George Fachner

Nazmia E.A. Comrie

Matthew Scheider

Shelley Hyland
 

 

This resource may be subject to copyright. The U.S. Department of Justice reserves a royalty free, nonexclusive, and irrevocable license to repro - -

duce, publish, or otherwise use and to authorize others to use this resource for Federal Government purposes. This resource may be freely 

distributed and used for noncommercial and educational purposes only. 

Recommended citation: 

Fachner, George J., Nazmia E.A. Comrie, Matthew Scheider, and Shelley Hyland. 2023. Collaborative Reform Initiative Continuum of Technical 

Assistance Services. Washington, DC: Office of Community Oriented Policing Services. 

Published 2023 


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Contents 

Introduction .................................................................................................................................................. 

...................................................................................................................................... 

.............................................................................................................. 

......................................................................................................................................... 

.................................................................................. 

1 

Background 1 

Purpose of this publication 2 

Strategy Overview 3 

Common approach for onboarding agencies 4 

CRI program coordination................................................................................................................ 

.......................................................................................................................................................... 

......................................................................................................................... 

.......................................................................................................................................... 

......................................................................................................................................

........................................................................................................................................

..........................................................................................................................

.......................................................................................................................

........................................................................................................................................

......................................................................................................................................

........................................................................................................................................

..........................................................................................................

.......................................................................................................................

........................................................................................................................................

......................................................................................................................................

........................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

6 

CRI-TAC 7 

Operating principles 7 

Approach 8 

Evaluation 10 

Timelines 10 

Critical Response Program 11 

Operating principles 11 

Approach 12 

Evaluation 13 

Timelines 13 

Organizational Assessment Program 14 

Operating principles 14 

Approach 15 

Evaluation 19 

Timelines 19 

Conclusion 20 

Collaborative Reform Initiative Continuum of Technical Assistance Services iii 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Introduction 

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) is committed to ensuring that law enforcement agencies across the 

nation provide all people with fair, equitable, and effective public safety services. To that end, the Office 

of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office) offers the Collaborative Reform Initiative (CRI) 

Continuum of Technical Assistance Services to assist law enforcement agencies and the communities they 

serve in identifying and implementing organizational improvements and reforms through training, consultation, peer-based learning, analysis, and in-depth independent assessments. The CRI encompasses 

three complementary programs that, for the first time in history, are now available concurrently to law 

enforcement agencies nationwide. 

Background 

In 2011, the COPS Office established Collaborative Reform, a program designed to help state and local law 

enforcement address issues that undermine public trust. The main objective of Collaborative Reform was 

to provide a cost-effective, proactive, nonadversarial vehicle for the DOJ and local agencies to work 

together to ensure fair, impartial, and effective policing for all communities. This reform model offered 

an alternative to more adversarial litigation and enforcement actions. 

In addition to Collaborative Reform, the COPS Office offered limited assessments of key processes and 

procedures, after-action reviews, and rapid technical assistance (TA) such as peer exchanges through the 

Critical Response program. That program operated in parallel with Collaborative Reform and was designed 

to provide targeted TA to law enforcement agencies dealing with high profile events, major incidents, or 

sensitive issues of varying need. 

In 2017, at the direction of DOJ leadership, the COPS Office ended the Collaborative Reform and Critical 

Response programs. At the same time, the COPS Office established a new TA center, the Collaborative 

Reform Initiative Technical Assistance Center (CRI-TAC), supported by national law enforcement management and labor stakeholder groups and designed to provide small-scale, agency-driven TA. CRI-TAC is not 

designed to engage in resource intensive, independent, and transparent organizational reform processes 

that some law enforcement agencies and communities desire. 

In 2022, the COPS Office re-established the services of the original Collaborative Reform and Critical 

Response programs and entered into cooperative agreements with service providers to continue this work 

while continuing to sustain TA supported through the CRI-TAC. With this new framework, the COPS Office 

offers a comprehensive continuum of services to law enforcement agencies nationwide—all under the 

banner of the COPS Office’s flagship TA program, the Collaborative Reform Initiative. 

