Opportunity Information: Apply for BJS 2016 9544
Apply for BJS 2016 9544
- The USDOJ-OJP-BJS in the information and statistics sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Survey of Public Defenders: A Design Study (SPDDS)" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 16.734.
- This funding opportunity was created on Mar 23, 2016 and posted on Mar 23, 2016.
- Applicants must submit their applications by May 23, 2016. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $500,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
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Opportunity Summary:
The Survey of Public Defenders: A Design Study (SPDDS) is a U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) discretionary funding opportunity designed to improve national understanding of how indigent defense is delivered in the United States, specifically through the work of public defenders. Building on earlier BJS efforts that focused on agencies and offices, this project shifts the unit of analysis to the individual practitioner. In practical terms, that means the new effort is aimed at surveying the public defenders themselves, including those who represent adults and juveniles charged with criminal offenses, rather than only collecting information at the organization level.
The opportunity is framed as a design study, meaning the main goal is to lay the groundwork for a future national survey that can produce reliable, nationally representative statistics about public defense practice. BJS is extending the foundational work of two prior data collections: the Census of Public Defenders Offices (CPDO 2007) and the National Survey of Indigent Defense Providers (NSIDS 2013). Those earlier efforts provided important baseline descriptions of indigent defense systems, but because they were agency-level surveys, they could not fully capture the day-to-day realities of public defenders work, such as how attorneys backgrounds, workloads, resources, and local conditions shape representation and case outcomes. SPDDS is intended to close that gap by identifying what information the field most needs and designing a survey that can credibly produce that information at the national level.
The project has three core deliverables. First, it will produce a report that documents the information needs of the indigent defense field that could be addressed through a survey of public defenders. This involves clarifying what stakeholders (for example, defender organizations, policymakers, researchers, and court administrators) need to know, what is currently missing from existing data sources, and which topics are most critical for understanding the provision and quality of public defense services. Second, it will produce a report proposing a sampling plan capable of generating nationally representative statistics. Because public defense systems vary widely across states and localities, a defensible sampling strategy is essential; the study is expected to map out how to define the population, select a sample, and manage challenges like differing organizational structures, attorney roles, and variations in jurisdiction and caseload composition. Third, it will develop a pilot survey instrument that can be tested and refined. The pilot instrument is expected to collect information across a broad set of topics, including defender demographics, education and professional background, caseloads and workload measures, case outcomes, availability and use of support services, perceived needs and constraints, and emerging issues affecting the work.
Administratively, this opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number BJS 2016 9544) was offered as a cooperative agreement, signaling that BJS expected to have substantial involvement in the project, such as collaborating on methodology, deliverables, and project direction. It falls under the Information and Statistics funding activity category (CFDA 16.734). The solicitation anticipated a single award, with an award ceiling of $500,000. The posting and creation dates were March 23, 2016, and the application closing date was May 23, 2016. Eligibility was listed broadly as "Others," with additional eligibility clarification referenced in the full solicitation text.
Overall, SPDDS is best understood as an infrastructure-building effort for national justice statistics: it is meant to define what should be measured about public defenders, design a method to measure it in a representative way, and produce a pilot tool to test whether the questions can be asked consistently and usefully across the country. The end product is not a full national dataset yet, but the blueprint required to launch one, focused on capturing the lived realities of public defenders work in both adult and juvenile criminal cases.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the Survey of Public Defenders: A Design Study (SPDDS)?
SPDDS is a U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) discretionary funding opportunity intended to improve national understanding of how indigent defense is delivered in the United States through the work of public defenders.
What is the main purpose of SPDDS?
The purpose is to lay the groundwork for a future national survey that can produce reliable, nationally representative statistics about public defense practice by focusing on public defenders as individual practitioners.
How is this project different from earlier BJS efforts on indigent defense?
Earlier BJS efforts focused on agencies and offices (organization-level data). SPDDS shifts the unit of analysis to the individual public defender, aiming to capture practitioner-level realities such as backgrounds, workloads, resources, local conditions, and how these factors shape representation and case outcomes.
Which earlier data collections does SPDDS build on?
SPDDS extends foundational work from two prior BJS data collections: the Census of Public Defenders Offices (CPDO 2007) and the National Survey of Indigent Defense Providers (NSIDS 2013).
Why is BJS conducting a design study rather than launching a full national survey immediately?
The opportunity is framed as a design study because the immediate goal is to define what should be measured, determine how to measure it in a nationally representative way, and develop a pilot survey instrument to test and refine. The end product is a blueprint for a future national survey, not a full national dataset yet.
Who would the future survey aim to survey?
The effort is aimed at surveying public defenders themselves, including those who represent adults and juveniles charged with criminal offenses, rather than only collecting information from organizations.
What are the core deliverables for SPDDS?
The project has three core deliverables: (1) a report documenting the information needs of the indigent defense field that could be addressed through a survey of public defenders, (2) a report proposing a sampling plan capable of generating nationally representative statistics, and (3) a pilot survey instrument that can be tested and refined.
What will the information-needs report cover?
It will document what stakeholders need to know, what is missing from existing data sources, and which topics are most critical for understanding the provision and quality of public defense services.
Who are examples of stakeholders mentioned for defining information needs?
The opportunity describes stakeholders such as defender organizations, policymakers, researchers, and court administrators.
Why is a sampling plan a major deliverable?
Public defense systems vary widely across states and localities, so a defensible sampling strategy is essential to generate nationally representative statistics. The sampling plan is expected to address how to define the population, select a sample, and manage structural differences across jurisdictions and defender roles.
What kinds of challenges is the sampling plan expected to address?
The plan is expected to address challenges such as differing organizational structures, attorney roles, and variations in jurisdiction and caseload composition.
What topics is the pilot survey instrument expected to cover?
The pilot instrument is expected to collect information across a broad set of topics, including defender demographics; education and professional background; caseloads and workload measures; case outcomes; availability and use of support services; perceived needs and constraints; and emerging issues affecting the work.
What type of award is SPDDS?
The opportunity was offered as a cooperative agreement.
What does it mean that SPDDS was offered as a cooperative agreement?
It indicates BJS expected to have substantial involvement in the project, such as collaborating on methodology, deliverables, and overall project direction.
What is the Funding Opportunity Number for SPDDS?
The Funding Opportunity Number is BJS 2016 9544.
What funding activity category does this opportunity fall under?
It falls under the Information and Statistics funding activity category.
What is the CFDA number associated with SPDDS?
The CFDA number listed is 16.734.
How many awards were anticipated?
The solicitation anticipated a single award.
What was the award ceiling?
The award ceiling was $500,000.
When was the opportunity posted and when did it close?
The posting and creation dates were March 23, 2016, and the application closing date was May 23, 2016.
Who was eligible to apply?
Eligibility was listed broadly as "Others," with additional eligibility clarification referenced in the full solicitation text.
Is the end product of SPDDS a national dataset on public defenders?
No. The end product is described as the blueprint required to launch a future national survey, including identified information needs, a nationally representative sampling plan, and a pilot survey instrument.
What is the overall focus of SPDDS in plain terms?
It is an infrastructure-building effort for national justice statistics focused on defining what should be measured about public defenders, designing a representative method to measure it, and producing a pilot tool to test whether the questions can be asked consistently and usefully across the country.
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