GB-London: Research on the impact of terminology on community engagement and counter-extremism

The LGA's work includes partnering with the Special Interest Group on Countering Extremism (SIGCE); a sector-led local authority network co-chaired by Leeds and Luton councils and funded by the LGA.

The SIGCE's working group on faith-based extremism (FBEWG) is looking to commission a focussed objective research piece via the LGA to explore issues around community engagement and terminology in the counter-extremism space. Concerns have been raised by some councils that the use of the term 'Islamist' may be a barrier to productive community engagement with Muslim communities, especially at a local level, and that this might hamper local authorities' efforts to build cohesion and resilience across local areas, counter extremism and deliver Prevent. We are seeking an external provider to explore these issues in more depth and report back on their findings to the FBWEG.

Effective community engagement has long been identified as a key component in councils' work on community cohesion, counter-extremism and delivering the Prevent duty. Concerns have been raised by some however that the terminology adopted in national and local policy and by agency practitioners working in this space may have a significant impact on this work.

In particular, there are some concerns that the use of the term 'Islamist extremism' (and related terms): •may appear to validate (unsupported) links between politicised and extreme religious ideology and majority religious practices •has no equivalent for politically motivated extremism claiming justification or arising in association with other religions •can give rise to confusion beyond practitioners and policy makers, creating misunderstanding, and potential and actual adverse and unforeseen consequences (see below).

This research is aimed at exploring whether, and to what extent, evidence suggests this may be the case, how this may be reflected in practice, and if so, what the potential adverse impacts may be on local authorities' work on community engagement and counter-extremism. For instance, (but not necessarily limited to) the extent to which this may: •lend weight to views from some that certain communities may be disproportionately and unfairly targeted by counter-extremism and counter-terrorism policies •contribute to a sense of grievance that legitimate political organisation may be viewed through an extremism lens •be perceived as linking whole communities to extremism, leading to mistrust and a fear that by engaging with those who use that term the community is endorsing that perception •aggravate suspicion, resentment and confusion leading to disengagement •that the above sentiments might be exploited by various groups seeking to further their own political agendas, creating additional barriers to engagement.

We are seeking an external contractor with appropriate expertise to undertake research into these concerns and potential consequences and report on their findings.

Additional information: The contracting authority considers that this contract may be suitable for economic operators that are small or medium enterprises (SMEs). However, any selection of tenderers will be based solely on the criteria set out for the procurement.