Competency Assessment for Sexual Assault Prevention Practitioners (CASAPP):

Competency Assessment for Sexual Assault Prevention Practitioners (CASAPP): Background, Instrument, and Scoring Instructions

Contents

Background 2

Instrument 5

Instructions for Scoring the Competency Assessment for Sexual Assault Prevention Practitioners 12

Individual Calculations 12

Team Calculations 13

References 14

Appendix A. Table of Competencies and Corresponding Assessment Items 15

Background

In 2020, the Department of Defense’s Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Office (SAPRO) developed a Prevention Plan of Action that aims to improve the implementation of evidence-based sexual assault prevention programming across all branches of the U.S. military. In support of this plan, the RAND Corporation’s National Defense Research Institute developed The Competency Assessment for Sexual Assault Prevention Practitioners (CASAPP) to help assess prevention practitioners’ expertise in sexual assault prevention. The purpose of this scale is for teams of professionals who work in the field of sexual assault prevention to assess their team’s individual and collective knowledge and job relevance of essential knowledge, best practices, and skills. This scale was adapted from the Injury Prevention Assessment tool (Villaveces, Stucky, Runyan, Moore, & Berlin, 2010), which was designed broadly for prevention practitioners performing injury and violence prevention work, to better reflect work specific to the primary prevention of sexual assault.

The scale is informed by prevention science as well as practical guidance about what is needed to do sexual assault prevention work. As such, essential competencies are outlined with associated roles ranging from manager, intervention and evaluation designer, educator, and advocate. Given the wide range of roles, it is likely that each team member would not self-assess every competency and item highly in terms of knowledge or job relevance. For example, some individuals in a team will have an educator role in which they focus on delivering program material and thus they do not need to have high knowledge in program management tasks like justifying a budget or hiring. Rather, it is important that at the team-level these competencies are represented by one or more members of the team so that full coverage of all the competencies is achieved collectively.

Therefore, we recommend that this scale is used by entities (e.g., organizations, nonprofits, university departments) in the following ways. It should be administered to each member in a team so that at both an individual and team levels, areas for needed growth can be identified and addressed. For an example at the individual level, the scale could be used to identify areas where specific team members could benefit from additional training or professional development. If a team member is tasked with program evaluation but rates their knowledge of essential program evaluation concepts to be low, this team member can be supported with trainings and resources to bolster knowledge in order to perform effectively. At the team level, the scale can be used to identify gaps in knowledge across the team (e.g., a gap in knowledge about how to adapt a program to a new population or new delivery system) as well as specific sets of knowledge that might not be fully utilized by the team. For example, the team might identify that no individual member rated dissemination to be relevant to their position and yet two team members rated themselves as being highly knowledgeable in dissemination. Discovering that this knowledge is available could allow teams to better leverage the knowledge and skills of their team members (e.g., by assigning individuals with high knowledge in dissemination to those sorts of tasks as they arise).

The CASAPP was tested among 33 individuals with varying levels of prevention background. In this preliminary test, those with less prevention background had lower knowledge and job relevance scores than those with greater experience. While these results suggest the measure has validity for distinguishing between individuals with varying level of prevention expertise, the measure has not been published in a peer reviewed journal.

Citation for this instrument:

O’Neill A, Acosta J, Chinman M. (2020). Competency Assessment for Sexual Assault Prevention Practitioners (CASAPP): Background, Instrument, and Scoring Instructions. RAND Corporation: Santa Monica, CA.

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Competency Assessment for Sexual Assault Prevention Practitioners

Instrument

The purpose of this survey is to assess the expertise needed for sexual assault prevention. No one person is expected to have expertise in all eight areas, but understanding your expertise can help determine how you can best contribute to a larger prevention team. For each item in the survey, you will be asked to rate how knowledgeable you are and how relevant it is to your job or position. If you are highly skilled in an area in general (e.g., program evaluation) but have not applied it to sexual assault specific topics (e.g., evaluating a sexual assault prevention program), rate yourself slightly lower in that area than you would rate yourself if the item was asking about more general knowledge/expertise. There are no right or wrong answers, please give us your best guess.

Competency 1: Describe and explain sexual assault as a major public health problem

Rate how knowledgeable you are about each item from 1 (No knowledge) to 5 (Extensive knowledge/expertise) and how relevant each item is to your job or position from 1 (Not relevant) to 5 (Central to my job or position).