Collaborative Reform Initiative Continuum of Technical Assistance Services 1 
 

 

 

Purpose of this publication 

This publication provides a strategic framework for the management, administration, and operations of 

the COPS Office Collaborative Reform Initiative, which comprises CRI-TAC, the Critical Response program, 

and the Organizational Assessment program (successor of Collaborative Reform circa 2011). The sections 

that follow describe the goals and overarching strategy for providing law enforcement agencies and the 

communities they serve with a comprehensive suite of options for organizational improvement and 

reform. Operating principles, approaches, and methods of program performance measurement are summarized in each program description. 

Collaborative Reform Initiative Continuum of Technical Assistance Services | Introduction 2 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Strategy Overview 

The COPS Office CRI is structured as a continuum of services offered to law enforcement agencies on a 

strictly voluntary basis. Three complementary programs offer four tiers of service that range in level of 

effort and complexity. These services are designed to build trust between law enforcement agencies and 

the communities they serve; improve fairness, effectiveness, and efficiency in agency operations; enhance 

officer safety and wellness; build agencies’ capacity for organizational learning and self-improvement; and 

widely share evidence-based, promising, and innovative community policing practices (see CRI goals in 

figure 1). 

Figure 1. CRI goals 

CRI-TAC offers training and TA on a request-and-deliver basis through a consortium of law enforcement 

stakeholder associations, subject matter experts (SME), and training providers. These engagements are 

narrowly scoped and conducted at the pace of the requesting agency. TA offered through this program is 

considered tier 1 and tier 2 in the continuum of services. 

The Critical Response program offers an intermediate form of TA that includes issue-specific reviews or 

targeted assistance in the wake of a critical incident. Critical Response efforts are tier 3. In contrast to the 

Organizational Assessment program, this program does not involve ongoing implementation and longterm TA. 

The Organizational Assessment (OA) program offers more intensive TA, involving in-depth assessments 

and TA on systemic issues that challenge community trust and confidence. These engagements are the 

most comprehensive and are classified as tier 4. 

Each of the three programs contributes to the prescribed goals by assisting participating law enforcement 

agencies in making small- and large-scale improvements and reforms on a proactive, collaborative, and 

voluntary basis. 

Examples of TA, per program and tier, are provided in table 1 on page 4. 

Collaborative Reform Initiative Continuum of Technical Assistance Services 3 
 

 

 

 

 

Table 1. Continuum of Services examples 

Collaborative Reform Initiative Continuum of Services 

Program Tier TA examples 

Technical Assistance Center 

(CRI-TAC) 

1 • Training 

• Executive consultation 

• Peer exchange 

• Resource referral 

2 • Policy review 

• Strategic planning 

• Needs assessment (e.g., 

training, technology, 

recruitment) 

Critical Response 3 • Immediate delivery of TA 

• Critical incident afteraction review 

• Issue-specific review of 

operations 

Organizational Assessment 4 • Comprehensive 

organizational 

assessment with ongoing 

TA and public reporting 

Common approach for onboarding agencies 

CRI is a finite public resource, and law enforcement leaders requesting services under this initiative must 

be ready, willing, and able to engage fully and establish it as a priority in their agency. Law enforcement 

agencies requesting participation in any of the three programs constituting the CRI will be guided through 

a standard approach for onboarding that enables the agency, the COPS Office, designated TA providers, 

and other relevant stakeholders to achieve a shared understanding of the program, its parameters, and 

mutual expectations for all involved parties. Figure 2 on page 5 illustrates this common approach. 

Depending upon the nature and scope of the request for assistance, the phases illustrated in figure 2 may 

vary in complexity and duration. 

Collaborative Reform Initiative Continuum of Technical Assistance Services | Strategy Overview 4 
 

Figure 2. CRI intake overview 

Agency inquiry 

Law enforcement agencies interested in TA services may submit an initial inquiry to the COPS Office. The 

inquiry may be made directly to the COPS Office or through an intermediary such as another DOJ component, a U.S. Attorney’s Office, or the COPS Office’s designated TA provider. However, all TA through the 

CRI must ultimately be requested voluntarily by the law enforcement executive. 

