Related project:
INDEED
This article was originally published in PLATFORMA: The PPHS Overview on Radicalisation. We highly recommend exploring the full publication here:
While the concept of evaluation, particularly evidence-based evaluation, has gained attention and been widely promoted, its uptake and implementation remain problematic. The design and implementation, which are pivotal for success, have often been mishandled, highlighting a pressing need for improvement.
A response to the growing awareness of the challenges in executing evidence-based evaluations, the INDEED project, was conceived to develop practical solutions. These tools would empower practitioners and policy makers to enhance their competencies in designing and implementing evaluations, and to integrate evaluation design within their initiatives. Funded under HORIZON 2020, the INDEED project aimed to reinforce a comprehensive approach to preventing and countering radicalisation and violent extremism, based on a universal, evidence-based assessment model.
The INDEED consortium’s research validated our initial hypothesis and philosophy. The partners’ work identified the gaps and needs of practitioners and policy makers concerning the evaluation of de-radicalisation and broader areas of crime prevention initiatives plus actions aiming to prevent and counter radicalisation and violent extremism. The studies confirmed that evaluation is often seen as a ‘burden’ – another thing ‘on top’ of everything practitioners do, and the processes and procedures required do not receive the dedicated funding, resources, and time to evaluate effectively. Furthermore, many people who conduct actions lack the fundamental understanding, competencies, and skills to assess programmes successfully. Thus, the execution often falls short.
Other evaluation challenges included insufficient evidence, thus preventing practitioners from adequately designing and implementing initiatives. Dismissive attitudes to the definitions of evidence, when working with limited ‘traditional’ parameters, fuelled by a lack of understanding, acknowledgement and value for less obvious evidence criteria compounded difficulties.
The research showed that practitioners often have loose definitions and project goals – which are frequently driven by participants’ individual needs. Therefore, they have difficulty describing or measuring the outcomes of the initiative. Crucially, there is a general lack of knowledge about sufficiently conducting evaluations across various domains.
The identified gaps and needs were at the centre of INDEED’s activities, and the publicly available solutions developed can undoubtedly contribute to eliminating or at least mitigating the issues described.
INDEED’s consortium of 19 partners representing 15 European countries worked diligently for 36 months to produce evidence-based results that strengthen the knowledge, capacity, and skills of frontline professionals and policy makers. The stakeholders were given the competencies needed to plan, design, and implement evaluation of prevention initiatives, specifically focusing on effectively preventing and countering radicalisation and violent extremism (PVE/CVE) and de-radicalisation. The scope of initiatives covered includes four main categories – policies and strategies, long-term programmes, short-term actions – plus, ad hoc interventions.
The project’s results are packaged in a comprehensive practical Toolkit. The multilingual knowledge bundle assists practitioners and policy makers in designing and evaluating initiatives using evidence-based principles, tools, training, and educational materials:
An important part of the Toolkit is the Evidence-Based Evaluation Model, which conceptualises the main steps during each stage of the evaluation process, when addressing PVE/CVE initiatives. The model contains the universal components of evidence-based evaluation, which includes stakeholders, evidence, and analysis. The INDEED Model’s primary aim is to guide the user through the process, which is divided into four essential stages: preparation, design, execution, and utilisation. It thoroughly explains the principles of evidence-based evaluation for practitioners and policy makers, thereby supporting the user in properly planning, designing, and implementing a review.
At the heart of the Toolkit is the INDEED Evidence-based Evaluation Tool, which guides users through the components and stages of designing and implementing an evaluation. The practical instrument provides step-by-step instructions for planning and conducting evidence-based evaluations appropriate to an initiative’s specific needs and context. The Tool covers the most common types of evaluation (formative, process, and outcome) and provides information relevant to newly designed initiatives as well as actions by looking at evaluation retrospectively. For these programmes, the Tool also provides guidance on the options for more comprehensive assessments the team can introduce later.
As highlighted, evaluation is commonly neglected in the initial planning of an initiative and can also often be misaligned with its objectives. Thus, the INDEED Tool provides recommendations on preparing PVE/CVE and de-radicalisation initiatives with evaluation embedded in the design.
Diligent planning is a critical element of relevant and useful evidence-based evaluations. Therefore, the Tool guides users through the individual components and steps required for a comprehensive action, which follows a logical model that accounts for the necessary assumptions and challenges and combines all parts into a coherent and comprehensive approach.
While the Tool provides a wealth of information on all key aspects of evaluation, it also highlights that evidence-based reviews often require additional knowledge and skills, particularly about the design and methods to be used. Thus, the Tool delivers a bank of such resources.
A comprehensive training package further reinforces all the INDEED features mentioned. The on-site and online training resources complement the key outcomes and prepare practitioners and policy makers to successfully utilise INDEED’s Evaluation Model and Toolkit.
Perhaps most importantly, INDEED’s outputs contribute to the culture and development of evidence-based practice – the fundamental ingredients for successful initiatives that can be objectively reviewed!
Marzena Kordaczuk-Wąs, PhD
INDEED Coordinator
PPHS expert on radicalisation prevention
The PLATFORMA is our pilot project aimed at sharing knowledge. The first issue is dedicated to RADICALISATION – a phenomenon deserving of special attention and requiring ongoing preventive work. However, we do not aim to exhaust the topic within this edition. Instead, we want to contribute to the discourse by presenting selected aspects that share radicalisation as a common theme.
We strongly encourage you to read the entire publication:
