Assessing Terrorism Prevention Initiatives: Evaluability Insights from U.S.-Based Programs

• In Event: EXTR2 Threat landscape and counter-terrorism1

Abstract

Since 2016, the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has allocated funds towards initiatives geared at thwarting terrorism and targeted violence. Even with these initiatives, there remains a scarcity of evidence-based evaluations for prevention programs. RTI International has undertaken evaluations of a subset of DHS’ Targeted Violence and Terrorism Prevention (TVTP) grantees from the FY20 cohort and continues to evaluate current cohorts (FY21, FY22, FY23). Each evaluation begins with an evaluability assessment to determine the feasibility of a process or outcome evaluation. This presentation delves into the evaluability assessment conducted with seven distinct grant programs for targeted violence and terrorism prevention, all of which were funded by DHS in 2021. The discussion will center on the diverse evaluation methodologies employed to assess these programs and highlight areas for enhancing evaluation capacities within similar terrorism prevention initiatives. Moreover, the presentation will address the inherent challenges encountered during the implementation of these programs in real-world settings.

Authors

• Sarah L Cook, RTI International

• Ariane Noar, RTI International