	Knowledge		Relevance
	No knowledge	Extensive knowledge	Not relevant	Central to my job
	1 2 3 4 5		1 2 3 4 5
Define sexual assault and describe the associated core concepts such as consent and force.	〇 〇 〇 〇 〇		〇 〇 〇 〇 〇
Describe long-term impacts of sexual assault on survivors.	〇 〇 〇 〇 〇		〇 〇 〇 〇 〇
Explain why sexual assault is preventable.	〇 〇 〇 〇 〇		〇 〇 〇 〇 〇
Describe an approach to prevention that includes the following steps: (1) problem detection/assessment, (2) identification of risk and protective factors, (3) development of interventions and (4) evaluation of the effectiveness of interventions.	〇 〇 〇 〇 〇		〇 〇 〇 〇 〇
Articulate the differences between the paradigms of response versus primary prevention in regard to sexual assault in terms of the goals, target audience, and facilitator skillsets.	〇 〇 〇 〇 〇		〇 〇 〇 〇 〇
Explain the importance of cross-agency collaboration and the role that different agencies, organizations and disciplines (e.g., Title IX Coordinators, LGBTQ centers, rape crisis centers) play in sexual assault prevention.	〇 〇 〇 〇 〇		〇 〇 〇 〇 〇
Describe at least one conceptual model (e.g., social ecological model, Haddon Matrix) and how they are used to understand the multiple factors underlying sexual assault.	〇 〇 〇 〇 〇		〇 〇 〇 〇 〇
Describe the influence of risk factors on the sexual assault perpetration and victimization at each of the levels of analysis: individual (e.g., gender, lack of empathy), relationship (e.g., abusive intimate relationship), community or organization (e.g., general tolerance of sexual violence within the community), societal (e.g., weak laws related to sexual violence and gender equity).	〇 〇 〇 〇 〇		〇 〇 〇 〇 〇
Describe the influence of protective factors against sexual assault perpetration and victimization at the various levels of analysis: individual (e.g., gender, emotional health), relationship (e.g., parental use of reasoning to resolve family conflict), community or organization (e.g., general lack of tolerance of sexual violence within the community), societal (e.g., norms that promote gender equality, strong laws relating to sexual violence and gender equity).	〇 〇 〇 〇 〇		〇 〇 〇 〇 〇
Explain how social inequality and oppressive systems (e.g., sexism, gender inequality) lay the foundation for sexual assault.	〇 〇 〇 〇 〇		〇 〇 〇 〇 〇

Continue to next page.

Competency 2: Ability to access, interpret, use and present sexual assault data

Rate how knowledgeable you are about each item from 1 (No knowledge) to 5 (Extensive knowledge/expertise) and how relevant each item is to your job or position from 1 (Not relevant) to 5 (Central to my job or position).

	Knowledge		Relevance
	No knowledge	Extensive knowledge	Not relevant	Central to my job
	1 2 3 4 5		1 2 3 4 5
Describe key sources of data (e.g., National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey (NISVS)) at the national, state and community level and describe their strengths and weaknesses.	〇 〇 〇 〇 〇		〇 〇 〇 〇 〇
Describe the differences between primary (“self-collected”) and secondary data (“existing data”) and provide examples of the appropriate uses of each method.	〇 〇 〇 〇 〇		〇 〇 〇 〇 〇
Describe how data can be used to identify populations experiencing disparate risks of either sexual assault perpetration or victimization (e.g., by gender, race).	〇 〇 〇 〇 〇		〇 〇 〇 〇 〇
Explain how data can be used to identify emerging issues in sexual assault (e.g., spikes in prevalence).	〇 〇 〇 〇 〇		〇 〇 〇 〇 〇
Identify the ethical and legal issues involved in the collection and use of sexual violence data.	〇 〇 〇 〇 〇		〇 〇 〇 〇 〇
Define quantitative and qualitative forms of data and give examples of their use in constructing and/or evaluating sexual assault prevention programs. Describe the benefits and limitations of each kind of data.	〇 〇 〇 〇 〇		〇 〇 〇 〇 〇
Explain the importance of data for use in priority setting, program planning, quality improvement, and evaluation in sexual assault prevention.	〇 〇 〇 〇 〇		〇 〇 〇 〇 〇
Describe how qualitative and quantitative data can be used in conducting both assets and needs assessments of a community of interest.	〇 〇 〇 〇 〇		〇 〇 〇 〇 〇
Demonstrate the ability to present data in a clear and understandable manner for different audiences.	〇 〇 〇 〇 〇		〇 〇 〇 〇 〇
Explain data issues unique to sexual assault from the issue of underreporting to the phenomenon of sexual assault reports increasing rather than decreasing subsequent to intervention delivery.	〇 〇 〇 〇 〇		〇 〇 〇 〇 〇

Continue to next page.