Intake 

The purpose of the intake process is to ensure that the requesting agency, the TA provider(s), and the 

COPS Office reach consensus on the type of TA being requested, the most appropriate program to meet 

that agency’s needs, and the mutual expectations among all involved parties. When the agency completes 

intake, it may submit a formal TA request for the agreed-upon best-fit program. 

Planning 

The planning phase of onboarding entails the production of a detailed work plan including timelines, 

resources (e.g., staffing and budget), information and data needs, and the approach for conducting TA. 

TA initiation 

The initiation of TA marks the completion of agency onboarding and the beginning of all work prescribed 

within the parameters of the specific program. 

Collaborative Reform Initiative Continuum of Technical Assistance Services | Strategy Overview 5 
 

 

 

 

 

CRI program coordination 

CRI operates within a broader ecosystem of DOJ resources designed to help law enforcement agencies 

and the communities they serve to achieve public safety goals while using strategies and tactics that are 

constitutional and represent the best available evidence, innovation, and standards of practice. Regular 

coordination and collaboration within the COPS Office, as well as other DOJ components—primarily the 

Civil Rights Division (CRT), Office of Justice Programs (OJP), and Community Relations Services (CRS)— 

mitigates potential conflicting or duplicative efforts. To this end, COPS Office leadership and senior staff 

participate in the following activities: 

• As needed, CRI program managers convene staff, TA providers, and SMEs from multiple 

programs to coordinate, deconflict, and ensure the efficient provision of TA to participating law 

enforcement agencies. 

• COPS Office staff members participate in the Civil Rights Coordination Meeting, which includes 

component representatives from across the department. 

• The COPS Office chairs the TA working group, with federal program managers from TA programs 

across the COPS Office, Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), CRS, and Office of Violence Against 

Women (OVW). This meeting can accommodate newly established law enforcement TA 

programs as necessary. 

• COPS Office and CRT staff members coordinate one-on-one for TA requests involving law 

enforcement agencies under active consent decrees. In addition, requests from jurisdictions 

recently encountering high-profile incidents are routinely shared with CRT for situational 

awareness. 

Collaborative Reform Initiative Continuum of Technical Assistance Services | Strategy Overview 6 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

CRI-TAC 

The COPS Office and its partners provide support, 

resources, and TA to law enforcement agencies 

nationwide through CRI-TAC. Customized solutions 

are designed by SMEs from the field and in collaboration with participating agencies to address 

agencies’ unique needs. The program brings 

together the collective leadership, expertise, and 

resources from law enforcement stakeholder organizations to ensure it is meeting the field’s complex and 

varying needs. 

The range of resources provided includes training, remote and on-site consultations, peer exchanges, 

resource referrals, and policy assistance among other types of TA. The TA covers more than 60 distinct 

community policing, crime prevention and response, and law enforcement management topics. 

Operating principles 

In 2017, through a competitive process, the COPS Office selected the International Association of Chiefs 

of Police (IACP) to spearhead this national law enforcement TA center. The IACP is supported by a broader 

coalition of law enforcement stakeholder associations, ensuring that the program is “by the field, for the 

field.” Likewise, the CRI-TAC process puts agencies in the driver’s seat, providing agencies with opportunities for review and approval of work plans that scope the engagement and deliverables, which are provided solely to the agency. CRI-TAC’s operating principles are built into every facet of the program as 

designed by the COPS Office (see figure 3 on page 8). 

Collaborative Reform Initiative Continuum of Technical Assistance Services 7 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Figure 3. CRI-TAC operating principles 

Approach 

CRI-TAC offers a broad range of technical assistance services (see figure 4 on page 9). The type(s) of TA 

delivered are selected in consultation with the agency, accounting for the agency’s needs and availability 

of resources. Notably, an agency may receive one or more of these services throughout a TA engagement. 

