Monitoring and Evaluation

Monitoring & Evaluation

The rigorous evaluation of programmes is vital to understanding the impact and value of any initiative.

As the scale of counter-extremism work worldwide grows, ensuring that our efforts are based on evidence becomes ever more important. Yet measuring the impact of counter-extremism programmes and policies is a complex process, not least because of the difficulty of assessing behavioural change, the connection between offline and online actions and the controversial and sensitive nature of the subject matter.

ISD’s research team includes highly experienced evaluation experts who design and implement robust impact assessment strategies for offline education programmes as well as online campaigns and interventions.

Drawing upon significant experience in identifying proxy indicators, ISD’s monitoring and evaluation team design innovative impact questionnaires and regularly trial new and original evaluation approaches. ISD researchers also have extensive experience in the evaluation of civil society projects and programmes in a vast array of national contexts, and can provide expert consultancy and evaluation services to civil society actors working in this space.

In addition to innovative offline evaluation design, ISD has been at the cutting edge of the evaluation of online communications campaigns beyond reach and engagement metrics. In 2016, ISD was a partner in the development of a unique social listening tool calibrated specifically to assess the behavioural impact of online information campaigns.

In addition to the results from ISD online evaluations, which can be read at the links below, we also seek to provide guidance to civil society organisations for how they can design and measure the impact of their campaigns. If you would like to speak to someone on the ISD team about evaluating your work, please email [email protected].

ISD has developed groundbreaking M&E protocols over the past decade

Latest Publications

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ISD’s M&E team

Sarah Kennedy

Chief Operating Officer

Sarah Kennedy is Chief Operating Officer of ISD, with responsibility for operations and finance. She oversees the operational management of the organisation to ensure all financial, operations, governance, HR and legal responsibilities are delivered to the highest possible standard. Sarah has over a decade of experience in the UK and international charity sectors. Previous roles include UK Director of Kenyan NGO S.A.F.E and Head of Partnerships & Events at the UK think tank Demos. Having worked in a range of NGO functions - particularly communications, programme delivery, fundraising and partnerships - Sarah now specialises in operations and management, with a particular focus on financial management, strategic development, change management, HR and governance. Sarah holds a First Class degree in Economic and Social History from the University of Bristol and an MA in Legal and Political Theory from UCL. She additionally holds an Art & Design Foundation Diploma from Kingston University; a Certificate in International Business Practice and International Diploma in Management from University of Cambridge International Exams; and a Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA) Certificate in Business Accounting.

Mandi Lazenby

Head of HR

Mandi Lazenby is Head of HR at ISD and leads the HR function. Primary responsibilities include delivering and supporting the people and culture strategy at ISD, management of international HR, overseeing global recruitment and designing and delivering a range of HR processes and activities that contribute to organisational improvement. Previous experience includes leading an international HR team in financial services, Change agent at a Housing Association, Head of HR at the Football Foundation, Save the Children International and Senior Business Partner at the NHS.

Tim Squirrell

Head of Communications and Editorial

Tim Squirrell is Head of Communications & Editorial at ISD. He is responsible for managing the Institute's communications strategy, ensuring that publications reach the right audiences and that ISD continues to drive the discussion around areas of extremism, hate, polarisation and disinformation. Tim holds a PhD in Science and Technology Studies from the University of Edinburgh, where he wrote his thesis on the social dynamics of online communities. His research on this topic, along with the far-right and the incel movement, has featured in publications including the Independent, New Statesman and Quartz.

Duaa Khalid

Senior Grants Manager

Duaa Khalid is Senior Grants Manager at ISD, responsible for all grants management including reporting and compliance for all the projects at the organisation. Duaa has experience working with non-profit organizations and international charities managing international programs and donor relationships with DFID, EU and USAID, among others. Previously, she worked with Save the Children UK and Marie Stopes International. Duaa holds a BSc Hons in Economics from Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS) and an MSc in Development Studies from the London School of Economics and Political Sciences (LSE).

Emma Armfield

Finance & Office Manager

Emma Armfield is a Finance & Office Manager at ISD, responsible for the day to day running of the office finances. She has 10 years' experience working within finance across various sectors and is a fully qualified member of the Association of Accounting Technicians (AAT).

Gil Jung

Head of Communications and Events, ISD Germany

Gil Jung is the Head of Communications and Events at ISD Germany. As a communications expert with many years of international experience, Gil acts as ISD Germany’s main interface between the media, key stakeholders and programme teams, as well as on all organizational matters. Gil worked as a journalist in Bonn London and Paris before switching to public relations. She has left a broad portfolio of clients from the private sector behind to support the strategic expansion of ISD Germany in the DACH region.

Kathryn Morrison

Programme Operations Coordinator

Kathryn is a Programme Operations Coordinator at ISD, working across a range of ISD’s projects in the Africa, Middle-East & Asia regions. She is responsible for project and grant management as well as operational delivery. Prior to joining ISD, Kathryn has worked for a number of INGOs including Save the Children, Start Network and Saferworld in both an operational and programmatic capacity. Kathryn holds a Msc in Violence, Conflict and Development from School of Oriental and Africa Studies (SOAS) and a BA in American Studies.