Competency 3: Ability to design, tailor, and implement sexual assault prevention activities

Rate how knowledgeable you are about each item from 1 (No knowledge) to 5 (Extensive knowledge/expertise) and how relevant each item is to your job or position from 1 (Not relevant) to 5 (Central to my job or position).

	Knowledge		Relevance
	No knowledge	Extensive knowledge	Not relevant	Central to my job
	1 2 3 4 5		1 2 3 4 5
Identify types/examples of current and potential stakeholders/partners across multiple disciplines and their current prevention activities.	〇 〇 〇 〇 〇		〇 〇 〇 〇 〇
Demonstrate the use of a conceptual model or theoretical framework (e.g., social ecological model, logic model, Haddon Matrix) for identifying intervention opportunities in the community or organization context prevention efforts are occurring within.	〇 〇 〇 〇 〇		〇 〇 〇 〇 〇
Provide examples of interventions that target the various levels of analysis (individual, interpersonal, community or organizational, societal) to prevent sexual assault. Describe how they can work together to create a comprehensive program.	〇 〇 〇 〇 〇		〇 〇 〇 〇 〇
For sexual assault, choose and justify an evidence-based intervention based on characteristics of the intended audience.	〇 〇 〇 〇 〇		〇 〇 〇 〇 〇
Design an implementation plan, to include a description of the intended audience, goals and objectives, culturally appropriate proposed activities, evaluation component, timeline and resources.	〇 〇 〇 〇 〇		〇 〇 〇 〇 〇
Describe how cultural, socio-economic, political and physical environment factors may influence intervention design and implementation.	〇 〇 〇 〇 〇		〇 〇 〇 〇 〇
Using a framework (e.g., traffic light framework from the CDC), identify the essential elements (e.g., key messages) of an evidenced-based intervention and determine if desired adaptations (e.g., reducing delivery time of a program) would support these essential elements	〇 〇 〇 〇 〇		〇 〇 〇 〇 〇
Distinguish between interventions aimed at preventing sexual assault that are evidence-based and those that are not.	〇 〇 〇 〇 〇		〇 〇 〇 〇 〇
Understand the multiple key elements of effective prevention practice (e.g., varied teaching methods).	〇 〇 〇 〇 〇		〇 〇 〇 〇 〇

Continue to next page.

Competency 4: Ability to evaluate sexual assault prevention activities

Rate how knowledgeable you are about each item from 1 (No knowledge) to 5 (Extensive knowledge/expertise) and how relevant each item is to your job or position from 1 (Not relevant) to 5 (Central to my job or position).

	Knowledge		Relevance
	No knowledge	Extensive knowledge	Not relevant	Central to my job
	1 2 3 4 5		1 2 3 4 5
Describe the importance of evaluation and why and when evaluation should be done.	〇 〇 〇 〇 〇		〇 〇 〇 〇 〇
Describe how evaluation should be integrated into the design and running of an intervention.	〇 〇 〇 〇 〇		〇 〇 〇 〇 〇
Describe formative, process, outcome, and impact evaluation and describe when and how to use each.	〇 〇 〇 〇 〇		〇 〇 〇 〇 〇
Describe the use of qualitative and quantitative methods in evaluation and explain the benefits and limitations of each method.	〇 〇 〇 〇 〇		〇 〇 〇 〇 〇
Identify potential stakeholders/partners and resources to assist in conducting an evaluation.	〇 〇 〇 〇 〇		〇 〇 〇 〇 〇
Identify potential barriers to specific types of evaluation and approaches to overcome these.	〇 〇 〇 〇 〇		〇 〇 〇 〇 〇
Develop an evaluation plan for a sexual assault prevention program guided by a conceptual model or theoretical framework (e.g., social ecological model, logic model, Haddon Matrix).	〇 〇 〇 〇 〇		〇 〇 〇 〇 〇

Competency 5: Ability to build and manage a sexual assault prevention program

Rate how knowledgeable you are about each item from 1 (No knowledge) to 5 (Extensive knowledge/expertise) and how relevant each item is to your job or position from 1 (Not relevant) to 5 (Central to my job or position).

