We also found that the common distinction between counter & alternative narratives poorly reflects the content of comms designed to encourage/facilitate exits from al-Shabaab. We conclude the report with an alternative classification system that differentiates between the aims of comms campaigns

Communications with family members via phone conversations played a key role in influencing many exits. Contradicting the prevailing opinion among communications experts that state actors often lack credibility, political leaders also played a key role in influencing exits through radio broadcasts.

Given the scarcity of empirical data revealing the effectiveness of P/CVE communications campaigns generally, perhaps the most notable finding from this research was that all our respondents claimed that communications helped encourage their exit from al-Shabaab, with only one exception