The iMPRoVE platform is 100% free to use.
If your program provides services to people impacted by crime, then the iMPRoVE tool will likely be a good fit for your agency to use to understand the outcomes of the services you provide. We recommend that you explore the platform and resources to figure out which iMPRoVE base survey best aligns with the goals and objectives of your specific program.
Most existing data collection for grant reporting focuses on outputs—numbers of people served and services provided—rather than outcomes (the results of your efforts). iMPRoVE gives persons impacted by crime a voice and provides insights into program effectiveness and quality of services. This is insight that programs can use for continual improvement and for reporting to the community and to funders. For more on what makes iMPRoVE different, visit our About page.
For more on selecting your survey questions, visit iMPRoVE Module Selection Wizard.
Core questions are an essential part of the module and thus, cannot be removed. However, some of these questions include as a possible answer: "I did not need this type of assistance." For more on how we developed iMPRoVE, visit our About page. If you still feel that a core survey question is not appropriate for your program, please Contact Us.
Since the iMPRoVE tool also includes 6 basic demographic questions (gender, race, Hispanic origin, age, sexual orientation, education) and 5 questions about the frequency and duration of services received, we recommend adding no more than 1 to 2 optional questions. Adding additional measures will make the survey longer, which could result in fewer survey completions.
The iMPRoVE is not meant to be tied to a specific service. Outcome and quality measures should be tied to the portfolio of services received and the impact that the program is aiming to have on their lives. Many of the questions include as a possible answer, "I did not need this type of assistance", which may be selected if the outcome is not relevant for what they needed.
In the case that your program offers substantially different services with different intended outcomes to different persons impacted by crime, it is possible to create multiple versions of the iMPRoVE tool. However, this option should be used infrequently since having multiple versions could create confusion for staff around which version to distribute and when. The outcome and quality findings may also be more difficult to use if the program uses multiple versions of iMPRoVE.
Those impacted by crime should complete iMPRoVE after they have completed or received a "substantial" amount of program services.
Definitions of "substantial" services will vary, based on your program goals and services. The timing of when the iMPRoVE is completed should reflect when you can reasonably expect persons impacted by crime to experience the intended impact from your services. That is, after they have received most or all services. It is important to identify a time point that is not too early in service delivery, before those impacted by crime are fully exposed to the core services, but not too late in the service delivery, when they may have fully completed the program or stopped participating in the program.
If possible, integrate iMPRoVE into a final consultation or meeting with the individual impacted by crime.
For more information on when to administer the iMPRoVE, see the iMPRoVE walkthrough.
After creating your customized iMPRoVE outcome and quality tool, you will have access through the platform to links that can be shared with those affected by crime who have substantially completed services. Ideally, if services are being administered in person, the respondent would be handed a laptop or tablet with the iMPRoVE link already pulled up and directed to a space where they can complete the survey in private. Alternatively, if the respondent has an email address, the link to the tool can be sent via email and they will be able to complete and submit the survey anonymously from that link. However, response rates are likely to be lower when the link is emailed versus when they complete the iMPRoVE in person.
For more information, see Administering iMPRoVE resources.
The iMPRoVE is self-administered so the only burden on staff is to briefly explain the purpose of the survey and provide the respondent with access to the survey, either by pulling up the survey for them on a laptop or tablet or emailing them a link to complete the survey on their own.
How long it takes to complete a survey depends on how many questions are added to your agency's iMPRoVE tool. We recommend keeping optional questions to a minimum to keep the overall survey length at 5-10 minutes (less than 30 questions total).
For more information on how to present the iMPRoVE, see Administering iMPRoVE resources page.
iMPRoVE strives to keep survey responses confidential from staff whose future interactions with a respondent could be consciously or unconsciously impacted by knowing their iMPRoVE survey responses. Therefore, the iMPRoVE does not collect personally identifying information, like name, and to protect confidentiality the responses are not tied to a specific respondent.
When certain counts are very low—such as information related to crime type, race, age—respondent confidentiality can be at risk. For that reason, iMPRoVE strives to keep survey responses confidential from staff whose future interactions with a respondent could be consciously or unconsciously impacted by knowing their iMPRoVE survey responses. For that reason, counts of less than 3 are suppressed, or not displayed, in the dashboard. For most programs, such data suppression will be more noticeable on a monthly or quarterly basis. Increasing the length of the reporting period for which the dashboard is displaying results will reduce the likelihood of suppression.
For more information on using your iMPRoVE data, see Administering iMPRoVE resources or iMPRoVE Module Selection Wizard.
No. At this time you cannot change the wording of the questions or add your own question to iMPRoVE. The questions have gone through extensive testing and editing. However, at the end of the pilot test, we will be asking for your feedback on all aspects of iMPRoVE, including the questions, so if you have wording suggestions, we would be happy to hear those at the end of the pilot test period.
Yes. The victim/survivor has the option to complete the survey in English, Spanish, Mandarin, or Vietnamese. If you work with victims/survivors who need the instrument translated into another language, we recommend getting them set up on a tablet or other device to enter the responses into the survey for themselves (without anyone being able to see what response they are selecting) and having a staff person who can read the question aloud, translating into the appropriate language as they go. This is preferred over having the staff person essentially interview the victim/survivor in that language and collect and enter their response. A victim/survivor may be hesitant to provide truthful responses if they have to state them out loud to staff.