Supervision Agency Gender-Responsive Evaluation (SAGE)

Over the last two decades, NIC has collaborated with national experts to create a series of comprehensive assessments to explore how closely agency-wide policies and practices align with evidence-based research that supports improved outcomes for women and individuals who identify as gender diverse. A brief description of each instrument is provided below:

Gender-Informed Practices Assessment (GIPA): The GIPA was developed over three years by the National Institute of Corrections - U.S. Department of Justice, the Center for Effective Public Policy (CEPP), and an advisory team of experts.[1]

This assessment was designed to provide a comprehensive assessment of women’s correctional facilities (prisons, jails, and detention facilities across 12 domains: Leadership, External Support, Facility, Management and Operations, Staffing and Training, Culture, Discipline, Classification and Assessment, Case and Transitional Planning, Research-Based Programming, Services, Quality Assurance and Evaluation

The GIPA assessment is conducted over 4-5 days by external evaluators who are experts in operations and programs. The process begins with a series of meetings with facility and department leaders. These meetings are designed to: 1) provide foundational information on the research and evidence regarding justice-involved women and the gender-responsive, trauma-informed, and evidence-based approaches that yield improved outcomes among women, their families, and communities, and 2) prepare the department and facility for data collection activities which include observing operations and programs, reviewing reports, policies, program and related materials; interviewing staff and stakeholders; and conducting staff, resident and stakeholder focus groups and surveys. Upon completion of the GIPA assessment process, the evaluation team scores the GIPA and summarizes strengths, challenges and opportunities across all 12 domains. The major opportunities are prioritized and used to help agencies develop a strategic plan.

Agencies that have implemented the GIPA, have reported a number of outcomes including –the effective application of gender-responsive principles, assessments and programs, improved safety and welfare of women and staff, and the targeting of critical factors that reduce institutional misconduct, revocation, and reoffending. 

Gender-Responsive Policy and Practice Assessment (GRPPA). The GRPPA was developed by NIC, the Center for Gender and Justice, and a team of experts[2] to provide an alternative assessment process for agencies interested in conducting an internal review of jail and facility-wide policies and practices.[3]  Rather than an external team used to conduct the GIPA,  agencies identify an internal work group and are provided with guided instruction to review gender-responsive policies and practices. The GRPAA assesses the alignment with the available research across five domains: 1) Environment; 2) Staffing; 3) Assessment, Classification, and Case Management; 4) Services and Programs; and 5) Quality Assurance and Evaluation.  It is intended as the first step in a more substantial process to understand the current facility, program policies, and practices so that reforms and/or enhancements can be planned. Templates for action plans are provided to help agencies move toward improving or changing current practices toward those that are more gender-responsive. Agencies that are interested in completing the GRPPA can download the assessment process and protocol on-line by accessing the following website: Gender-Responsive Policy & Practice (GRPPA) | National Institute of Corrections (nicic.gov).

Supervision Agencies Gender-Responsive Evaluation - SAGE (formerly known as the Gender Responsive Policies and Practices Assessment- Community Version GRPPA-CV) was developed in 2021 by the National Institute of Corrections (NIC) in collaboration with the Center for Effective Public Policy (CEPP) to enhance outcomes with women and gender diverse populations under supervision in the community. Drawing on methods and strategies developed for the GIPA and GRPPA, SAGE represents a compilation of the research on evidence-based and gender-responsive practices and the best thinking of practitioners focused on community corrections. 

Supervision agencies are invited to respond to a solicitation from NIC. If accepted they are provided with virtual training, coaching, and technical assistance to complete the assessment process.  This includes developing an internal work group, conducting a multi-method and comprehensive assessment, scoring items across 6 domains including Leadership and Culture, Staff Training and Retention, Assessment and Case Planning, Treatment and Services, Supervision Approaches, and Quality Assurance and, developing an action plan.

