Evaluating Terrorism and Targeted Violence Prevention Programs

So What?

DHS has given millions of dollars in prevention grants to communities across the U.S. But the department lacks an overall view of how well these programs work. While measuring prevention programs is, in itself, a difficult task, the department nevertheless needs to show return on its investment in this critical area.

Project Summary

This project will evaluate DHS-funded local prevention programs that try to help communities, nonprofits, and other institutions prevent targeted violence and terrorism. The research team will also create tools to assist with future evaluation activities.

Purpose/Objectives

This project will evaluate two DHS-funded targeted violence and terrorism prevention programs – the Targeted Violence and Terrorism Prevention (TVTP) grant program and Invent2Prevent. Overall, this effort will contribute to evidence-based research on promising practices for locally based frameworks for preventing targeted violence and terrorism.

Method

In this project, researchers will collect qualitative and quantitative data from selected DHS programs. Methods will include interviews with staff, focus groups, surveys, and observations to assess the programs. Researchers also will use best practices identified in a literature review to create a final report and an evaluation toolbox.

Reports and Publications

NCITE

This comprehensive report outlines the findings of the research team following a multi-year evaluation of the DHS TVTP Grant Program.

University of Nebraska Public Policy Center

	This report, authored by the University of Nebraska Public Policy Center, includes process evaluation findings and preliminary outcomes from archival data provided by the I2P program.
RTI International
	This report consists of an evaluation of Case Western Reserve University’s Fiscal Year 2021 TVTP grant.
	This report consists of an evaluation of Boston Children's Hospital's Fiscal Year 2021 TVTP grant.
	This report consists of an evaluation of the Fiscal Year 2021 TVTP grant for Teacher's College, Columbia University.
	This report consists of an evaluation of the Fiscal Year 2021 TVTP grant for the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office.
	This report consists of an evaluation of the Fiscal Year 2021 TVTP grant for the Middlebury Institute's Center on Terrorism, Extremism, and Counterterrorism.

Research Team
	Matt Allen, Ph.D. University of Nebraska at 51�� Assistant Professor of Management College of Business Administration Head of Business Strategy at NCITE Expertise: Applied research, solution implementation
	Erin Pleggenkuhle-Miles, Ph.D. University of Nebraska at 51�� Associate Professor College of Business Administration Expertise: Entrepreneurship, innovation, global strategy
	Nick Arreola, Ph.D. University of Nebraska at 51�� Instructor College of Business Administration
	Denise Bulling, Ph.D. University of Nebraska – Lincoln Senior Research Director at UNL Public Policy Center
	Sarah Cook RTI International Director of Security and Extremism Research Program
	Andrea Walker, Ph.D. University of Nebraska at 51�� Research Associate at NCITE