INDEPENDENT CONTRACTOR'S AGREEMENT – Over $100,000 Page 1 Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania
AGREEMENT NO. ___________________
INDEPENDENT CONTRACTOR'S AGREEMENT
[Over $100,000]
This INDEPENDENT CONTRACTOR’S AGREEMENT (“Agreement”) is made and entered into on _______________________, by and between the CITY OF BAKERSFIELD, a municipal corporation (referred to herein as “CITY”), and THE TRUSTEES OF THE UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA, a non-profit corporation authorized to do business in California (referred to herein as “CONTRACTOR”) .
CITY and CONTRACTOR are collectively referred to as “Parties” herein.
R E C I T A L S
WHEREAS, CITY administers the California Violence Intervention and Prevention (CalVIP) Grant through its Office of Violence Intervention and Prevention (OVIP), which oversees a Gun Violence Reduction Strategy (GVRS) focused on identifying and engaging individuals at the highest risk of involvement in gun violence; and
WHEREAS, on April 1, 2026, the Board of State and Community Corrections (BSCC) awarded CITY funding under the CalVIP Cohort 5 Grant to support expanded violence intervention efforts; and
WHEREAS, as part of CITY’s approved CalVIP Cohort 5 grant proposal and BSCC grant requirements, CITY is required to complete evaluation activities, including development and implementation of a Local Evaluation Plan (LEP) and submission of a final evaluation report; and
WHEREAS, as part of CITY’s approved CalVIP Cohort 5 grant budget, funding in an amount not to exceed Three Hundred Thousand Dollars ($300,000), subject to the availability of grant funding, was allocated to CONTRACTOR for evaluation services during the grant term; and
WHEREAS, CONTRACTOR represents that it is experienced, well qualified, and specializes in violence intervention research, program evaluation, qualitative and quantitative analysis, and implementation assessment related to community violence intervention strategies; and
WHEREAS, CONTRACTOR shall provide evaluation services in support of CITY’s CalVIP Cohort 5 GVRS efforts, including implementation of the LEP; and Docusign Envelope ID: CF678C84-3F92-86B1-8237-C8AB7641EAD8
INDEPENDENT CONTRACTOR'S AGREEMENT – Over $100,000 Page 2 Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania
WHEREAS, all services provided under this Agreement shall be performed in accordance with applicable BSCC requirements and aligned with CITY’s GVRS and OVIP program protocols.
NOW, THEREFORE, incorporating the foregoing recitals herein, CITY and CONTRACTOR mutually agree as follows:
1. SCOPE OF WORK . In exchange for the Compensation (defined below), CONTRACTOR shall perform the services described in Exhibit “A,” (“Scope of Work”) attached hereto and incorporated by reference herein. The Scope of Work shall include all items and procedures necessary to properly complete the task CONTRACTOR has been hired to perform, whether specifically included in the Scope of Work or not.
CONTRACTOR shall also comply with applicable BSCC requirements and CITY policies related to the CalVIP Cohort 5 Grant Program. The Scope of Work shall include all items and procedures necessary to properly complete the evaluation services CONTRACTOR has been hired to perform, whether specifically included in the Scope of Work or not.
Scope of Work represents the primary evaluation framework, methodology, activities, and timeline proposed by CONTRACTOR. The Parties acknowledge that minor modifications or refinements to the Local Evaluation Plan (LEP) may be necessary to ensure compliance with BSCC requirements, operational considerations, data availability, Institutional Review Board (IRB) requirements, or evo lving program needs during the grant term.
