Thematic specialisms

We hold expertise across interrelated thematic areas to address complex security and stabilisation issues from multiple angles:

Integration of neuro and behavioural science-informed methodologies for conflict, violence and terrorism management

Almizan has specialist expertise in the psychological processes, social constructs and experiential triggers that cause ‘average’ people to commit atrocities. Almizan’s directors have partnered since 2017 with Cambridge University’s Department of Psychology, to help aid actors use insights from the empirically validated, neuroscience-informed ICThinking® method, to strengthen violence prevention and stabilisation strategies. ICThinking is a methodology for preventing violent conflict, extremism and other destabilising social issues (e.g., recruitment into organised criminal groups and identity-based militia; manipulation by disinformation actors). It has been used to safeguard individuals, peer groups and communities showing signs, or are at high risk, of mobilisation to violence around zero-sum, ‘winners and losers’-type worldviews (including those violent extremist actors promote). Delivered alongside other rehabilitative and reintegrative assistance, it also supports sustainable deradicalisation, for those who are exiting extremist groups.

Methodology development support to technology-enhanced strategic communications campaigns

It is impossible to build more resilient states and societies, unless we start to change—often subconscious—individual and group-level attitudes and behaviours. Neuroscience shows that violence increases when people start to see, or experience, the world in us-versus-them terms. Technology, including social media, has been shown to influence people to see important issues in such binary terms. Drawing on our expertise in the cognitive processes underpinning these behaviours, Almizan has developed ‘best in class’ methodologies for measuring the behavioural impact of online and offline strategic communications interventions—including those specifically aimed at addressing violent conflicts and public support (in partner countries) for national security priorities.

Development of overseas counterterrorism and counter organised crime strategies, implementation and monitoring support

Almizan is led by technical specialists with unique experience that allows us to support and advise on UK and other governments’ CT and SOC strategy and ‘in-house’ delivery, as well as rigorously quality assure consultants and sub-contractors across strategic- and operational-level support. Almizan Directors have advised on, designed, evaluated, or directed over 35 CT- and SOC-focused programmes. We have been trusted to provide ‘in house’ advisory support to HMG CT/SOC agencies and practitioners on i) overall strategy development, ii) integration of evidence-based, best practice methodologies, iii) risk mitigation strategies and iv) strategy-, portfolio- and project-level M&E.

We work across the spectrum of ‘hard’ and ‘soft’ responses and different risk categories, actors, and target audiences, in recognition that there is no ‘silver bullet’ solution to the problem of terrorism and transnational organised crime. We facilitate the application of better practice and learning on ‘what works’ across disparate departments and agencies while helping policy and delivery teams avoid common pitfalls.

Our strategic advisory services recognise that—like counterparts in-country—delivery teams on sensitive interventions often include experts from security/intelligence backgrounds, or other organisational cultures that may not initially welcome ‘outsider oversight’. We engage with relevant counterparts non-judgmentally to build their trust and to co-create solutions.

Development of stabilisation, early recovery strategies and operationalisation of Humanitarian-Development-Peacebuilding principles

We have developed multi-dimensional, integrated stabilisation interventions that support representative, legitimate and inclusive political systems; state resilience; and sustainable crisis prevention and management capabilities in states, societies, and regions. We have specialist expertise in helping stakeholders operationalise these more ‘holistic’ or fuller spectrum responses, drawing on evidence of what specific measures may reap deeper dividends over the longer term.

Deployment of vetted, certified mediators and negotiations support, including Track II diplomacy

Our directors and senior associates include experts with mediation/negotiation expertise and certification. Almizan has designed and delivered programmes supporting more cooperative responses to destabilising threats—including state and cyber threats that aim to complicate peace and reconciliation processes and undermine multi-lateral unity (e.g. EU/NATO responses to crises)—to support Track II diplomacy processes. Our stakeholder management approach is adapted specifically for mediation and negotiation in fragile and conflict states; aims to align key stakeholder’s priorities; and helps our clients and their counterparts effectively navigate evolving challenges.

Application of methodologies for transforming citizen-state relationships, addressing legacies of armed conflict and preventing conflict re-emergence

These include early intervention models that act quickly to address emerging grievances and conflicts at group level (e.g. through multi-agency supported community engagement and service delivery), and provide bespoke psychosocial support to individuals; participatory governance models with peace consolidation goals, which support local reconciliation efforts and build confidence in national reform processes; multi-dimensional disarmament, rehabilitation and reintegration models for former combatants and CT/SOC offenders.

Enhancement of women’s influence on governance reform processes and conflict prevention, management and resolution

All Almizan methodologies are shaped to contribute to the Women Peace and Security Agenda and/or promote gender equality, even if it is not the project’s main purpose. We ensure that our capacity building activity at minimum does not reinforce barriers to meaningful participation of women and persons with a disability, and actively lobby our stakeholders to provide equal opportunities where feasible and appropriate. We have developed key performance indicators to measure progress in using gender sensitive and human rights-compliant approaches in collaboration with a variety of defence, security, intelligence and local and international government actors.

Services

We provide a suite of services to maximise the impact of interventions: from the provision of research to ‘ground-truth’ initial design, working with stakeholders to define strategic intent, the provision of evidence-based methodology and risk mitigation advice, deployment of thematic experts, building performance management systems, to the integration of learning and evidencing results.

