The idea for creating an online CVE Reference Guide for Local Organizations came directly from civil society organizations implementing projects to prevent and counter violent extremism (P/CVE). Many of these local organizations in countries affected by violent conflict struggle to access practical, concise, and relevant materials and tools designed specifically for their use and in their primary languages. In fact, many of the existing materials were developed for policymakers, donors, or international organizations such as NGOs. Few resources offer practical tips and guides for local practitioners to adapt and use in their own communities—highly localized environments. Also, due to the increasing global attention on countering violent extremism, more research, toolkits, and information about P/CVE is emerging nearly every day. This flood of information makes it very difficult for local organizations to find, understand, and utilize resources in a timely fashion.
Therefore, the US Agency for International Development (USAID) supported FHI 360 to design this tool to provide users with the ability to access easily accessible materials through according to their needs and time constraints by providing modular content addressing different stages of the project cycle (Assess, Design, Implement, M&E, Learn). The reference guide highlights practical frameworks for local organizations to utilize to support their P/CVE programming and provides links to additional recommended guides or tools at each stage. To reduce duplication and to draw upon the great work P/CVE practitioners have already done, we chose to highlight resources that are already available and only created new content when we identified a gap in publicly available information.