California Courts: Programs: Equal Access: Research and Evaluation

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Research and Evaluation

This section contains evaluations from self-help centers, sample forms, and evaluation strategies, as well as links to other research on self-represented litigants.

Evaluation Tools

Program Evaluations

Evaluation tools

Visual Overview of the Assessment Tools for Self Represented Litigants (PDF, 26 KB). This is a flow chart of the assessment resources available, their purposes and the overall value of implementation.

Guide To Self Assessment of Court Programs To Assist Self-Represented Litigants (DOC, 144 KB) This Guide describes all the tools and how to use them.

Exit Survey (DOC, 105 KB). This can be used to collect data from all persons leaving a courthouse, with a supplement seeking additional information from self-represented litigants.

Self Represented Litigant Survey Database (MDB, 18 MB) - This provides a tool for the court to use to enter the data collected from the Exit Survey and review reports and interactive queries showing the results of the survey data collected.

Judge and Staff Survey (DOC, 48 KB) - This can be used to obtain court personnel’s perceptions of the court’s success in dealing with self-represented litigants, their views on problems encountered by self-represented litigants, and actions the court could take to alleviate them.

Guidelines for Data Gathering (DOC, 87 KB) - This explains how to administer the Exit Survey and the Judge and Staff Survey. The user should read these guidelines before administering any surveys.

Basic Interview Formats (DOC, 64 KB) - These are for use in talking with litigants, judges, court personnel, lawyers, representatives of other community organizations (such as legal aid and social services) about their experiences with self-represented litigants and their perceptions of the needs of these litigants. There are two basic formats – one for litigants and one for all stakeholders.

Guidelines for the Use of Focus Groups (DOC, 163 KB) - Focus groups can be used to obtain information from small groups of persons, such as self-represented litigants using the court, a specific minority group that has not traditionally used the court due to cultural barriers, or a group of judges who have a high volume of self-represented litigant cases.

Tour Guide (DOC, 92 KB)- This explains how to observe the courthouse and court processes from the point of view of a self-represented litigant.

Best Practices Checklist (DOC, 119 KB) - This can be used by a court to use in assessing the extent to which it is following the procedures and practices that national experts consider optimal in dealing with self-represented litigants.

Model for a Comprehensive Self Assessment (DOC, 150 KB) - This provides a complete model for a court that wishes to fully and completely assess its program from A to Z.

Summary of Ethical Guidelines for Conducting Interviews and Data Collection (DOC, 97 KB) - This document provides general guidance for courts conducting self assessments about ethical issues such as obtaining informed consent from persons providing information to the court and maintaining the confidentiality of personal information obtained.

Evaluation Planning Workbook -- How to Use focus Groups and Other Evaluation Methods to Improve Court Based Self-Help Centers (May 2007) (prepared by the Center for Families, Children and the Courts, Judicial Council of California).

Using Focus Groups in Program Evaluation (prepared for the California Conference on Self-Represented Litigants).

Culturally Appropriate Focus Group Information (Prepared by the Superior Court of California, County of Imperial )