Planning to Evaluate a MJTF? What Are Some Challenges?

Using control groups or comparison groups is difficult when evaluating MJTFs.

Random assignment of cases to task forces and non-task force operations is usually not feasible. Establishing an appropriate comparison group may be difficult: since most task forces target specific types of cases (such as high-level drug dealers), task force cases may be different from non-task force cases, making comparisons between the two invalid.

Using before-after designs to evaluate MJTFs requires good recordkeeping.

Baseline data on task force performance measures should be established prior to beginning the evaluation. Once the task force has been operating for a while, trying to go back and collect performance measurement data for activities prior to the task force can be difficult.

Task forces should carefully specify their goals and objectives, and the performance measures that they will use to determine their success.

Since task forces are so different from one another, there is no one single evaluation approach, or set of performance measures, that applies to all. For this reason, it is particularly important for task forces to specify clearly what they are trying to accomplish, what strategies they are using to accomplish it, and what measures will demonstrate that it has been accomplished.

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