RAND Program Evaluation Toolkit for Countering Violent Extremism
Abstract
Violent extremism poses a threat to the lives of those living in the United States and abroad. Extremist individuals and groups embrace a variety of motivations and methods, and their chosen targets may be equally varied. Those who perpetuate such acts may be motivated by an ideology (such as extremist religious beliefs), a specific issue (such as animal liberation), or a separatist/political cause. Community-based organizations with the goal of countering violent extremism (CVE) similarly vary in their focus and activities. Such organizations may lead discussion groups or seminars, develop information campaigns, or hold youth sporting events. They may address extremism by refuting narratives from those seeking to radicalize others, by promoting cultural competency or awareness, or by fostering supportive climates and promoting positive social bonds. Regardless of the approaches these programs take or whether they even identify as CVE programs, evaluations are critical for assessing the impact of their activities and can be used as the basis for decisions about whether to sustain, modify, or scale up existing efforts. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Office of Community Partnerships asked the RAND Corporation to create a toolkit to guide future evaluations of community-based CVE programs. The overall goal of the toolkit is to help those responsible for CVE programs determine whether their programs produce beneficial effects, to identify areas for improvement, and, ultimately, to guide the responsible allocation of scarce resources.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 2017
- Accession Number
- AD1086753
Entities
People
- Aaron Kofner
- Amanda Kadlec
- David Stebbins
- Joie D. Acosta
- Michael A. Brown
- Miriam Matthews
- Rajeev Ramchand
- Sina Beaghley
- Todd C. Helmus
Organizations
- RAND Corporation