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This study developed an overview of the existing and future defence-skills landscape in the EU, identifying and analysing the skills gaps and assessing the causes of these gaps.

Regulation 2017/821 requires EU importers to ensure that minerals with which they work originate from responsible sources and that businesses comply with and report on supply chain due diligence obligations with special focus on so-called conflict-affected and high-risk areas (CAHRAs). This report presents the methodology proposed by RAND Europe to produce an indicative, non-exhaustive, regularly updated list of CAHRAs under Regulation 2017/821.

As countries around the world develop countering violent extremism (CVE) programs to prevent homegrown terrorism, there is a dearth of understanding about what types of CVE programs exist and which CVE approaches are most effective. This report documents an effort to help CVE program directors and policymakers place their efforts in context and identify promising approaches internationally.

Recent years have seen an uptick in terrorist and violent extremist incidents occurring across Europe. European countries, including the Netherlands, face a wide threat spectrum and the volume of terrorism and violent extremism-related phenomena and crimes has also increased. In response, European countries have made significant investments in strategies, policies and programmes designed to prevent and counter terrorism, violent extremism and associated phenomena. Holistic policy responses, such as a national counterterrorism strategy, have been designed and implemented with a view to both respond to terrorist threats and attacks, and increase societal and individual resilience to the lure of extremist ideologies.Not least because of the dynamism and complexity of the phenomena involved, little is known as regards the effectiveness, relevance and impact of counterterrorism (CT) and preventing and countering violent extremism (PCVE) policies and programmes. Recent research suggests also that despite the volume of CT and PCVE initiatives established in recent years, the evidence base underpinning these remains limited and evaluation practice and investments are underdeveloped compared to the overall fields of CT and PCVE.In 2010, a study commissioned by the WODC aimed to assess evaluation practice and culture in the fields of CT and PCVE.3 The study found that evaluation of CT and PCVE strategies, policies and programmes was still in its infancy (see link at: More information).The current study investigates how evaluations of CT and PCVE policies in the Netherlands and abroad have been designed and conducted over the last five years. Furthermore, the study investigates what practical lessons can be drawn regarding such evaluations and what actions and measures could be taken in the short and medium terms to mitigate any existing shortcomings.

This document is a proof-of-concept operational toolbox designed to facilitate the development of national-level cybersecurity capacity building programmes and of holistic policy and investment strategies to tackle complex challenges in the cyber domain. The document seeks to enable a better translation of the results of national cyber maturity reviews and assessments into tangible policy recommendations.

This document provides an overview of data collection methods and evaluation designs suitable for evaluating interventions and programmes designed to prevent and counter violent extremism and radicalisation. This document also provides a comprehensive discussion on ethical considerations in PCVE evaluation more broadly, as well as in the application of specific evaluation methods.

This publication is part of a series of four RAND Perspectives (PE) each focusing on different challenges in the Mediterranean region. The focus of this PE is on criminal activities and their implications for regional stability and security.

The Emergency Education Response Programme (EER), launched by UNICEF, the Government of Jordan and partners in 2012, aims to provide free public formal education, as well as safe and appropriate supportive educational services, for Syrian refugee children living in Jordan. RAND's evaluation identified significant successes as well as longer-term challenges, related to education access and quality and programme planning and coordination. The Programme's first responses to the Syrian refugee crisis were designed to meet immediate education needs, enabling many children to enrol in school. However, as the crisis has continued, medium-term, strategic efforts and planning have lagged behind events on the ground. Although the EER has successfully provided access to public education for 130,000 Syrian children, at least 97,000 remain out of formal school. Increasing Syrian access to formal education, as well as ensuring high-quality schooling for both Syrian refugees and Jordanian host communities, will require more attention. The Programme has also provided NGO-managed alternative education to 35,000 Syrian children. While they were reported to provide quality, child-centered, flexible education, they have lacked a full-time, structured curriculum and a coherent quality monitoring, and clear pathways for entry into formal education. Effective planning and coordination has been strengthened by improved data on implementing partners' activities. However, little evidence was found that planning decisions were being made on the basis of evaluating and comparing options. Key recommendations based on evaluation findings concern developing medium-term thinking, expanding public education, improving double-shifted schools and targeting gendered challenges, among others.

RAND's evaluation of Jordan's Emergency Education Response Programme for Syrian refugee children identified significant successes and longer-term challenges. Key recommendations related to developing medium-term thinking and targeting gendered needs.