In November 2024, Rethinking Security launched a new project, Establishing Capacity to Define, Monitor, Evaluate, and Learn from Outcomes in UK National Security Strategy.
The project is a collaboration between Rethinking Security and academic experts from The Open University (OU), including leading scholars in international studies, sociology, and international development. The project aims to address longstanding gaps in how the UK formally defines ‘security’ and how it monitors and evaluates the outcomes (planned or otherwise) of its national security strategies.
This is crucial in elucidating and understanding the objectives and assumptions that inform and guide UK security strategy. National security policies often appear to be shaped by crisis response and political posturing, with little effort made to critically evaluate their long-term effectiveness. The project aims to change that by developing a methodology that is transparent, inclusive, and participatory. Researchers will draw from both UK and international experiences.
Building on the work of RS’s Alternative Security Review, the project will offer practical
recommendations for improving the way national security strategies are measured and held
accountable, including by parliament, the media and the public.
The project is made possible through a grant from the OU’s Open Societal Challenges ‘Challenge Us!’ 2024 research competition.