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Research and analysis

Programme strategy and design

Mentoring and capacity-building to support implementation

Monitoring, evaluation and learning (MEL)

Performance assessment; Monitoring, evaluation and learning (MEL)

Design of innovative but practical MEL tools to assess performance

MEL in conflict and fragile states has always been at the heart of Almizan’s core business. We do not see MEL as an ‘add on’ but as an intrinsic component of sound programme design and delivery.  We have designed a suite of MEL approaches that measure progress towards attitudinal and behavioural change across individuals and institutions, and help clients assess how political access and influence objectives are being met.  We help operationalise evidence collection and analysis throughout implementation, taking into consideration the realities of the operating context, human/financial resource constraints and the sensitivity of the intervention.  We provide MEL plans which clearly lay out data collection roles and responsibilities and train delivery teams on the use of best practice methodologies.

Delivery of strategy testing workshops and mid/end term reviews

Working closely with delivery teams, we run internal workshops and learning sessions to assess progress towards desired objectives and ‘stress-test’ intervention strategies. We hold deep expertise in securing buy-in from, and working collaboratively with, counterparts who may be less familiar with MEL or initially reluctant to engage: for example in CT/SOC programmes where partners may initially assume that that evidence gathering will expose confidential, operational-level information. Our key indicator of success on MEL is ensuring delivery teams and partners see the benefits of MEL for themselves and are willing and able to continue integrating good practice into delivery after our support ends.

Integration of lessons learned and distillation of impact

We conduct in-depth, semi-independent, or independent reviews and evaluations of portfolios, programmes, and projects. Almizan holds specialist expertise in conducting evaluations of sensitive interventions working with security, military and intelligence partners and interventions seeking to elicit complex behavioural or attitudinal change.

We design reviews and evaluations to be non-judgmental and support the uptake of learning, by tailoring conclusions and recommendations to reflect a deep understanding of i) relevant strategies and monitoring frameworks, ii) high-level policy priorities that need to be operationalised on the ground, iii) multi-agency / cross-departmental working practices and iv) the needs of individual users and teams.

Our reviews help our clients to define their ‘value add’ and build the case for renewed funding.

Mentoring and capacity building to support implementation

Short- and long- term deployment of experts

We hold a carefully selected core network of like-minded, impact- oriented international experts with deep mentoring and capacity building experience working for or on behalf of multiple governments, associated security, intelligence and military institutions, the United Nations, and other multilateral organisations, think tanks, academia and private companies. Almizan personnel have deep expertise in sought-after technical areas, but also the ‘soft’ skills to navigate sensitive political, operational and other contextual dynamics. Our experts know how to build the local relationships required for success (and /or are sourced from those local contexts) and are able to tackle problems from multiple angles.

Programme strategy and design

Setting and maintaining strategic intent

We ensure alignment—within and across project/programme delivery teams and policy counterparts—on the key problems an intervention seeks to address. We lead the development of theories of change and results frameworks, which balance ambition with realism, identify assumptions that may affect delivery, and are ‘ground-truthed’ to align with the complexity/sensitivity of the intervention. We enable delivery and policy teams to ultimately own performance management and measurement tools themselves and view these as an intrinsic component to good programme management.

Provision of methodology, risk management and mitigation advice

Based on our own longstanding experience of frontline delivery of complex programming, we provide ongoing support in across a wide range of thematic areas to ensure underlying delivery methodologies and risk management processes are robust and draw on evidence of what is more likely to generate sustainable effect.  Almizan is experienced at introducing and leading conflict sensitivity (CS) implementation plans and intersectional (i.e. gender equality and social inclusion sensitive) CS reviews, both within our own projects and as independent, external, third-party reviewers. We integrate key performance indicators into monitoring, evaluation and learning (MEL) frameworks, to evaluate CS processes and assess projects for contributions to conflict transformation.

Research and analysis

Delivery of conflict research and analysis to inform implementation

We draw on our in-country networks to generate tailored analyses, including in-depth assessments of micro-contexts and hard-to-reach populations. Our networks range from government and security/defence officials to civil society and donor representatives, local academics and researchers, and our in-country experts—who have relationships needed to access and engage with sensitive stakeholders. We offer a range of capabilities, including ‘light-touch’, but rigorous, qualitative and quantitative methods, at cost proportionate to budgets. This allows us to: 1) ensure analysis is refreshed at regular intervals, and 2) leverage research methods to rapidly ‘stress test’ proposed project adaptations, as needs arise, to support delivery at pace, in highly fluid contexts.

Generation of evidence to support early action on emerging risks

We use our findings to help clients identify entry points that support coherence between strategy/policy decisions, programming aims and on-the-ground conflict dynamics. We focus on risk and help our clients and counterparts do the same—so that they can think more strategically and take preventative action early. We are skilled at developing counterparts’ early warning capability and understanding of when and how to take pre-emptive action, while reducing the risk of counterproductive effects later (e.g. damaging community-police relationships or compromising investigations and prosecutions). We have expertise in how to monitor and measure changes in risk, as well as the impact of preventative work.