Monitoring and Evaluation for Digital Security Training

We produced this report because we saw a gap: digital security training is an increasingly important part of the support provided to journalists and human rights defenders, yet lacks a coherent framework for assessing effectiveness.

Through this work, we have produced a universally applicable monitoring and evaluation framework that can be used whenever digital security training is conducted with any audience, and which will ultimately improve the quality of data and evidence available to support the design, development and delivery of digital security curricula which enable at-risk groups to continue their important work safely.

This report covers a 2021 research study commissioned by Internews to, firstly, understand the challenges faced by digital security trainers in measuring the efficacy of training — an area where they are under-resourced and lack global standards — and, secondly, to assess the factors preventing or enabling trainees (‘participants’) around the world from applying what they learn. Following the research study, the lead researchers and collaborators on this report (including Okthanks) used the findings to create a measurement framework for digital security training that includes a complete suite of resources: recommended indicators, corresponding measurement methods, and data collections tools, along with guidance on how to deploy these resources alongside any digital security training.