The SAGE process includes four phases. During Phase 1, CEPP works with the agency to identify experts in evidence-based practices and champions for gender-responsive and trauma-informed practices.  This team participates in a series of virtual training sessions to become familiar with gender-responsive and trauma-informed practice principles, how to use the various assessment methods, how to score SAGE, and how to summarize the results. During Phase 2, CEPP works with the team to develop an implementation plan with a complete schedule of activities and to identify who, when, and how staff women and other clients will participate in the assessment. In Phase 3, the data is collected and summarized to identify strengths, challenges, and opportunities across the six domains within the assessment. Finally, during Phase 4, the team meets with CEPP to identify priority targets, complete a strategic plan, and prepare to report their results to leadership and agency staff.  They are also encouraged to identify action steps that can be achieved within the next 12 months with technical assistance from CEPP and NIC.

Like the GIPA and GRPPA, the information gathered during the assessment process is summarized across six domains and used to guide the development of a strategic plan.

After the data is collected and summarized, each agency will use the SAGE scoring manual, to identify strengths, challenges, and opportunities in each domain. The results can then serve as the foundation for strategic planning efforts and provide targeted recommendations to assist agencies in refining specific policies and practices.  The results 2, of the SAGE can also be used to change key practices and programs to be more gender-responsive. Previous jurisdictions have used the results of the evaluation to implement strategies to launch training initiatives for staff in trauma-informed care and strength-based interventions, implement tools to support staff selection and hiring procedures; revise policies for assessment, supervision, technical violations, and supervision conditions; and expand collaboration with community providers.

Agencies invited to participate in the SAGE process, are required to identify a project coordinator responsible for managing each phase of the SAGE project. The project coordinator is encouraged to identify staff and other team members voluntarily and who share a strong interest in advancing outcomes for women and gender diverse populations. Ideally, team members will also share expertise in one or more of the domains. Generally, smaller agencies are encouraged to identify 4-6 team members, while larger agencies should consider six to eight team members. Team members should include staff with knowledge of SAGE domains, communication specialists, directly impacted women, and one or more community agency partners.

Project Coordinators should expect to spend approximately 12-14 days on this project over an eight-month period. Team members should expect to spend approximately seven days on this project over a six-month period. The most intense time commitment occurs during months three and four as sites complete the assessment activities.

During the SAGE process, project coordinators will participate in one 2-hour planning and SAGE preparation meeting, and six 3-hour training sessions with all team members. Session titles are listed below. 

• Virtual Session 1:  Gender Responsive Principles and Practices
• Virtual Session 2:  Assessment Methods and Strategies
• Virtual Session 3:  Assessment Methods: Demonstrating how to Facilitate a Focus Group and Conduct Observations
• Virtual Session 4:  Scoring the SAGE
• Virtual Session 5: Finalizing the Implementation Plan (Only Project Coordinators)
• Virtual Session 6:  Action Plan Presentation 

The SAGE instrument explores evidence-based and gender-responsive research across six domains: Leadership and Culture, Staffing and Training, Assessment and Case Planning, Programs and Services, Supervision Strategies, and Quality Assurance and Evaluation. 

SAGE involves a multi-method protocol implemented by an Agency Implementation Team. Agency team members participate in the following activities:  staff interviews, focus groups with women and staff, observation of probation and parole activities, surveys of women and staff, observations of specific activities including supervision and case management, and policy and document reviews.

The SAGE process is typically completed over 6-8 months and includes four phases. 

 CEPP will provide training and coaching to ensure that agency team members are able to deliver the various assessment methods.

Each jurisdiction will be work with a consultant from CEPP to assist with the implementation of stage. 

NIC anticipates that products will vary depending on agency circumstances and needs. Each site is required to attend the virtual trainings, participate in the four phases of SAGE, and complete the SAGE Implementation Process and Action Plan.

To support the implementation of gender and trauma-informed policies and practices across agencies, NIC may offer each site access to technical assistance over a specified period. The goal of this technical assistance is to assist sites that participated in SAGE to begin to work on the goals outlined in the Action Plans.