Readiness Evaluation for Community Resilience Exercises

Statement of Problem: In the wake of 9/11, efforts have been made by all levels of government to promote community engagement in an effort to prevent violent extremism. One such effort is the Community Resilience Exercise (CREX) program administered by the National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC). These half-day events bring together a city's law enforcement officers and community members to talk through foreign fighter scenarios and formulate community-specific strategies that can be used to identify and respond to radicalized behaviors. No formal evaluation process has been conducted for this program. This project will evaluate the CREX program, and provide suggestions for increased effectiveness.
Subjects: Research participants will include US Attorneys, NCTC and Department of Homeland Security staff, law enforcement, and Muslim-American community members.
Research Design/Methods: During an 18-month period of performance, this project will employ a six step participatory evaluation framework. Data will be collected through document review, program observation, interviews, and focus groups.
Analysis: A logic model specific to the CREX program will be created and used to inform the evaluation. All interviews and focus groups will be coded and a key theme analysis will be conducted.
Products/Reports/Data Archiving: Results will be disseminated through a report delivered to NIJ and NCTC. This report will provide details and analysis specific to
NCTC, and provide recommendations for increasing program effectiveness. A Policy Brief will also be developed; this document will provide recommended best practices for law enforcement and community stakeholders.

This project contains a research and/or development component, as defined in applicable law.

ca/ncf