Document Type
Other
Publication Date
5-2019
College/Unit
Chambers College of Business and Economics
Department/Program/Center
Not Listed
Abstract
Project FORESIGHT is a business-guided self-evaluation of forensic science laboratories across the globe. The participating laboratories represent local, regional, state, and national agencies. Economics, accounting, finance, and forensic faculty provide assistance, guidance, and analysis. Laboratories participating in Project FORESIGHT have developed standardized definitions for metrics to evaluate work processes, linking financial information to work tasks, and functions. Laboratory managers can then assess resource allocations, efficiencies, and value of services—the mission of Project FORESIGHT is to measure, preserve what works, and change what does not.
The benchmark data for the 2017-2018 performance period includes laboratory submissions for a variety of fiscal year definitions. However, all submissions have December 31, 2017 as part of their fiscal year accounting. The majority of submissions follow a July 1, 2017 through June 30, 2018 convention. Others follow a year that begins as early as January 1, 2017 (ending December 31, 2017) while the other extreme includes laboratories with a fiscal year originating October 1, 2017 and ending September 30, 2018.
As of this writing, one hundred sixty-three laboratory systems have contributed data to the project. For most areas of investigation, the submitted data offers a large enough sample to elicit good statistical properties. However, for Digital Evidence, Evidence Screening & Processing, and Forensic Pathology, the number of reporting laboratories in these areas is small and fewer inferences may be drawn from the data.
Digital Commons Citation
Speaker, Paul J., "Project FORESIGHT Annual Report, 2017-2018" (2019). Faculty & Staff Scholarship. 1139.
https://researchrepository.wvu.edu/faculty_publications/1139