Guidance by role

And best practice in supporting information integrity and independent media

This section provides practical guidance tailored to the different roles involved in designing, funding, and implementing support to independent media and information integrity.

While the OECD DAC Principles define what effective support looks like, this part of the Toolkit focuses on how these principles can be applied in day-to-day decision-making - across policy, programming, and implementation functions.

Rather than focusing on institutions, the guidance is organised by role. This reflects how decisions are made in practice: across different levels of responsibility, and often across institutional boundaries.

Each role-based section includes:

• A quick “Start here” checklist to support rapid decision-making

• Key considerations for programme design and implementation, based on common challenges and trade-offs

• Detailed guidance aligned with the six OECD Principles

• Examples and field insights drawn from consultations, interviews, and donor experience

Who this is for

This section is designed for professionals working across development cooperation, foreign policy, and related fields, including:

• Policy and strategy staff shaping priorities, frameworks, and funding allocations

• Programme and project managers designing and overseeing interventions

• Communications and public diplomacy teams engaging with media and information environments

• Heads of mission and senior leadership responsible for strategic direction and coherence

• Cross-sectoral teams integrating media and information integrity into broader programmes

It is also relevant for implementing partners seeking to better understand how donor priorities translate into operational decisions.

Why this matters

Supporting independent media and information integrity requires consistent decision-making across different roles and levels of responsibility.

In practice, outcomes are shaped not only by strategy, but by how programmes are designed, how risks are managed, how funding is structured, and how coordination takes place.

By aligning these decisions with the OECD Principles, development actors can improve the relevance, effectiveness, and sustainability of their support - ensuring it strengthens, rather than inadvertently undermines, media and information ecosystems.