In addition to receiving training and consultation on a topic or topics of their choice, participating agencies 

may request a formal product as part of their TA engagement. There are two types of outputs CRI-TAC 

produces for participating agencies: (1) informational briefings and (2) agency deliverables. Generally, 

these products are developed by the SMEs assigned to the site in collaboration with IACP and the COPS 

Office. 

• Informational briefings are formal presentations to the agency describing the TA delivered, 

guidance and considerations, and general conclusions. 

• Agency deliverables are documents intended to provide guidance and considerations that 

represent CRI-TAC SMEs’ expert opinion of the agency’s operations and informed by best and 

promising practices, research literature, practitioner experience, and tailored innovations for 

the agency. 

Collaborative Reform Initiative Continuum of Technical Assistance Services | CRI-TAC 8 
Figure 4. Types of TA offered via CRI -TAC 

Collaborative Reform Initiative Continuum of Technical Assistance Services | CRI-TAC 9 
 

 

 

 

 

Evaluation 

CRI-TAC continually assesses client satisfaction and self-reported impact on participating agencies through 

three primary data collections: 

1. Training evaluations are distributed to all training participants. These evaluations allow trainees 

to rate the training on a variety of dimensions including general satisfaction with the content 

and instructors and self-reported knowledge, skills, and abilities gained as a result of the 

training. 

2. Client satisfaction surveys are distributed to all primary agencies that have completed their TA. 

These surveys collect information about the agency’s overall satisfaction with the TA 

engagement, including the process, resources provided, staff, SMEs, and quality of TA. 

3. Long-term impact surveys are distributed to agencies six months after they have completed 

their TA engagement. These surveys assess self-reported policy, training, and operational 

changes that have been initiated or sustained as a result of the agency’s participation in the 

program. 

Timelines 

CRI-TAC timelines are generally established at the pace of the requesting agency. Once TA has commenced, 

target timelines for completion are generally three to six months. 

Collaborative Reform Initiative Continuum of Technical Assistance Services | CRI-TAC 10 
 

Critical Response Program 

The Critical Response program is designed to provide targeted TA to law enforcement agencies experiencing 

high profile events, major incidents, or sensitive issues of varying need. The program is customizable and 

provides assistance to law enforcement agencies in a variety of ways including peer-to-peer exchanges; targeted in-depth review, analysis, and recommendations; and facilitated discussions with SMEs. 

Operating principles 

The Critical Response program’s principles (see figure 5) are designated to ensure it provides a flexible 

and timely resource for agencies that have recently experienced a critical incident or identified an issue 

of significant community concern in their agency’s operations. 

Figure 5. Critical Response operating principles 

Collaborative Reform Initiative Continuum of Technical Assistance Services 11 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Approach 

The Critical Response program brings expertise and assistance to agencies so they can effectively respond 

to high-profile and urgent situations and improve operations. The program also provides the field promising practices to plan and respond to similar incidents or issues in the future. Under the Critical Response 

program, TA generally falls into three categories: (1) immediate delivery of TA to address a pressing and 

acute need, (2) after-action reviews to understand and learn from law enforcement and public safety 

responses to critical incidents or issues, or (3) data analysis. Each is described in the following sections. 

Immediate delivery of TA 

Through the immediate delivery of TA, the COPS Office provides assistance through a peer-to-peer discussion and information exchange in which law enforcement leaders connect with other leaders and SMEs 

who have experience and expertise in addressing similar issues. These meetings afford law enforcement 

leaders a mechanism to discreetly discuss and share ideas and advice on issues such as incident management, tactical operations, community engagement, communicating to the public and media, and promoting officer wellness following an incident. If needed, the immediate delivery of TA may also entail training 

on related topics. 

After-action reviews 

Through the Critical Response program, the COPS Office also provides after-action reviews of critical incidents. Through these after-action reviews, a TA provider works closely with the local law enforcement 

agency and other stakeholders to document their approaches, to provide feedback on strategies and tactics that were found to work, and to identify areas where improved practices could be employed in the 

future. After-action reviews are conducted within the general framework described in the COPS Office 

publication, How to Conduct an After Action Review.