CONTRACTOR shall:
• Conduct evaluation activities consistent with the LEP;
• Coordinate with CITY, OVIP, community -based organizations, and relevant partners regarding evaluation implementation, data collection, interviews, focus groups, and reporting activities;
• Participate in meetings reasonably requested by CITY or OVIP related to evaluation planning, implementation, and coordination;
• Prepare interim updates, summaries, presentations, or other evaluation-related deliverables reasonably requested by CITY or necessary to support BSCC compliance;
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• Prepare and submit all evaluation -related deliverables, reports, updates, and required documentation in accordance with
applicable BSCC CalVIP requirements, formats, templates, and submission timelines, in coordination with CITY and consistent with applicable BSCC requirements;
• Ensure all required deliverables, including the L EP, interim updates, and final evaluation report, are completed and submitted in sufficient time to allow CITY review and submission in advance of all applicable BSCC deadlines;
• Revise or supplement deliverables, as reasonably requested by CITY, to address BSCC feedback, compliance requirements, formatting requirements, or reporting deficiencies;
• Coordinate with CITY and OVIP regarding all evaluation deliverable schedules and reporting requirements to ensure timely compliance with grant obligations;
• Prepare and submit a final evaluation report consistent with BSCC CalVIP Cohort 5 requirements and timelines;
• Maintain confidentiality of sensitive information and comply with applicable laws, regulations, and research standards associated with evaluation activities;
• Obtain and maintain any required IRB approvals associated with evaluation activities, if applicable; and
• Participate in grant monitoring, evaluation coordination, and closeout activities as reasonably requested by CITY or BSCC.
2. COMPENSATION/PAYMENT PROCEDURE . Subject to the conditions of this section, CITY will pay CONTRACTOR as follows for performing the Scope of Work (“Compensation”):
(1) On a reimbursement basis for eligible, allowable, and properly documented costs incurred in accordance with the Scope of Work, CITY’s approved CalVIP Cohort 5 Grant
Proposal, and applicable BSCC requirements.
Invoices shall include supporting documentation sufficient to substantiate reimbursement requests, including but not limited to timesheets or equivalent documentation reflecting time worked , and any additional supporting documentation reasonably requested by CITY for grant compliance purposes.
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CITY will pay CONTRACTOR within thirty ( 30) days after CONTRACTOR submits an itemized invoice for the portions of the Scope of Work completed and that invoice is approved by CITY. The Compensation will be the total amount paid to CONTRACTOR for performing the Scope of Work and includes, but is not limited to, all out-of-pocket costs and taxes.
CITY will pay no other compensation to CONTRACTOR. In no case will CITY compensate/reimburse CONTRACTOR more than THREE HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS ($300,000) for performing the Scope of Work.
3. TERM. Unless terminated sooner, as set forth herein, this Agreement shall terminate on September 20, 2029.
4. TERMINATION. Either party may terminate t his Agreement after giving the other party written notice, as provided herein, ten (10) days before the termination is effective.
5. ACCOUNTING RECORDS . CONTRACTOR shall maintain accurate accounting records and other written documentation pertaining to all costs incurred in performance of this Agreement. Such records and documentation shall be kept at CONTRACTOR's office during the term of this Agreement, and for a period of three (3) years from the date of the final payment hereunder, and made available to CITY representatives upon request at any time during regular business hours.
6. ASSIGNMENT. Neither this Agreement nor any rights, interests, duties, liabilities, obligations or responsibilities arising out of, concerning or related in any way to this Agreement (including, but not limited to, accounts, actions, causes of action, claims, damages, demands, liabilities, losses, obligations, or reckonings of any kind or nature whatsoever, for compensatory or exemplary and punitive damages, or declaratory, equitable or injunctive relief, whether based on contract, equity, tort or other theories of reco very provided for by the common or statutory law) may be assigned or transferred by any party. Any such assignment is prohibited, and shall be unenforceable and otherwise null and void without the need for further action by the non-assigning party or parties.
7. BINDING EFFECT. The rights and obligations of this Agreement shall inure to the benefit of, and be binding upon, the parties to the Agreement and their heirs, administrators, executors, personal representatives, successors and assigns.
