Building an Evidence-Base For CVE Programming

Unlike other conflict and violence prevention programs such as gang-related interventions, programs for preventing or countering violent extremism (P/CVE) have neither a robust evidence base nor tested innovative approaches for measuring their impact. These challenges are often due to the fact that violent extremism (VE) environments change rapidly and require programs to remain flexible and respond quickly to such changes. Timely adaptation needs steady attention to trends in VE, and government and societal responses. Similarly, the VE problem set encompasses a wide range of elements and it is difficult to measure the relationships and dynamics between them using traditional approaches.
Therefore, P/CVE programs need creative monitoring and evaluation approaches to capture anticipated and unanticipated results, and routinely adapt and respond to changes in the environment. More importantly, sharing knowledge about the application of different approaches and their consequent outcomes would strengthen the field and enhance knowledge of what works and what doesn't in this area.
USAID's Center for Conflict and Violence Prevention (CVP) works with Missions and Washington-based Operating Units (OUs) to identify, apply, and document innovative approaches for designing, implementing P/CVE programs and measuring their outcomes. CVP also works with the peacebuilding and conflict prevention community of practice to identify lessons learned and exemplary cases of innovative P/CVE research and programming.

CVP will share a story of its experience working with USAID Missions, OUs and the broader community of practice to create an evidence base, and develop a repository of promising practices for designing and measuring P/CVE programming.