Saferworld charity awarded OSC funding for national security research

Saferworld, a charity dedicated to creating safer communities by preventing armed violence, has secured funding for an ambitious research project aimed at improving the transparency and accountability of UK national security policy. The project, titled “Establishing Capacity to Define, Monitor, Evaluate, and Learn from Outcomes in UK National Security Strategy,” was awarded as part of the Open Societal Challenges (OSC) ‘Challenge Us!’ 2024 research competition. This funding marks a significant step forward in rethinking how national security is monitored and evaluated.

The project came to fruition through a collaboration between Rethinking Security (a network hosted by Saferworld) and academic experts from The Open University (OU), including leading voices in international studies, sociology, and international development. The project’s lead academic, Dr Thomas Martin, Senior Lecturer in International Studies, worked closely with Saferworld’s Richard Reeve, who coordinates the ‘Rethinking Security’ initiative. The team aim to address longstanding gaps in how the UK evaluates its national security strategies, which, unlike other sectors such as health or international development, have largely remained opaque and unaccountable.

In the UK, national security policies are often shaped by crisis response and political posturing, with little effort made to critically evaluate their long-term effectiveness. Saferworld’s research project aims to change that by developing a methodology that is transparent, inclusive, and participatory. According to Reeve, "National security strategy must become more accountable to the people it affects most, particularly those from marginalised communities."

Goals of the project

The research will focus on defining what successful national security policy looks like and establishing ways to monitor and evaluate it. The team plans to draw from both UK and international experiences, learning from previous inquiries such as the Iraq Inquiry and the US Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR). By applying lessons learned from peacebuilding effectiveness models and academic best practices, the research aims to close gaps in feedback and accountability mechanisms.

In addition to documentary analysis of UK security policies, the project will include interviews with key government stakeholders, workshops with civil society, and focus group discussions with marginalised communities, who are often most affected by security policies. The team will also reach beyond the UK to take account of communities who are affected by UK security policies, such as by engaging with governments and groups in the Global South.

Expected impact

The project's findings are expected to inform key UK government security reviews. With a focus on openness and evaluation, the project aims to offer practical recommendations for improving the way national security strategies are measured and held accountable.

As Saferworld’s project runs parallel to a series of reviews conducted by the new government, it is poised to make a meaningful impact on policy, potentially influencing how the UK defines, monitors, and learns from its security practices. With this innovative approach, Saferworld and the OU are pushing for a national security strategy that serves the interests of all citizens, particularly those who have been historically marginalised.