> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://oecd-media-support-principles.gfmd.info/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://oecd-media-support-principles.gfmd.info/toolkit/role/programme-and-project-managers/start-here-quick-checklist-for-programme-and-project-managers.md).

# Start here: Quick checklist for Programme & Project Managers

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**How to use this checklist**\
This is a quick entry point. For detailed guidance and examples, see the principle-based checklists below.
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### Context & relevance

☐ Is support to independent media and information integrity clearly reflected in programme objectives and design?

☐ Are links between media support and broader objectives (e.g. governance, accountability, stability) clearly articulated?

☐ Is the role of media actors clearly distinguished from other civil society actors in programme design?

### Do no harm

☐ Have you identified risks specific to different types of media actors (e.g. local outlets, investigative journalists, public interest media)?

☐ Have you assessed risks to partners and beneficiaries (legal, digital, physical, reputational)?

☐ Are safeguards in place to protect partners, beneficiaries, and project staff from unintended harm?

☐ Have you considered how visibility, branding, or donor association may affect partner safety and credibility?

☐ Have you considered what happens when the project ends, including sustainability and exit risks?

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### Quick test

Would the programme still be relevant if media and information integrity were removed from the design?\
Are media-related risks and opportunities clearly reflected in programme logic and assumptions?\
Does the programme enable adaptation to changing media and political conditions?
{% endhint %}

### Increase financial and other forms of support

☐ Do you seek to promote and implement fit-for-purpose funding approaches (e.g. multi-year, flexible, not solely project-based, aligned with like-minded partners)?

☐ Are funding approaches suited to the political, regulatory, and market environment in which media actors operate?

☐ Does the programme support sustainability beyond the project cycle (e.g. revenue models, institutional capacity, networks)?

☐ Are programme choices aligned with what available instruments realistically allow?

### Take a whole-of-system approach

☐ Does the programme reflect the full media ecosystem (content production, distribution channels, infrastructure, regulation, audiences)?

☐ Are interconnections with other sectors (e.g. digital, governance, anti-corruption, public administration) reflected in programme design?

☐ Does the programme address structural factors affecting media viability (e.g. market conditions, regulatory environment, platform dynamics)?

### Strengthen local leadership and ownership

☐ Are local media actors meaningfully involved in defining priorities and approaches?

☐ Does the programme support editorial independence and avoid instrumentalising media actors?

☐ Are different types of local media actors (including smaller or emerging actors) considered in programme design?

### Improve coordination of support

☐ Have you mapped and aligned with other donor and partner interventions across sectors and donors?

☐ Are existing coordination mechanisms (e.g. working groups, platforms, joint initiatives) actively used?

☐ Have you established and applied clear criteria for selecting media beneficiaries and partners?

☐ Is coordination taking place on risk management, including sharing of relevant information where appropriate?

☐ Is political economy analysis applied and, where possible, shared or discussed with other donors?

### Invest in knowledge, research, and learning

☐ Is programme design informed by media-specific analysis (e.g. audience trust, information flows, market conditions)?

☐ Are data and evidence used to adapt implementation over time?

☐ Are lessons learned captured and shared across teams and partners?

**Download and print this checklist from here:**

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