✅ Invest in Knowledge, Research & Learning Checklist

Purpose: To ensure that EU-funded media and information-integrity programmes are grounded in evidence, generate learning for all stakeholders, and strengthen both donor accountability and media sustainability. Apply this checklist during programme design, evaluation, and coordination stages.

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🧩 1. Evidence & Relevance Assessment

Area	Key Questions	Action Points
Policy Alignment	Is programming informed by recent, independent research on media ecosystems?	Map existing studies before commissioning new ones; avoid duplication.
Learning Culture	Do DGs, Delegations, and agencies share lessons across portfolios?	Create inter-DG repositories and joint evaluation briefs.
Local Knowledge	Are local researchers, universities, or observatories engaged?	Budget for local research partnerships and participatory evaluations.
Data Protection	Are data collection and sharing practices safe for journalists and sources?	Use anonymisation, encrypted storage, and consent-based data collection.

💡 Tip: Treat learning as a two-way process — local partners generate insight, not just data.

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🛠️ 2. Learning & Monitoring Frameworks

Dimension	Minimum Standard	Enhanced Practice
Monitoring & Evaluation (MEL)	Basic indicators cover outputs and reach.	Use outcome-oriented MEL capturing influence, resilience, and trust.
Knowledge Sharing	Lessons stored within project files.	Systematic cross-programme learning notes published annually.
Peer Exchange	Occasional ad-hoc partner meetings.	Structured peer-learning networks across projects and regions.
Institutional Memory	Reports archived individually.	Centralised repository across DGs and Delegations to prevent loss after staff turnover.

💡 Tip: Pair quantitative indicators with qualitative insights – stories of change, audience trust, and institutional growth.

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🔄 3. Coordination & Access to Knowledge

Area	Good Practice	Enhanced Practice
Across DGs	Share evaluations and research internally.	Joint MEL frameworks and pooled studies across DG CONNECT, JUST, INTPA, NEAR.
Field Level	Delegations host knowledge sessions with partners.	Regional learning hubs with local academia and CSOs.
Transparency	Publish non-sensitive findings in open-access form.	Translate and disseminate summaries in local languages for media partners.
Member States	Exchange data via joint EU–MS coordination groups.	Integrate national studies into EU-wide evidence base.

💡 Tip: Coordination saves resources and builds trust — share, don’t silo.

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🧮 4. Evaluation & Accountability

Focus Area	Key Actions	Outcome
Evaluation Design	Include learning objectives and “why/how” questions.	Evaluations produce actionable lessons, not just scores.
Independent Review	Use external reviewers with local expertise.	Credible, context-sensitive findings.
Dissemination	Share synthesis briefs with stakeholders.	Improved policy and programme design across DGs and Delegations.
Archiving	Store evaluations in searchable, long-term databases.	Institutional memory preserved beyond individual staff rotations.

💡 Tip: Evaluation isn’t compliance — it’s an investment in smarter support.

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📰 5. Knowledge for Media Partners

Objective	Minimum Safeguard	Enhanced Practice
Access to Findings	Partners receive project-specific feedback.	Findings shared in accessible, non-technical formats with all participants.
Capacity to Use Data	Training included in grant activities.	Fund newsroom data analysis and audience-research tools.
Ethical Data Use	GDPR-compliant storage required.	Joint development of safe data protocols and consent frameworks.

💡 Reminder: Media are not data-providers —they are co-producers of knowledge. Donors should return insights in usable form to strengthen editorial and business decision-making.

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✅ Cross-cutting “Knowledge & Learning” checks (apply to all actors):

• Embed learning deliverables in every grant (contractual requirement for reflection notes or learning sessions).

• Budget for research translation and dissemination.

• Prioritise local authorship and peer review.

• Use secure data handling protocols aligned with journalist safety standards.

• Encourage collaboration between media, universities, and think-tanks to strengthen evidence ecosystems.

• Treat evaluation findings as public goods that benefit both donors and media.