1 A similar approach may be taken to conduct issuespecific reviews for agencies whose operational issues have come under intense scrutiny but are not 

directly tied to a recent critical incident or event. 

1 National Police Foundation, How to Conduct an After Action Review (Washington, DC: Office of Community 

Oriented Policing Services, 2020), https://cops.usdoj.gov/RIC/ric.php?page=detail&id=COPS-W0878. 

Collaborative Reform Initiative Continuum of Technical Assistance Services | Critical Response Program 12 

Data analysis 

Critical Response supports data analysis on critical law enforcement operational topics such as racial profiling, use of force, traffic stops, arrests, and staffing. This TA involves collecting, cleaning, and analyzing 

data as well as presenting the analysis in a manner that is understood by all stakeholders. In addition, TA 

may entail assisting the agency in analyzing its own data and understanding data collection needs. 
 

 

 

 

 

Evaluation 

Agencies that participate in the Critical Response program complete two surveys. 

Client satisfaction surveys are distributed to all agencies that have completed their TA. These surveys 

collect information about the agency’s overall satisfaction with the TA engagement with respect to the 

process, resources provided, staff, SMEs, and quality of TA. 

Long-term impact surveys are distributed to agencies six months after they have completed their TA 

engagement and assess policy, training, and operational changes that have been initiated or sustained as 

a result of their participation in the program. 

In addition, key stakeholders involved in the TA are interviewed regarding their experience with the process, the outcomes, and any identified areas for improved future services from the COPS Office Critical 

Response program. 

Timelines 

Critical Response sites will likely vary in duration, depending upon the scope of the project. Shorter-term 

executive consultations may take as little as two weeks, while in-depth reviews of specific incidents or 

issues can take between six and nine months. 

Collaborative Reform Initiative Continuum of Technical Assistance Services | Critical Response Program 13 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Organizational Assessment Program 

The relaunch of the original Collaborative Reform program through an action-oriented Organizational 

Assessment (OA) program poses an opportunity to build on past successes while introducing program 

enhancements that increase collaboration, community involvement, and the timeliness of these engagements. While the program’s goals remain the same as the original model’s, the new approach is designed 

to strengthen its principles and achieve greater collaboration and results. 

Operating principles 

The OA program principles (see figure 6 on page 15) are intended to guide programmatic activities on all 

levels. Remaining committed to these principles ensures that all stakeholders, at both the federal and 

local level, have a shared understanding of the nature of the program and mutual expectations of the 

process, methods, outputs, and anticipated outcomes. The program provides a collaborative approach for 

law enforcement agencies and community stakeholders to jump-start and sustain significant organizational reforms. The methods for assessment, collaboration, and implementation are designed to achieve 

the CRI’s overarching goals, adhere to OA program principles, and do so in a way that is timely and 

responsive to the needs of requesting agencies and the communities they serve. Compared to previous 

Collaborative Reform efforts, the approach features greater community engagement, faster implementation, and more routine public reporting. 

Collaborative Reform Initiative Continuum of Technical Assistance Services 14 
 

 

 

Figure 6. OA operating principles 

Approach 

Law enforcement agencies seeking to participate in the program commit to an approach that is transparent, collaborative, and intensive. The COPS Office, participating agencies, community stakeholders, and 

the TA provider work together to guide the process and its resulting reforms. 

Areas for organizational improvement and reform are addressed continually throughout the process to 

provide timely and ongoing guidance and recommendations while also providing TA to accomplish 

reforms. Routine status reporting begins soon after program initiation to help ensure transparency and 

accountability. Key program features are highlighted in figure 7 on page 16. 