	Knowledge		Relevance
	No knowledge	Extensive knowledge	Not relevant	Central to my job
	1 2 3 4 5		1 2 3 4 5
Describe how to establish and maintain an advisory group to assist with the development and monitoring of goals for sexual assault prevention within a population (e.g., a community, a state, among children, among Latinos, etc.).	〇 〇 〇 〇 〇		〇 〇 〇 〇 〇
Develop a long-term plan for sexual assault prevention and identify issues that may impact program goals and sustainability.	〇 〇 〇 〇 〇		〇 〇 〇 〇 〇
Identify existing and potential resources for sexual assault prevention activities.	〇 〇 〇 〇 〇		〇 〇 〇 〇 〇
Develop a proposal for funding from an external source for prevention activities.	〇 〇 〇 〇 〇		〇 〇 〇 〇 〇
Demonstrate the ability to create, justify and manage a budget for sexual assault prevention efforts and staff.	〇 〇 〇 〇 〇		〇 〇 〇 〇 〇
Demonstrate the ability to prioritize the allocation of resources (e.g., personnel, finances, space, time, equipment).	〇 〇 〇 〇 〇		〇 〇 〇 〇 〇

Continue to next page.

Competency 5: Ability to build and manage a sexual assault prevention program (continued)

	Knowledge		Relevance
	No knowledge	Extensive knowledge	Not relevant	Central to my job
	1 2 3 4 5		1 2 3 4 5
Develop a plan for hiring, training, supervising and promoting the professional development of staff.	〇 〇 〇 〇 〇		〇 〇 〇 〇 〇
Demonstrate knowledge of ethical issues that may arise in sexual assault prevention practice.	〇 〇 〇 〇 〇		〇 〇 〇 〇 〇
Describe ways that sexual assault prevention can be integrated into other programs (e.g., programs within the agency, alcohol and drug prevention programs, other violence prevention programs) and identify common barriers to integration.	〇 〇 〇 〇 〇		〇 〇 〇 〇 〇
Demonstrate the ability to leverage evaluation finding to further program growth.	〇 〇 〇 〇 〇		〇 〇 〇 〇 〇
Develop and apply benchmarks to monitor program success (e.g., 25% of participants significantly increased intentions to intervene in sexual violence after a bystander intervention is delivered to them	〇 〇 〇 〇 〇		〇 〇 〇 〇 〇

Competency 6: Ability to disseminate information related to sexual assault prevention to the community, other professionals, key policy makers and leaders through diverse communication networks

Rate how knowledgeable you are about each item from 1 (No knowledge) to 5 (Extensive knowledge/expertise) and how relevant each item is to your job or position from 1 (Not relevant) to 5 (Central to my job or position).

	Knowledge		Relevance
	No knowledge	Extensive knowledge	Not relevant	Central to my job
	1 2 3 4 5		1 2 3 4 5
Design and deliver effective messages for different audiences.	〇 〇 〇 〇 〇		〇 〇 〇 〇 〇
Demonstrate the ability to prepare different types of culturally appropriate written documents (e.g., written testimony, public health brief, fact sheet, press release, letter to the editor, policy statement, website content, etc.) to effectively communicate information about sexual assault.	〇 〇 〇 〇 〇		〇 〇 〇 〇 〇
Serve as a resource to the public, media and policy makers when appropriate and be able to provide referrals to other sources.	〇 〇 〇 〇 〇		〇 〇 〇 〇 〇
Participate in the preparation of a professional report or publication that addresses a sexual assault prevention finding or theory.	〇 〇 〇 〇 〇		〇 〇 〇 〇 〇
Convey what your prevention efforts are trying to promote (e.g., safe and respectful environments) in addition to what these efforts are trying to prevent (i.e. sexual assault).	〇 〇 〇 〇 〇		〇 〇 〇 〇 〇
Communicate evaluation findings (e.g., what changed, in whom, by how much, what this means for your program).	〇 〇 〇 〇 〇		〇 〇 〇 〇 〇

Continue to next page.

Competency 7. Ability to foster change related to sexual assault prevention through policy, enforcement, advocacy and education

Rate how knowledgeable you are about each item from 1 (No knowledge) to 5 (Extensive knowledge/expertise) and how relevant each item is to your job or position from 1 (Not relevant) to 5 (Central to my job or position).