8. COMPLIANCE WITH ALL LAWS . CONTRACTOR shall, at CONTRACTOR ’s sole cost, comply with all of the requirements of municipal, state, and federal authorities now in force, or which may hereafter be in force, pertaining to Docusign Envelope ID: CF678C84-3F92-86B1-8237-C8AB7641EAD8
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this Agreement, and shall faithfully observe in all activities relating to or growing out of this Agreement all municipal ordinances and state and federal statutes, rules or regulations, and permitting requirements now in force or which may hereafter be in force including, without limitation, obtaining a City of Bakersfield business tax certificate (Bakersfield Municipal Code Chapter 5.02) where required.
9. CORPORATE AUTHORITY. Each individual signing this Agreement on behalf of entities represent s and warrant s that they are, respectively, duly authorized to sign on behalf of the entities and to bind the entities fully to each and all of the obligations set forth in this Agreement.
10. COUNTERPARTS. This Agreement may be executed in any number of counterparts, each of which shall be considered as an original and be effective as such.
11. DIRECTION. CONTRACTOR retains the right to control or direct the manner in which the services described herein are performed.
12. EQUIPMENT. CONTRACTOR will supply all equipment, tools, materials and supplies necessary to perform the services under this Agreement.
13. EXECUTION. This Agreement is effective upon the date first written above and is the product of negotiation and all parties are equally responsible for authorship of this Agreement. Section 1654 of the California Civil Code shall not apply to the interpretation of this Agreement.
14. EXHIBITS. In the event of a conflict between the terms, conditions or specifications set forth in this Agreement and those in exhibits attached hereto, the terms, conditions, or specifications set forth in this Agreement shall prevail. All exhibits to which referen ce is made in this Agreement are deemed incorporated in this Agreement, whether or not actually attached.
15. FURTHER ASSURANCES. Each party shall execute and deliver such papers, documents, and instruments, and perform such acts as are necessary or appropriate, to implement the terms of this Agreement and the intent of the parties to this Agreement.
16. GOVERNING LAW. The laws of the State of California will govern the validity of this Agreement and its interpretation and performance. Any litigation arising in any way from this Agreement shall be brought in Kern County, California.
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17. INCLUDED DOCUMENTS. Any bid documents, including, without limitation, special provisions and standard specifications and any Request for Proposals, Request for Qualifications and responses thereto relating to this Agreement are incorporated by reference as though fully set forth herein.
18. MUTUAL HOLD HARMLESS. Neither party shall be liable to the other party for any loss, damage, liability, claim or cause of action for damage to or destruction of property or for injury to or death of persons arising solely from any act or omission of the other party's officers, agents, employees, or volunteers. The Parties agree to hold each other harmless from any and all claims, demands, liabilities, losses or causes of action which arise by virtue of its own acts or omissions (either directly or through or by its agents, officers, employees, or volunteers) to such extent and in such part as the respective parties are found by reason of law to have proximately caused the injury or damage. The party against whom any claim arising from any subject matter of this Agreement is filed shall give prompt notice of the filing of the claim to the other party.
19. INDEPENDENT CONTRACTOR . This Agreement calls for CONTRACTOR’s performance of the Scope of Work as an independent contractor.
CONTRACTOR is not an agent or employee of CITY for any purpose and is not entitled to any of the benefits provided by CITY to its employees. This Agreement shall not be construed as forming a partnership or any other association with CONTRACTOR other than that of an independent contractor.
20. INSURANCE.
20.1 Types and Limits of Insurance . In addition to any other insurance or security required under this Agreement, CONTRACTOR must procure and maintain, for the duration of this Agreement, the types and limits of insurance below ("Basic Insurance Requirements").
20.1.1 Automobile liability insurance , providing coverage for owned, non -owned, and hired autos on an occurrence
basis for bodily injury, including death, of one or more persons, property damage , and personal injury, with limits of not less than $1,000,000 per occurrence.
20.1.2 Commercial general liability insurance , unless otherwise approved by CITY’s Risk Manager, providing coverage on
an occurrence basis for bodily injury, including death, of one or more persons, property damage , and personal
injury, with limits of not less than $1,000,000 per occurrence.