Collaborative Reform Initiative Continuum of Technical Assistance Services | Organizational Assessment Program 15 
 

 

 

Figure 7. Key OA program features 

Assessment process and implementation of reforms 

The OA process prioritizes action over report writing. A continual assessment and implementation process 

ensures that time and resources are used to focus on identifying areas for improvement, agency strengths, 

and assisting with the implementation of reforms expeditiously while still providing transparency and 

accountability with routine public reporting. Each engagement will be supported by a multidisciplinary 

assessment team composed of SMEs with diverse experience and perspectives including in law enforcement, community engagement, research and evaluation, program management, organizational reform, 

and civil rights. Figure 8 illustrates the key steps in the assessment and implementation process. 

Figure 8. OA and reform process 

Assessment process 

The assessment process entails standard methods such as document reviews, interviews, focus groups, 

and data analysis along with corroborating, deconflicting, and triangulating the various pieces of information collected during the assessment. 

Collaborative Reform Initiative Continuum of Technical Assistance Services | Organizational Assessment Program 16 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Assessment teams work through topics with advisement and guidance from all pertinent stakeholders 

involved in the process. In formulating recommendations for reform, assessment teams are transparent 

and forthcoming in the justification for each. The following are examples of items that serve as the basis 

for reforms: 

• A well-documented and agreed-upon standard of practice (also may be tailored to the agency 

and community need) 

• Appeal to widely accepted normative values held and agreed upon by all stakeholders 

• Clear logical process improvement or efficiency to be created based on local agency and 

community conditions 

• Promising or evidence-based practices, as documented in the scientific research literature 

• Unique innovation that leverages one or more of these examples 

As applicable, recommendations provided throughout the assessment are crafted within a sustainability 

framework, detailing the activities, processes, and structures that need to be established for the agency 

and community to self-sustain and continue progress on newly established practices. 

Implementation 

As the assessment team identifies and validates areas for reform, the agency, COPS Office, and TA provider immediately work toward implementation while balancing the need to prioritize tasks and connect 

interrelated reforms. Implementation occurs on an ongoing basis throughout the process. All reforms are 

closely monitored for completion, fidelity, and timeliness. 

A joint effort and commitment of resources from the participating agency, the local government, and the 

COPS Office is required to support organizational improvements recommended to the agency, particularly 

those in need of financial investments. The COPS Office and TA provider will identify funding for training, 

additional consultation and TA, and other educational opportunities for the participating agency. However, many reforms, such as new equipment, technology, or staffing needs, are likely to require additional 

local or external funding sources. 

Community and stakeholder engagement strategy 

Engaging the community and other stakeholders in a meaningful way throughout the OA process is pivotal 

to the program’s success. To this end, OA uses a two-pronged approach: one led by the assessment team 

and the other by the participating law enforcement agency. 

Each engagement will incorporate a multifaceted strategy to obtain feedback from the community 

through mechanisms such as listening sessions, focus groups, individual interviews, and other methods of 

community engagement. The strategy for each site should be designed to help ensure the assessment 

includes diverse voices from a broad representation of the community. 

Collaborative Reform Initiative Continuum of Technical Assistance Services | Organizational Assessment Program 17 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In addition, the participating agency, with assistance from the COPS Office and TA provider, will develop 

a complementary agency-led community engagement strategy. The purpose of this strategy is to maximize community buy-in; ensure agency transparency; and maintain an open, two-way line of communication with the community on the agency’s activities. The strategy may vary per site depending on the size 

and complexity of the agency and jurisdiction. The strategy should include engagement with the broader 

community, community and advocacy groups, relevant elected and government officials, law enforcement labor associations, businesses, and media. Types of engagement will ultimately vary but may include 

activities such as communicating agency progress in the program via social media, conventional media, 

and other electronic means; convening community members and groups to solicit input and feedback on 

reforms; and developing other mechanisms for continuous feedback and authentic engagement with the 

community on agency operations. 

Routine public reporting 

The COPS Office will regularly publish status updates throughout the engagement on a COPS Office sitespecific web page. Each law enforcement agency that participates in the program will have a dedicated 

web page on the COPS Office program website that includes a summary of assessment activities conducted to date; recommendations that have been made to the participating agency; and immediate 

actions that are being taken by the agency, community, and COPS Office to assist in implementing the 

reform. Reporting is succinct and focused on the work and outcomes of the engagement. The site-specific 

web page also hosts a final public status report on the work accomplished through the engagement. Agencies participating in the process are also encouraged to post any reports on their own websites. 