	Knowledge		Relevance
	No knowledge	Extensive knowledge	Not relevant	Central to my job
	1 2 3 4 5		1 2 3 4 5
Develop and implement a culturally appropriate marketing plan (e.g., using relevant language and messengers) to promote a sexual assault prevention activity (e.g., within an organization, given community, etc.).	〇 〇 〇 〇 〇		〇 〇 〇 〇 〇
Describe the differences between educating, lobbying and advocacy as tools to stimulate change in the community.	〇 〇 〇 〇 〇		〇 〇 〇 〇 〇
Identify key prevention policies, laws or regulations that address sexual assault and its prevention.	〇 〇 〇 〇 〇		〇 〇 〇 〇 〇
Identify gaps in policies, laws, regulations and enforcement that, if addressed, could reduce sexual assault in the community.	〇 〇 〇 〇 〇		〇 〇 〇 〇 〇
Identify information on the consequences and associated costs of sexual assault (e.g., health care utilization) and be able to describe its application in policy making.	〇 〇 〇 〇 〇		〇 〇 〇 〇 〇
Demonstrate the ability to work effectively with advocacy/survivor groups to advance sexual assault prevention policies, laws or regulations.	〇 〇 〇 〇 〇		〇 〇 〇 〇 〇
Demonstrate the ability to use research and evaluation to develop policy, advocacy and education initiatives that are culturally appropriate for the community or organization where prevention efforts are focused.	〇 〇 〇 〇 〇		〇 〇 〇 〇 〇
Demonstrate the ability to translate policy into organizational plans and programs.	〇 〇 〇 〇 〇		〇 〇 〇 〇 〇
Understand how policy change can have positive or negative effects on sexual assault outcomes.	〇 〇 〇 〇 〇		〇 〇 〇 〇 〇
Coordinate efforts across prevention (e.g., your program, drug and alcohol prevention programs, prevention programs for other types of violence) and response (e.g., victim advocates).	〇 〇 〇 〇 〇		〇 〇 〇 〇 〇
Demonstrate a trauma-informed approach when delivering sensitive program content.	〇 〇 〇 〇 〇		〇 〇 〇 〇 〇
Demonstrate knowledge of best practices for fostering engaging learning environments (e.g., dividing content into small digestible chunks supplemented with activities, adapting teaching to different learning styles).	〇 〇 〇 〇 〇		〇 〇 〇 〇 〇

Continue to next page.

Competency 8: Ability to maintain and further develop competency as a sexual assault prevention professional

Rate how knowledgeable you are about each item from 1 (No knowledge) to 5 (Extensive knowledge/expertise) and how relevant each item is to your job or position from 1 (Not relevant) to 5 (Central to my job or position).

	Knowledge		Relevance
	No knowledge	Extensive knowledge	Not relevant	Central to my job
	1 2 3 4 5		1 2 3 4 5
Demonstrate how to access and use scientific articles and resources from reputable organizations (like the CDC and National Sexual Violence Resource Center) to obtain updated information regarding sexual violence prevention.	〇 〇 〇 〇 〇		〇 〇 〇 〇 〇
Identify key professional organizations and agencies that are related to sexual violence prevention and describe how these organizations can assist in maintaining and developing skills.	〇 〇 〇 〇 〇		〇 〇 〇 〇 〇
Identify a potential mentor/advisor who has experience in sexual assault prevention and can assist with professional development.	〇 〇 〇 〇 〇		〇 〇 〇 〇 〇
Identify and describe training resources, conferences and courses that would be appropriate for learning new information on sexual assault prevention strategies, research and best practices.	〇 〇 〇 〇 〇		〇 〇 〇 〇 〇
Develop and maintain individual capacity (knowledge, skills, motivation) to perform prevention work.	〇 〇 〇 〇 〇		〇 〇 〇 〇 〇

Thank you!!

Instructions for Scoring the Competency Assessment for Sexual Assault Prevention Practitioners

The CASAPP will produce knowledge and job relevance scores for each of the eight competencies assessed:

1. Ability to describe and explain sexual assault as a major social and health problem.

2. Ability to access, interpret, use and present sexual assault data.

3. Ability to design, tailor, and implement sexual assault prevention activities.

4. Ability to evaluate sexual assault prevention activities.

5. Ability to build and manage a sexual assault prevention program.

6. Ability to disseminate information related to sexual assault prevention to the community, other professionals, key policy makers and leaders through diverse communication networks.

