October 20, 2009

GAO-10-133T Juvenile Justice: Technical Assistance and Better Defined Evaluation Plans Will Help Girls' Delinquency Programs

The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, OJJDP, reported that the Study Group's findings provided a foundation for moving ahead on a comprehensive program related to girls' delinquency. However, OJJDP has not developed a plan that is documented, shared with key stakeholders, and includes specific funding requirements, commitments and time frames for meeting its girls' delinquency goals. Standard practices for program and project management state that desired outcomes or results should be conceptualized, defined, and documented in the planning process as part of a road map, along with the appropriate projects needed to achieve those results. In addition, government internal control standards call for policies and procedures that establish adequate communication with stakeholders as essential for achieving desired program goals. Developing a plan for girls' delinquency would help OJJDP to demonstrate leadership to the girls' delinquency field by clearly articulating the actions it intends to take to meet its goals. In this report, Eileen R. p, include time frames and specific funding requirements and commitments, and is share with key stakeholders.