Handreichung 4/2024

Förderprogramme brauchen gegenstandsangemessene Evaluationen

Frank Greuel & Björn Milbradt (DJI)

Measures and services in the prevention of extremism, promotion of democracy, shaping diversity and civic education are often implemented as part of special funding programs. The intended program effects are to be achieved by systematic prioritization and the bundling of measures within program areas. Evaluation is important for these programs, both for quality assurance and for professional development, but is also associated with particular challenges in the light of some specific characteristics of programs. Based on the knowledge available in evaluation research on the one hand and many years of experience in the evaluation of complex funding programs on the other, this publication identifies proven strategies for dealing with these challenges and formulates recommendations.

Frank Greuel, Dr rer. pol., born in 1977, is an educational scientist and has been working at the German Youth Institute since 2009. During this time, he was involved in the evaluation of various programs and projects to promote democracy and prevent extremism. His focus is on qualitative methods of evaluation and questions about the appropriate evaluation of effects.

Björn Milbradt, Dr phil., is a sociologist and was head of the “Political Socialization and Democracy Promotion” specialist group at the German Youth Institute in Halle (Saale) from 2016 to 2024. His research interest lies in the evaluation and scientific support of projects and programs to promote democracy and prevent radicalization as well as educational and socialization processes, their political, social and institutional backgrounds and conditions as well as methodological and methodological aspects of their research.