The policy must:
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20.1.2.1 Provide contractual liability coverage for the terms of this Agreement;
20.1.2.2 Provide products and completed operations
coverage;
20.1.2.3 Provide premises, operations, and mobile
equipment coverage; and
20.1.2.4 Contain an additional insured endorsement in
favor of CITY and its mayor, council, officers,
agents, employees, and designated volunteers.
20.1.3 Workers' compensation insurance with limits of not less than $1,000,000 per occurrence . I n accordance with the
provisions of Labor Code Section 3700, every contractor will be required to secure the payment of compensation to his employees. Pursuant to Labor Code Section 1861,
CONTRACTOR must submit to CITY the following
certification before beginning any work on the
Improvements:
I am aware of the provisions of Section 3700 of the
Labor Code which require every employer to be
insured against liability for worker’s compensation or
to undertake self -insurance in accordance with the
provisions of that code, and I will comply with such
provisions before commencing the performance of
the work of this contract.
By executing this Agreement, CONTRACTOR is submitting the certification required above.
The policy must contain a waiver of subrogation in favor of CITY and its mayor, council, officers, agents, employees, and designated volunteers.
20.2 General Provisions Applying to All Insurance Types.
20.2.1 All policies required of CONTRACTOR must be written on a first-dollar coverage basis, or contain a deductible
provision. Subject to CITY’s advance approval,
CONTRACTOR may utilize a self -insured retention in any or all of the policies provided, but the policy or policies may Docusign Envelope ID: CF678C84-3F92-86B1-8237-C8AB7641EAD8
INDEPENDENT CONTRACTOR'S AGREEMENT – Over $100,000 Page 8 Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania
not contain language, whether added by endorsement or
contained in the policy conditions, that prohibits
satisfaction of any self -insured provision or requirement by anyone other than the named insured or by any means
including other insurance or which is intended to defeat the intent or protection of an additional insured.
20.2.2 All policies required of CONTRACTOR must be primary insurance as to CITY and its mayor, council, officers, agents, employees, or designated volunteers and any insurance or self-insurance maintained by CITY and its mayor, council, officers, agents, employees, and designated volunteers
must be excess of CONTRACTOR’s insurance and must not
contribute with it.
20.2.3 The insurance required above, e xcept for workers’ compensation insurance, must be placed with insurers with a Best’s rating as approved by CITY’s Risk Manager, but in no event less than A-:VII. Any deductibles, self -insured retentions, or insurance in lesser amounts, or lack of certain types of insurance otherwise required by this Agreement, or insurance rated below Best’s A-:VII, must be declared prior to execution of this Agreement and approv ed by CITY in writing.
20.2.4 The insurance required in this section must be maintained until the Scope of Work is satisfactorily completed as
evidenced by CITY’s written acceptance. All policies must provide that there will be continuing liability thereon, notwithstanding any recovery on any policy.
20.2.5 Full compensation for all premiums which CONTRACTOR is required to pay to satisfy the Basic Insurance Requirements shall be considered as included in the prices paid for the performance of the Scope of Work, and no additional
allowance will be made therefor or for additional premiums which may be required by extensions of the policies of
insurance.
20.2.6 It is further understood and agreed by CONTRACTOR that its liability to CITY will not in any way be limited to or affected by the amount of insurance obtained and carried by
CONTRACTOR in connection with this Agreement.
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20.2.7 Unless otherwise approved by CITY, if any part of the Scope of Work is subcontracted, the Basic Insurance Requirements must be provided by, or on behalf of, all subcontractors even if CITY has approved lesser insurance requirements for CONTRACTOR, and all subcontractors must agree in writing to be bound by the provisions of this section.
21. INTERPRETATION. Whenever the context so requires, the masculine gender includes the feminine and neuter, and the singular number includes the plural.
22. KEY PERSONNEL . At request of CITY, CONTRACTOR shall name all key personnel to be assigned to the work set forth herein. CITY reserves the right to approve key personnel, which approval shall not be unreasonably withheld. Once the key personnel are approved CONTRACTOR shall not change such personnel without the approval of CITY.