7. Ability to foster change related to sexual assault prevention through policy, enforcement, advocacy and education.

8. Ability to maintain and further develop competency as a sexual assault prevention professional.

Knowledge scores range from 1 (No knowledge) to 5 (Extensive knowledge or expertise). Relevance scores range from 1 (No relevance) to 5 (Central to my job or position). To create the summary scores, you will need to take two steps:

1. Calculate knowledge and relevance scores for each individual on your team.

2. Calculate a knowledge and relevance score across all members of your team.

Individual Calculations

Individual Team Member Knowledge Scores

To calculate knowledge scores for each individual on your team, take an average of the item ratings for knowledge on each of the eight competencies.

Competency 1: Team member A Knowledge score = AVERAGE Q1 to Q10

Competency 2: Team member A Knowledge score = AVERAGE Q11 to Q20

Competency 3: Team member A Knowledge score = AVERAGE Q21 to Q29

Competency 4: Team member A Knowledge score = AVERAGE Q30 to Q36

Competency 5: Team member A Knowledge score = AVERAGE Q37 to Q47

Competency 6: Team member A Knowledge score = AVERAGE Q48 to Q53

Competency 7: Team member A Knowledge score = AVERAGE Q54 to Q65

Competency 8: Team member A Knowledge score = AVERAGE Q66 to Q70

Individual Team Member Relevance Scores

To calculate relevance scores for each individual on your team, take an average of the ratings to relevance items for each of the eight competencies.

Competency 1: Team member A Relevance score = AVERAGE Q1 to Q10

Competency 2: Team member A Relevance score = AVERAGE Q11 to Q20

Competency 3: Team member A Relevance score = AVERAGE Q21 to Q29

Competency 4: Team member A Relevance score = AVERAGE Q30 to Q36

Competency 5: Team member A Relevance score = AVERAGE Q37 to Q47

Competency 6: Team member A Relevance score = AVERAGE Q48 to Q53

Competency 7: Team member A Relevance score = AVERAGE Q54 to Q65

Competency 8: Team member A Relevance score = AVERAGE Q66 to Q70

Team Calculations

Team Knowledge Scores

To calculate knowledge scores across all members of your team, take an average of the individual team members’ competency knowledge scores for each of the eight competencies.

Competency 1: Team Knowledge score = AVERAGE of the Knowledge Score for Team Member A to Team Member Z

Competency 2: Team Knowledge score = AVERAGE of the Knowledge Score for Team Member A to Team Member Z

Competency 3: Team Knowledge score = AVERAGE of the Knowledge Score for Team Member A to Team Member Z

Competency 4: Team Knowledge score = AVERAGE of the Knowledge Score for Team Member A to Team Member Z

Competency 5: Team Knowledge score = AVERAGE of the Knowledge Score for Team Member A to Team Member Z

Competency 6: Team Knowledge score = AVERAGE of the Knowledge Score for Team Member A to Team Member Z

Competency 7: Team Knowledge score = AVERAGE of the Knowledge Score for Team Member A to Team Member Z

Competency 8: Team Knowledge score = AVERAGE of the Knowledge Score for Team Member A to Team Member Z

Team Relevance Scores

To calculate knowledge scores across all members of your team, take an average of the individual team members’ competency relevance scores for each of the eight competencies.

Competency 1: Team Relevance score = AVERAGE of the Knowledge Score for Team Member A to Team Member Z

Competency 2: Team Relevance score = AVERAGE of the Knowledge Score for Team Member A to Team Member Z

Competency 3: Team Relevance score = AVERAGE of the Knowledge Score for Team Member A to Team Member Z

Competency 4: Team Relevance score = AVERAGE of the Knowledge Score for Team Member A to Team Member Z

Competency 5: Team Relevance score = AVERAGE of the Knowledge Score for Team Member A to Team Member Z

Competency 6: Team Relevance score = AVERAGE of the Knowledge Score for Team Member A to Team Member Z

Competency 7: Team Relevance score = AVERAGE of the Knowledge Score for Team Member A to Team Member Z

Competency 8: Team Relevance score = AVERAGE of the Knowledge Score for Team Member A to Team Member Z

References

Villaveces, A., Stucky, B. D., Runyan, C. W., Moore, K. S., & Berlin, S. P. (2010). The Development of an Instrument for Evaluating Core Competencies in Violence and Injury Prevention. Journal of Public Health Management and Practice, 16(4), 337-344. doi:10.1097/PHH.0b013e3181bede2a



