ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT
MEETING DATE: July 15, 2026 AGENDA CATEGORY: Consent - Agreements TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council
FROM: Christian Clegg, City Manager
DATE: June 25, 2026
SUBJECT: Agreement with the Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania (not to exceed $300,000) to provide Cohort 5 grant program evaluation services.
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends approval of the agreement.
BACKGROUND:
On February 12, 2026, the Board of State and Community Corrections (BSCC) approved the City of Bakersfield's California Violence Intervention and Prevention (CalVIP) Cohort 5 grant award in the amount of $4,899,000. The grant supports the continued implementation of the City's Gun Violence Reduction Strategy (GVRS) through the Office of Violence Intervention and Prevention (OVIP) and provides funding for evidence-informed violence intervention services, intensive case management, outreach, participant support services, and program evaluation.
As a condition of the CalVIP grant, the City is required to complete an independent evaluation of program implementation and outcomes, including development of a Local Evaluation Plan (LEP), ongoing evaluation activities throughout the grant period, and submission of a final evaluation report to the BSCC.
The proposed agreement with The Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania, through its Crime and Justice Policy Lab, provides for independent evaluation services in an amount not to exceed $300,000 over the grant term. The Crime and Justice Policy Lab is a nationally recognized research center specializing in evidence-based criminal justice and violence intervention strategies and was identified in the City's approved CalVIP Cohort 5 grant application to serve as the independent evaluator.
Under the agreement, the Crime and Justice Policy Lab will partner with OVIP, the Bakersfield Police Department, and community -based organizations to conduct a compr ehensive mixed -methods evaluation of the City's GVRS. The evaluation will include development and implementation of the Local Evaluation Plan, qualitative interviews and focus groups with key stakeholders and program participants, assessment of implementat ion fidelity, documentation of multi -agency coordination, integration of qualitative findings with the City's ongoing quantitative evaluation, and preparation of interim reports and the final evaluation report required by the BSCC.
The evaluation is desig ned to assess both program implementation and outcomes, while identifying lessons learned and opportunities to strengthen the City's violence intervention strategy over the life of the grant. Findings will be used to support continuous program improvement, demonstrate compliance with BSCC grant requirements, and inform future violence prevention efforts.
FISCAL IMPACT:
Funding for this agreement is provided through the California Violence Intervention and Prevention (CalVIP) Cohort 5 Grant awarded by the B oard of State and Community Corrections (BSCC). There is no impact on the City’s General Fund. All expenditures are reimbursed in accordance with grant requirements and subject to funding availability.
COUNCIL GOAL:
Safety and Resilience
ATTACHMENTS:
Agreement