23. LICENSES. CONTRACTOR shall, at its sole cost and expense, keep in effect or obtain at all times during the term of this Agreement any licenses, permits and approvals which are legally required for CONTRACTOR to practice its profession and perform the Scope of Work . If CONTRACTOR is a corporation, at least one (1) officer or key employee shall hold the required licenses or professional degrees. If CONTRACTOR is a partnership, at least one (1) partner shall hold the required licensees or professional degrees.
24. MERGER AND MODIFICATION . This Agreement sets forth the entire agreement between the parties and supersedes all other oral or written representations. This Agreement may be modified only in a writing approved by the City Council and signed by all the parties.
25. NO WAIVER OF DEFAULT. The failure of any party to enforce against another party any provision of this Agreement shall not constitute a waiver of that party's right to enforce such a provision at a later time and shall not serve to vary the terms of this Agreement.
26. NON-INTEREST. No CITY officer or employee shall hold any interest in this Agreement (California Government Code section 1090).
27. NOTICES. All notices relative to this Agreement shall be given in writing and shall be personally served or sent by certified or registered mail and be effective upon actual personal service or depositing in the United States mail. The parties shall be addressed a s follows, or at any other address designated by notice:
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INDEPENDENT CONTRACTOR'S AGREEMENT – Over $100,000 Page 10 Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania
CITY: CITY OF BAKERSFIELD
CITY HALL
1600 Truxtun Avenue
Bakersfield, California 93301
CONTRACTOR: Associate Director (PD#10106878)
THE TRUSTEES OF THE UNIVERSITY
PENNSYLVANIA
3451 Walnut Street, Floor 5
Philadelphia, PA 19104-6205
Email: [email protected]
28. RESOURCE ALLOCATION. All CITY obligations under the terms of this Agreement are subject to the appropriation and allocation of resources by the City Council.
29. SB 854 COMPLIANCE . To the extent Labor Code Section 1771.1 applies to this Agreement, a contractor or subcontractor shall not be qualified to bid on, be listed in a bid proposal, be subject to the requirements of Section 4104 of the Public Contract Code, or engage in the per formance of any contract for public work, as defined in this chapter, unless currently registered and qualified to perform public work pursuant to Labor Code Section 1725.5. It is not a violation of Labor Code Section 1771.1 for an unregistered contractor to submit a bid that is authorized by Section 7029.1 of the Business and Professions Code or by Section 10164 or 20103.5 of the Public Contract Code, provided the contractor is registered to perform public work pursuant to Labor Code Section 1725.5 at the time the contract is awarded. The prime contractor is required to post job site notices in compliance with California Code of Regulations, Title 8, Section 16451. This project is subject to compliance monitoring and enforcement by the California Department of Industrial Relations.
30. STANDARD OF PERFORMANCE . The Scope of Work shall be performed in conformity with all legal requirements and industry standards observed by a specialist of CONTRACTOR’s profession in California.
31. STARTING WORK. CONTRACTOR shall not begin work until authorized to do so in writing by CITY. No work will be authorized before the date first written above.
32. TAX NUMBERS.
CONTRACTOR’s Federal Tax ID Number 23-1352685
CONTRACTOR is a corporation? Yes X No
(Please check one.)
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33. THIRD-PARTY CLAIMS. In the case of public works contracts, CITY will timely notify CONTRACTOR of third -party claims relating to this Agreement. CITY shall be allowed to recover from CONTRACTOR, and CONTRACTOR shall pay on demand, all costs of notification.
34. TITLE TO DOCUMENTS . All documents, plans, and drawings, maps, photographs, and other papers, or copies thereof prepared by CONTRACTOR pursuant to the terms of this Agreement, shall, upon preparation, become CITY property.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Agreement to be executed as of the date first written above.