Appendix A. Table of Competencies and Corresponding Assessment Items

Competency	Corresponding Assessment Items
Competency 1. Ability to DESCRIBE and EXPLAIN sexual assault as a major social and health problem.	Define sexual assault and describe the associated core concepts such as consent and force. Describe long-term impacts of sexual assault on survivors. Explain why sexual assault is preventable. Describe an approach to prevention that includes the following steps: (1) problem detection/assessment, (2) identification of risk and protective factors, (3) development of interventions and (4) evaluation of the effectiveness of interventions. Articulate the differences between the paradigms of response versus primary prevention in regard to sexual assault in terms of the goals, target audience, and facilitator skillsets. Explain the importance of cross-agency collaboration and the role that different agencies, organizations and disciplines (e.g., Title IX Coordinators, LGBTQ centers, rape crisis centers) play in sexual assault prevention. Describe at least one conceptual model (e.g., social ecological model, Haddon Matrix) and how they are used to understand the multiple factors underlying sexual assault. Describe the influence of risk factors on the sexual assault perpetration and victimization at each of the levels of analysis: individual (e.g., gender, lack of empathy), relationship (e.g., abusive intimate relationship), community or organization (e.g., general tolerance of sexual violence within the community), societal (e.g., weak laws related to sexual violence and gender equity). Describe the influence of protective factors against sexual assault perpetration and victimization at the various levels of analysis: individual (e.g., gender, emotional health), relationship (e.g., parental use of reasoning to resolve family conflict), community or organization (e.g., general lack of tolerance of sexual violence within the community), societal (e.g., norms that promote gender equality, strong laws relating to sexual violence and gender equity). Explain how social inequality and oppressive systems (e.g., sexism, gender inequality) lay the foundation for sexual assault.
Competency 2. Ability to access, interpret, use and present sexual assault DATA.	Describe key sources of data (e.g., National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey (NISVS)) at the national, state and community level and describe their strengths and weaknesses. Describe the differences between primary (“self-collected”) and secondary data (“existing data”) and provide examples of the appropriate uses of each method. Describe how data can be used to identify populations experiencing disparate risks of either sexual assault perpetration or victimization (e.g., by gender, race). Explain how data can be used to identify emerging issues in sexual assault (e.g., spikes in prevalence). Identify the ethical and legal issues involved in the collection and use of sexual violence data. Define quantitative and qualitative forms of data and give examples of their use in constructing and/or evaluating sexual assault prevention programs. Describe the benefits and limitations of each kind of data. Explain the importance of data for use in priority setting, program planning, quality improvement, and evaluation in sexual assault prevention. Describe how qualitative and quantitative data can be used in conducting both assets and needs assessments of a community of interest. Demonstrate the ability to present data in a clear and understandable manner for different audiences. Explain data issues unique to sexual assault from the issue of underreporting to the phenomenon of sexual assault reports increasing rather than decreasing subsequent to intervention delivery.
Competency 3. Ability to DESIGN, TAILOR, and IMPLEMENT sexual assault prevention activities.	Identify types/examples of current and potential stakeholders/partners across multiple disciplines and their current prevention activities. Demonstrate the use of a conceptual model or theoretical framework (e.g., social ecological model, logic model, Haddon Matrix) for identifying intervention opportunities in the community or organization context prevention efforts are occurring within. Provide examples of interventions that target the various levels of analysis (individual, interpersonal, community or organizational, societal) to prevent sexual assault. Describe how they can work together to create a comprehensive program. For sexual assault, choose and justify an evidence-based intervention based on characteristics of the intended audience. Design an implementation plan, to include a description of the intended audience, goals and objectives, culturally appropriate proposed activities, evaluation component, timeline and resources. Describe how cultural, socio-economic, political and physical environment factors may influence intervention design and implementation. Using a framework (e.g., traffic light framework from the CDC), identify the essential elements (e.g., key messages) of an evidenced-based intervention and determine if desired adaptations (e.g., reducing delivery time of a program) would support these essential elements Distinguish between interventions aimed at preventing sexual assault that are evidence-based and those that are not. Understand the multiple key elements of effective prevention practice (e.g., varied teaching methods).
Competency 4. Ability to EVALUATE sexual assault prevention activities.	Describe the importance of evaluation and why and when evaluation should be done. Describe how evaluation should be integrated into the design and running of an intervention. Describe formative, process, outcome, and impact evaluation and describe when and how to use each. Describe the use of qualitative and quantitative methods in evaluation and explain the benefits and limitations of each method. Identify potential stakeholders/partners and resources to assist in conducting an evaluation. Identify potential barriers to specific types of evaluation and approaches to overcome these. Develop an evaluation plan for a sexual assault prevention program guided by a conceptual model or theoretical framework (e.g., social ecological model, logic model, Haddon Matrix).
