded projects in their communities. Data from these progress report forms can be used for grant monitoring, feedback to grantees and the public, long-term planning, and reporting to Congress.

For more information on the VAWA Measuring Effectiveness Initiative, please visit: www.muskie.usm.maine.edu/vawamei.