"CITY" “CONTRACTOR”
CITY OF BAKERSFIELD THE TRUSTEES OF THE
UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA
By:________________________________ By:_________________________________
KAREN GOH QUINN CASEY
Mayor Associate Director
APPROVED AS TO CONTENT:
CITY MANAGER’S OFFICE
By:_______________________________
CHRISTIAN CLEGG
City Manager
APPROVED AS TO FORM: COUNTERSIGNED:
City Attorney: ___________________________________ Finance Director: ___________________________________
VIRGINIA GENNARO RANDY MCKEEGAN
Insurance:____________
Attachment(s): Exhibit A
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Bakersfield GVRS Qualitative Evaluation Plan
Project Summary
In 2022, the City of Bakersfield launched a comprehensive Gun Violence Reduction Strategy (GVRS) in response to sharp increases in shootings from 2020 to 2021. Implemented with support from California Violence Intervention and Prevention (CalVIP) funding, the strategy brings together city leadership, law enforcement, and community-based organizations (CBOs) to identify individuals at the highest risk for involvement in gun violence and provide coordinated intervention services.
The GVRS approach combines elements of focused deterrence and community violence intervention. Individuals at highest risk of violence are identified through ongoing collaboration and weekly shooting reviews between the Bakersfield Police Department (BPD), the Office of Violence Intervention and Prevention (OVIP), and community partners. Highest risk individuals are then contacted by credible messengers. Those who enroll in programming receive intensive case management, mentoring, life coaching, and access to services like employment support, housing assistance, and resources to meet basic needs.
Individuals who decline services and continue engaging in violence are subject to targeted law enforcement responses.
An initial impact assessment conducted in 2025 suggested that the strategy has had promising impacts. From 2021 to 2024, Bakersfield experienced substantial reductions in fatal and nonfatal shootings. Preliminary analyses indicated that the city’s coordinated strategy was associated with gun violence reductions and initial data suggests that the OVIP and its CBO partners successfully engaged individuals who closely resemble the population most frequently involved in gun violence incidents.
Currently, the City of Bakerfield is funding and supporting an ongoing quantitative impact evaluation of the GVRS initiative and its engagement of very high-risk individuals (VHRs), led by researchers at the Crime and Justice Policy Lab at the University of Pennsylvania (see Appendix A for quantitative evaluation activities). In tandem, Cohort 5 CalVIP funding will support a complementary process and qualitative evaluation component. This work will document how Bakersfield’s GVRS strategy has been implemented, experienced, and adapted over
EXHIBIT A
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time, with a focus on engagement with very high-risk individuals, coordination across partners, and perceived impacts on violence dynamics. Specifically, the qualitative evaluation will address four core research questions:
1. How is the GVRS program implemented in practice across OVIP, community- based organizations, and law enforcement partners?
2. How do participants and practitioners experience the intervention, particularly in terms of effectiveness, trust, engagement, service delivery, and barriers to participation?
3. What mechanisms appear to drive observed changes in behavior and violence involvement, and how do these evolve over time?
4. How do community members perceive broader community-level impacts of the GVRS program?
Project Goals & Objectives
The primary goal of the qualitative evaluation component is to assess whether the GVRS strategy is implemented effectively and contributes to individual- level and/or citywide reductions in violence.
This evaluation will assess the following objectives:
1. Document how core program components are implemented across City, OVIP, community-based organizations, and BPD partners.
2. Assess participant experiences with outreach and engagement, life coaching, and support services and explore barriers to engagement.
3. Identify strategies to improve trust, engagement, and retention among VHRs.
4. Understand how coordination across partners affects service delivery and outcomes.
5. Identify mechanisms for how program components and activities may lead to changes in behavior and violence involvement.
Project Components, Activities, and Evidence-Based Practices This qualitative evaluation, in combination with the ongoing city-funded quantitative evaluation, will assess the implementation and impacts of Bakersfield’s GVRS model, which includes several evidence-based components:
▪ Identification of very highest risk individuals (VHRs) using weekly shooting reviews and multi-year problem analyses.