Special analytic reports 

As part of their organizational assessment, agencies may request specialized reports that are data- and 

time-intensive, including analyses on topics such as biased policing, traffic stops, and use of force. Because 

of the time-intensive nature of these efforts, these types of analyses are conducted on a parallel track to 

other assessment efforts, with a dedicated data analysis team in close coordination with the assessment 

team. Organizing the assessment in such a manner will ensure that the work is completed in a timely 

manner and that other programmatic efforts are not delayed. 

Collaborative Reform Initiative Continuum of Technical Assistance Services | Organizational Assessment Program 18 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Evaluation 

Agencies that participate in the OA program complete two surveys: 

1. Client satisfaction surveys are distributed to all agencies that have completed their TA. These 

surveys collect information about the agency’s overall satisfaction with the TA engagement with 

respect to the process, resources provided, staff, SMEs, and quality of TA. 

2. Long-term impact surveys are distributed to agencies six months after they have completed 

their TA engagement and assess policy, training, and operational changes that have been 

initiated or sustained as a result of their participation in the program. 

In addition, key stakeholders involved in the TA are interviewed regarding their experience with the 

process, the outcomes, and any identified areas for improved future services from the COPS Office 

OA program. 

As resources are available, the COPS Office may employ other methods of evaluation to determine the 

program’s impact. Evaluating a complex program such as OA is an ambitious undertaking. The collection 

of organizations, processes, and environments in which they operate poses a significant challenge. An 

evaluability assessment would help address this challenge by determining the limitations, benefits, and 

overall merit of evaluating the program given its operations. In addition, the evaluability assessment 

informs the COPS Office as to the best type and approach for evaluating the program—if it does indeed 

lend itself to a formal evaluation. Undertaking this effort would enable the COPS Office to make an 

informed decision about allocating additional resources toward an impact evaluation. 

Timelines 

The ideal timeline for engagements is a 12-month period after the intake process is completed, with the 

maximum time for engagements to be 18 months. During that period, it is the responsibility of all involved 

parties to accomplish the mutual goal of police reform while acknowledging that sustaining these efforts 

ultimately must be the responsibility of local agencies and communities. 

Collaborative Reform Initiative Continuum of Technical Assistance Services | Organizational Assessment Program 19 
 

 

 

 

Conclusion 

More than 10 years in the making, the COPS Office’s comprehensive suite of services is now available to 

law enforcement agencies nationwide. The CRI is designed to address the varying and complex needs of 

law enforcement agencies and the communities they serve in a way that is scalable and customizable. To 

support this comprehensive effort, the COPS Office has established partnerships with national technical 

services providers to assist in the facilitation and delivery of these services to participating law enforcement agencies. This framework serves as a foundation for providing TA services through CRI to (1) build 

trust between police and the communities they serve; (2) improve fairness, effectiveness, and efficiency 

in agency operations; (3) enhance officer safety and wellness; (4) build agencies’ capacity for organizational learning and self-improvement; and (5) promote community policing practices nationwide. 

Collaborative Reform Initiative Continuum of Technical Assistance Services 20 

 

 

 

 

 

-

—

By re establishing the services of the Collaborative Reform and Critical Response programs while 

continuing to sustain technical assistance supported through the Collaborative Reform Initiative 

Technical Assistance Center, the COPS Office offers a comprehensive continuum of services to law 

enforcement agencies nationwide all under the banner of the COPS Office’s flagship technical 

assistance program. This publication provides a strategic framework for the management, 

administration, and operations of the COPS Office’s Collaborative Reform Initiative. 

U.S. Department of Justice 

Office of Community Oriented Policing Services 

145 N Street NE 

Washington, DC 20530 

To obtain details about COPS Office programs, call 

the COPS Office Response Center at 800-421-6770. 

Visit the COPS Office online at cops.usdoj.gov. 

e062125991 

Published 2023