The purpose of this report is to provide guidance to policy-makers and implementers of countering violent extremism (CVE) and risk reduction (RR, also referred to by others as deradicalisation) programmes. While the examples provided are mostly from Africa, Asia and the Middle East, reflecting the authors’ professional experiences of programming in these regions, many of the tools and techniques presented will also be relevant to those operating in ‘the West’. CVE and RR provide two increasingly prominent frameworks for countering the influence of individuals and entities involved in violent extremism (VE). Widely understood to describe a range of preventative and non-coercive measures, CVE may involve, for instance, community debates on sensitive topics, media messaging, interfaith dialogues, training of state governance and security actors, and a variety of initiatives with individuals deemed to be ‘at risk’ of being drawn to violence, such as vocational training and mentorship programmes. While there are substantial overlaps between CVE and RR in terms of activities, and many authorities group them under the same umbrella, RR can be considered distinct because its activities more narrowly target individuals who were previously directly or indirectly involved in the production of violence, such as defectors from VE entities, or those serving sentences for terrorism-related charges.

This paper aims to assist policy-makers and implementers by examining approaches through which to understand the drivers of VE and the wider context in which this violence occurs. It also looks at the design of CVE and RR programmes, and outlines key issues relating to programme and evaluation.