▪ Focused deterrence-based partnership strategy
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▪ Community-based violence intervention services (e.g., street outreach, life coaching, case management)
▪ Trauma-informed and cognitive behavioral therapy-informed interventions ▪ Wraparound supports centering on housing and employment ▪ Ongoing coordination and strategy management
Process Evaluation
The qualitative evaluation will include the primary process evaluation component for the GVRS program. It will assess implementation, service delivery, and program activity using:
▪ Semi-structured interviews with City stakeholders, BPD leadership and frontline personnel, OVIP staff, and GVRS clients
▪ Focus groups with community members from violence-impacted neighborhoods and family members of GVRS clients
▪ Review and observation of key program activities like coordination meetings, shooting reviews and monthly performance review meetings ▪ Review and analysis of program documentation including theories of change, staffing, management meetings, key performance indicators, standard operating procedures and OVIP GVRS-related policies.
This information will be synthesized into a systematic overview of the GVRS strategy, theory of change, process of development and implementation and highlight key insights from a variety of stakeholder perspectives.
Outcome Evaluation and Outcome Variables
The quantitative evaluation component funded by the City of Bakersfield will assess individual-level and citywide impacts using administrative data, case management data, and quasi-experimental methods. Primary outcome variables of the quantitative evaluation include:
▪ Violent victimization and offending
▪ Recidivism
▪ Program engagement and dosage
▪ Prosocial outcomes like employment, education, and housing stability ▪ Citywide trends in homicides and nonfatal shootings
This complementary qualitative evaluation – funded by the CalVIP Cohort 5 award - will examine partner perspectives on strategy implementation, program fidelity, Docusign Envelope ID: CF678C84-3F92-86B1-8237-C8AB7641EAD8
multi-agency coordination, and GVRS effects. It will also explore client experiences with the GVRS program, including quality of engagement, impact of services, barriers to participation, and positive life changes. Finally, focus groups with community members will provide insight into broader community-level impacts of the GVRS strategy, including perceptions of safety.
Evaluation Design
The full GVRS evaluation uses a mixed methods, quasi-experimental design.
The city-funded quantitative component will assess program impacts using citywide violence data, individual data, and matched comparison groups.
The qualitative evaluation will use purposive sampling to conduct 20-30 structured interviews and 2-4 focus groups, with flexibility to adjust based on participant availability and emerging findings. The selection of interview participants will aim to capture variation across roles and experiences. Staff interviews will include both leadership and frontline personnel. Interview subjects will include:
a. Executives/Authorizers – City manager, City mayor, Bakersfield Police administrators, Community Based Organization (CBO) directors.
b. Managers/Implementers/Practitioners – including BPD immediate supervisors over GVRS, BPD SEU officers, Office of Violence Intervention and Prevention (OVIP) team and intervention workers, contracted CBO partners.
c. OVIP clients engaged through GVRS process.
For interviews with GVRS clients specifically, the research team will seek to conduct interviews at two time points (early engagement and mid-point/exit) to capture changes over time; and will seek to assess their experiences and perspectives as outlined below.
In addition to interviews, we will also conduct focus groups with community members. We will rely on CBO partners to assist in prioritizing the recruitment of:
a. Residents in areas of high crime concentration
b. Family members of OVIP clients
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Topics for interviews will include: experiences building trust with partners and participants; perceptions of deterrence messaging and enforcement; barriers to service uptake (e.g., housing instability, distrust, competing priorities); perceived usefulness of specific services (life coaching, CBT, financial incentives); and changes in behavior, decision-making, and exposure to violence. Interviews with community intervention workers and life coaches will more closely examine frontline challenges, engagement strategies, and adaptations.
Interviews with City stakeholders, OVIP staff, and law enforcement partners will also focus on coordination across agencies, the GVRS management process, decision-making for interventions, and challenges to implementation and sustainability. Focus groups with community members will explore perceptions of safety, awareness of the GVRS program, and perceived changes in neighborhood conditions and violence over time.
