Zukunftswerkstätten Evaluation und Qualitätssicherung in der Extremismusprävention, Demokratieförderung und politischen Bildung: Analyse, Monitoring, Dialog (PrEval)

The field of evaluation and quality assurance in extremism prevention, democracy promotion, and civic education is highly relevant given the large number of actors, strategies, and approaches supported by federal and state programmes, municipal structures, and civil society initiatives. At the same time, it is a highly dynamic and innovative field. This applies both to practical approaches and to the methods developed within evaluation research. Consequently, practitioners and researchers must collaborate closely and continuously across disciplines in order to exchange knowledge and experience, strengthen effective approaches, facilitate learning processes, and provide evidence-based advice to policymakers in this field.

The collaborative project “Future Labs on Evaluation and Quality Assurance in Extremism Prevention, Democracy Promotion, and Civic Education: Analysis, Monitoring, Dialogue (PrEval)” responds to previously identified needs among practitioners for support in evaluation processes. Based on these needs, PrEval develops and tests new formats that can be sustainably embedded in emerging knowledge and evaluation structures. In doing so, the project builds, among other things, on the action plan of the Federal Cabinet Committee on Combating Right-Wing Extremism and Racism. Particularly noteworthy elements of PrEval’s work programme include the establishment of a comprehensive public database for evaluation reports, a low-threshold helpdesk, and various training formats on evaluation and quality assurance, including digital formats. In addition, the project develops exchange formats through resilient and diverse knowledge networks. These developments are accompanied by systematic data collection through national and international monitoring activities.

These new formats are developed jointly with as many stakeholder groups involved in evaluation processes as possible, thereby incorporating the diverse perspectives that shape the design and implementation of extremism prevention, democracy promotion, and civic education in Germany, as well as recent developments in evaluation research. This integrative, dialogical, and interdisciplinary approach guides the various thematic PrEval Future Labs. It is also reflected in the development and implementation of evaluation designs within the so-called PrEval pilot studies, particularly in emerging approaches to civic education, democracy promotion, primary prevention, and secondary and tertiary extremism prevention and crime prevention.

• Insufficient support structures for evaluation in professional practice: There is a documented need among practitioners for support in evaluation processes that has not yet been adequately addressed. In particular, there is a lack of low-threshold support services, accessible knowledge databases, and practice-oriented training opportunities.
• Lack of sustainable structures for knowledge and evaluation results: Permanent structures for systematically collecting, processing, and making knowledge and evaluation findings accessible to different stakeholders are currently lacking. A comprehensive public database for evaluation reports does not yet exist.
• Insufficient interdisciplinary and cross-sectoral networking: Despite the need for continuous exchange between practice, research, and policymaking across disciplines, robust and diverse knowledge networks and established exchange formats are still lacking.
• Gaps in the evaluation of new approaches: Emerging approaches in civic education, democracy promotion, primary prevention, and secondary and tertiary extremism prevention and crime prevention have not yet been sufficiently evaluated or accompanied by research.
• Lack of systematic national and international monitoring: There is a shortage of systematic data collection and monitoring formats capable of capturing and comparing developments in the field at both national and international levels.

The project aims to strengthen evaluation and quality assurance in the fields of extremism prevention, democracy promotion, and civic education by (1) advising decision-makers in politics and public administration; (2) developing needs-based support services for evaluation and quality assurance for participating organizations; (3) providing conceptual groundwork for a planned Federal Institute for Quality Assurance; (4) integrating existing formats and partners while expanding them through new initiatives, knowledge resources, and networks; and (5) stimulating relevant academic debates and research.

The work programme is structured into six work packages:

• Monitoring and Analysis – Future Lab and PrEval Monitor
• Studies on innovative evaluation designs and the organisation of evaluation processes
• Future Lab Database: Evaluation Reports
• Future Lab Helpdesk
• Future Lab Knowledge Network
• Consultation and networking formats; knowledge transfer, public relations, and coordination

Among other responsibilities, DeZIM leads Work Package 1.3, Monitoring Evaluation Research (“PrEval Monitor”); Work Package 2.1, Innovative Evaluation Designs, including the pilot study “Digital Approaches”; and Work Package 3, Future Lab Database for Evaluation Reports. Methodological approaches in the DeZIM work packages include:

• Quantitative text analyses, including automated data scraping of international academic journals to monitor conceptual trends in evaluation research
• Meta-studies and policy briefs on the state of research and existing gaps in evaluation research, including impact models, mixed methods, programme evaluation, and causal impact analysis
• Qualitative interviews, focus groups, and text analyses on the current state of and needs regarding the digitalisation of evaluation
• Strengthening networks in evaluation research within the fields of democracy promotion, extremism prevention, civic education, and related areas, including through expert conferences organised in cooperation with the German Evaluation Society (DeGEval)

Detailed findings can be found, among others, in the following publications:

• Simon Müller (2024): Strategies for Causal Analysis in Evaluation, PrEval Expertise No. 3.
• Simon Müller (2024): Applying Causal Analysis in Evaluation Effectively: Recognising Methodological Diversity, Ensuring Appropriate Application, and Strengthening Capacities*, PrEval Guideline No. 3.
• Prytula, Andrea; Johansson, Susanne; Krämer, Anna Maria (2025): Self-Evaluation in Civic Education: Transdisciplinary Spaces for Participatory Cooperation between Professional Practice and Evaluation in Instrument Development.
• Johansson, Susanne; Prytula, Andrea (2025): Digital-Supported Evaluation of Digital Civic Education Projects: “A Click Does Not Necessarily Equal Meaningful Engagement”.
• Johansson, Susanne; Prytula, Andrea (2025): Self-Evaluation of Hybrid Civic Education Projects: A Transdisciplinary Methods Lab and Workshops as Spaces for Instrument Development and Further Development.
• Johann, Tobias; Prytula, Andrea; Schucht, Lucas (2025): Digitalisation in the Federal Programme.
• Weiberg, Mirjam; Kleist, Olaf; Prytula, Andrea; Consbruch, Antonia (2025): “When Practice Meets Theory”: Do We Need More Self-Evaluation in Democracy Promotion? Report on the Spring Conference of the Democracy Working Group.

• Simon Müller (2024): Strategies for Causal Analysis in Evaluation, PrEval Expertise No. 3.
• Simon Müller (2024): Applying Causal Analysis in Evaluation Effectively: Recognising Methodological Diversity, Ensuring Appropriate Application, and Strengthening Capacities, PrEval Guideline No. 3.
• Prytula, Andrea; Johansson, Susanne; Krämer, Anna Maria (2025): Self-Evaluation in Civic Education: Transdisciplinary Spaces for Participatory Cooperation between Professional Practice and Evaluation in Instrument Development.
• Johansson, Susanne; Prytula, Andrea (2025): Digital-Supported Evaluation of Digital Civic Education Projects: “A Click Does Not Necessarily Equal Meaningful Engagement”.
• Johansson, Susanne; Prytula, Andrea (2025): Self-Evaluation of Hybrid Civic Education Projects: A Transdisciplinary Methods Lab and Workshops as Spaces for Instrument Development and Further Development.
• Johann, Tobias; Prytula, Andrea; Schucht, Lucas (2025): Digitalisation in the Federal Programme.
• Weiberg, Mirjam; Kleist, Olaf; Prytula, Andrea; Consbruch, Antonia (2025): “When Practice Meets Theory”: Do We Need More Self-Evaluation in Democracy Promotion? Report on the Spring Conference of the Democracy Working Group.