The U.S Department of State’s Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs’ Office of Policy Planning and Coordination, Strategy and Resources Unit (WHA/PPC/SRU) commissioned Khulisa to conduct a performance evaluation of its Central America Regional Security Initiative (CARSI) Small Grants Program (SGP) implemented in high crime neighborhoods across Belize, Costa Rica, and Panama between FY 2012-2015.
Khulisa designed a participatory mixed methods research evaluation to determine the impact of the $15-million investment aiming to reduce crime and violence by targeting at-risk youth.
Over a period of 18 months, Khulisa conducted an extensive review of program documents and literature; interviewed key stakeholders across the three countries; led in-person focus groups of SGP beneficiaries; and deployed two public opinion surveys targeting beneficiaries and the general population to gather perceptions about neighborhood safety, crime, and public service provision in the region. Read the CARSI SGP Evaluation Brief that is now available.