Developing countries utilization studies

The Calspan study, which is scheduled for completion in October, will thoroughly describe the role of criminalistics operations in criminal justice systems. Methods for measuring the effectiveness of criminalistics operations are being developed and validated. A series of recommendations will be drafted based upon data collection and observation in the three locations. These suggestions should serve to improve the utilization of criminalistics not only in the study sites, but in all forensic laboratories throughout the country. 

Availability of guidance does not preclude consultation with regulatory jurisdictions during study-specific protocol development. In order to ensure that the study is applicable to multiple jurisdictions, co-operative consultation should take place. In North America, for example, protocols for exposure studies were recently finalized for heavy-duty wood preservatives, with co-operative input from both the USEPA and PMRA of Health Canada. Selection of representative USA and Canadian sites ensured that the results would be applicable to both countries. Increased co-operative consultation at the protocol development phase will increase utility of data across multiple jurisdictions and will facilitate harmonization. 

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