Competency 5. Ability to BUILD and MANAGE a sexual assault prevention program.	Describe how to establish and maintain an advisory group to assist with the development and monitoring of goals for sexual assault prevention within a population (e.g., a community, a state, among children, among Latinos, etc.). Develop a long-term plan for sexual assault prevention and identify issues that may impact program goals and sustainability. Identify existing and potential resources for sexual assault prevention activities. Develop a proposal for funding from an external source for prevention activities. Demonstrate the ability to create, justify and manage a budget for sexual assault prevention efforts and staff. Demonstrate the ability to prioritize the allocation of resources (e.g., personnel, finances, space, time, equipment). Develop a plan for hiring, training, supervising and promoting the professional development of staff. Demonstrate knowledge of ethical issues that may arise in sexual assault prevention practice. Describe ways that sexual assault prevention can be integrated into other programs (e.g., programs within the agency, alcohol and drug prevention programs, other violence prevention programs) and identify common barriers to integration. Demonstrate the ability to leverage evaluation finding to further program growth. Develop and apply benchmarks to monitor program success (e.g., 25% of participants significantly increased intentions to intervene in sexual violence after a bystander intervention is delivered to them
Competency 6. Ability to DISSEMINATE INFORMATION related to sexual assault prevention to the community, other professionals, key policy makers and leaders through diverse communication networks.	Design and deliver effective messages for different audiences. Demonstrate the ability to prepare different types of culturally appropriate written documents (e.g., written testimony, public health brief, fact sheet, press release, letter to the editor, policy statement, website content, etc.) to effectively communicate information about sexual assault. Serve as a resource to the public, media and policy makers when appropriate and be able to provide referrals to other sources. Participate in the preparation of a professional report or publication that addresses a sexual assault prevention finding or theory. Convey what your prevention efforts are trying to promote (e.g., safe and respectful environments) in addition to what these efforts are trying to prevent (i.e. sexual assault). Communicate evaluation findings (e.g., what changed, in whom, by how much, what this means for your program).
Competency 7. Ability to FOSTER CHANGE related to sexual assault prevention through policy, enforcement, advocacy and education.	Develop and implement a culturally appropriate marketing plan (e.g., using relevant language and messengers) to promote a sexual assault prevention activity (e.g., within an organization, given community, etc.). Describe the differences between educating, lobbying and advocacy as tools to stimulate change in the community. Identify key prevention policies, laws or regulations that address sexual assault and its prevention. Identify gaps in policies, laws, regulations and enforcement that, if addressed, could reduce sexual assault in the community. Identify information on the consequences and associated costs of sexual assault (e.g., health care utilization) and be able to describe its application in policy making. Demonstrate the ability to work effectively with advocacy/survivor groups to advance sexual assault prevention policies, laws or regulations. Demonstrate the ability to use research and evaluation to develop policy, advocacy and education initiatives that are culturally appropriate for the community or organization where prevention efforts are focused. Demonstrate the ability to translate policy into organizational plans and programs. Understand how policy change can have positive or negative effects on sexual assault outcomes. Coordinate efforts across prevention (e.g., your program, drug and alcohol prevention programs, prevention programs for other types of violence) and response (e.g., victim advocates). Demonstrate a trauma-informed approach when delivering sensitive program content. Demonstrate knowledge of best practices for fostering engaging learning environments (e.g., dividing content into small digestible chunks supplemented with activities, adapting teaching to different learning styles).
Competency 8. Ability to maintain and further develop COMPETENCY as a sexual assault prevention professional.	Demonstrate how to access and use scientific articles and resources from reputable organizations (like the CDC and National Sexual Violence Resource Center) to obtain updated information regarding sexual violence prevention. Identify key professional organizations and agencies that are related to sexual violence prevention and describe how these organizations can assist in maintaining and developing skills. Identify a potential mentor/advisor who has experience in sexual assault prevention and can assist with professional development. Identify and describe training resources, conferences and courses that would be appropriate for learning new information on sexual assault prevention strategies, research and best practices. Develop and maintain individual capacity (knowledge, skills, motivation) to perform prevention work.

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