Finally, the research team will document key program activities like shooting reviews, coordination meetings, case reviews and performance reviews to better assess how the GVRS management process operates in practice.
All quantitative and qualitative evaluation activities will be reviewed and approved by the University of Pennsylvania’s Institutional Review Board (IRB) prior to implementation. Participation in interviews and focus groups specifically will be voluntary, and all participants will provide informed consent. To protect confidentiality, identifying information will be removed from transcripts and replaced with unique study IDs. All data will be stored on secure, password- protected systems accessible only to the research team. Findings will be reported in aggregate, and no individual participant will be identified in any reports or publications.
Analytic Approach
All interviews and focus groups will be recorded (when consent is received), transcribed, and coded using a structured coding framework. Analysis will follow a hybrid deductive–inductive approach, combining pre-defined themes with emergent themes identified during review.
The analysis will focus on identifying common patterns and notable variation across participants and stakeholders. We will pay special attention to insights like barriers to engagement, strategies that sustain participation, coordination across partners, and the ways that GVRS activities are believed to impact to reductions in violence.
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Integration and Reporting
Qualitative findings will be integrated with city-funded quantitative analyses to strengthen interpretation of results. For example, qualitative data will help explain patterns in service dosage and outcomes like why some participants disengage and how specific services influence behavior. This mixed-methods approach will support a more complete understanding of program impact.
Findings from this project will be incorporated into the final CalVIP evaluation report. Interim insights will be shared with the City, OVIP, and partners.
The qualitative component specifically will document implementation lessons to inform continued program activities and sustainability.
Evaluation Timeline
Year 1 (April 2026 – March 2027)
Activity Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1
Gather and review documentation on GVRS
development, implementation, theory of change,
policies and procedures.
X X
Review OVIP data collection X X
Finalize qualitative methods evaluation plan, including interview and focus group samples, data collection
instruments and analysis plan.
X
Collect OVIP 2026 client and service data X
Year 2 (April 2027 – March 2028)
Activity Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1
Interviews - city and agency leadership X X
Interviews with program staff and participants X X
Focus groups with community members X X
Collect OVIP 2027 client and service data X
Share interim report with city leads X
Year 3 (April 2028 – March 2029)
Activity Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1
Review and update documentation on GVRS
development, implementation, theory of change,
policies and procedures.
X X
Interviews city and agency leadership X X
Interviews with program staff and participants X X
Focus groups with community members X X
Collect OVIP 2028 client and service data X
Share interim report with city leads X
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Final Reporting Period (April - September 2029)
Activity Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1
Collect Q1 of 2029 BPD homicide/shooting data X
Collect Q1 of 2029 OVIP client and service data X
Update overall process and impact evaluation findings – synthesize quantitative and qualitative findings through full reporting period.
X
Draft final evaluation report X X
Submit final evaluation report X
Docusign Envelope ID: CF678C84-3F92-86B1-8237-C8AB7641EAD8
Appendix A.
City-Funded Quantitative Evaluation Timeline
Year 1 (April 2026 – March 2027)
Activity Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1
Review OVIP data collection X
Review and request necessary BPD homicide/shooting
data
X
Compile and clean 2021-2025 homicide and shooting
data
X
Complete qualitative methods evaluation plan X
Collect 2026 BPD homicide/shooting data X
Collect OVIP 2026 data X
Draft interim evaluation report X
Year 2 (April 2027 – March 2028)
Activity Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1
Interviews with program staff and participants X X
Collect criminal history data for referrals/enrollees
2024-2026
X X
Collect victimization data for referrals/enrollees 2024- 2026
X X
Create matched comparison groups for direct
communication analysis
X
Create matched comparison groups for life coaching
analysis
X
Collect 2027 BPD homicide/shooting data X
Collect OVIP 2027 data X
Conduct synthetic DID analysis of homicide/shooting
incidents
X
Draft final evaluation report X
Docusign Envelope ID: CF678C84-3F92-86B1-8237-C8AB7641EAD8