Reflecting on Amplify, Verify, Engage: Lessons from Evaluating Democratic Media Support in South Caucasus and Central Asia

Between 2021 and 2023, the project Amplify, Verify, Engage: Information for Democratization and Good Governance in Eurasia (AVE) sought to strengthen independent media, civil society, and cross-border cooperation in contexts marked by shrinking civic space, political repression, and violent conflict. Implemented by the Institute for War & Peace Reporting (IWPR) and funded by the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, AVE operated across Central Asia, the South Caucasus (including Belarus and Moldova), and Ukraine.

As the project concluded, Key Impact carried out a final external evaluation to reflect on what AVE achieved, how change unfolded, and what could be learned from implementing a complex, multi-country media and civil society program under volatile conditions.

The Program at a Glance

AVE was designed to promote democratic growth, participatory governance, and accountability by strengthening the capacities of journalists, analysts, media organizations, and civil society actors. The project pursued three interconnected objectives: amplifying independent voices producing verified, evidence-based reporting; strengthening capacities to counter misinformation and disinformation; and fostering engagement and cooperation among media, civil society, and public actors.

Over its 30-month implementation period, AVE reached nearly 2,000 direct beneficiaries, 60% of them women, and supported 28 media and civil society organizations. Through grants, mentoring, editorial support, and public events, the project contributed to the production of more than 2,100 media pieces, reaching over six million readers across the regions. While AVE applied a common conceptual framework, it adopted different implementation models across regions in response to varying political, security, and institutional contexts.

The Evaluation Approach

The evaluation was grounded in AVE’s Theory of Change. In addition, the evaluation team combined a theory-based approach with Outcome Harvesting and cade study design.

Data collection included qualitative and quantitative methods, such as in-depth interviews with beneficiaries and IWPR staff, an online survey targeting journalists, analysts, and organizations, and a systematic review of project documentation, alongside the verification of Outcome Statements previously harvested by IWPR. Selected program components were examined through case studies, including individual capacity building, organizational sub-granting, investigative journalism, network building, and policy influence. By triangulating across data sources and methods, the evaluation aimed to capture not only whether change occurred, but also how and under what conditions AVE contributed to it.

What the Evaluation Found

The evaluation found that AVE had been highly relevant to its target groups across all regions. Beneficiaries consistently described the project as addressing critical professional needs in environments where independent journalism and civic action faced increasing constraints. Editorial mentoring, practical training with applied components, and financial support for investigative journalism emerged as the most valued and effective instruments.

At the individual level, AVE contributed to substantial improvements in professional knowledge, skills, and confidence. Many beneficiaries reported producing higher-quality content, adopting new journalistic approaches, expanding their audiences, and accessing new career opportunities. Behavioral changes were widespread and sustained beyond the immediate project activities.

At the organizational level, AVE’s sub-granting model contributed to lasting changes in planning, communication, and operational practices. In Ukraine, several organizations reported that AVE support had played a critical role in enabling their survival and continued operation during the early stages of the full-scale Russian invasion. AVE also contributed to the formation of cross-border professional networks. The evaluation found that structured incentives and facilitated cooperation led to deeper partnerships, especially in the context of investigative journalism and sub-granting initiatives.

Importantly, the evaluation identified contributions to higher-level results. AVE-supported work increased public awareness, stimulated debate on sensitive issues, strengthened accountability, and in some cases contributed to policy and legislative change. Many of these outcomes were assessed as likely to persist beyond the project’s lifetime.

Gender considerations cut across all findings. Women benefited significantly from AVE, particularly in Central Asia and the South Caucasus, through enhanced skills, professional opportunities, and increased visibility in media and civil society spaces.

Lessons Learned

Reflecting on the AVE experience, several lessons emerged that are relevant for future media and civil society support programs operating in fragile and politically constrained environments:

1. Multifaceted support models matter. Activities that combined skills development, mentoring, financial resources, and opportunities for continued engagement consistently generated stronger and more sustainable results than stand-alone interventions.

2. Hands-on, practice-oriented support was critical. Editorial mentoring, applied training, and opportunities to produce real content enabled beneficiaries to internalize new skills and translate learning into practice.

3. Organizational support was most effective when paired with capacity building. Sub-granting alone generated short-term outputs, but when combined with mentoring and training, it contributed to deeper organizational change and resilience.

4. Finally, flexibility and contextual sensitivity were essential. AVE’s ability to adapt its implementation models in response to conflict, political repression, and security shocks allowed it to remain relevant and effective across contexts.

Looking back, the evaluation underscored that strengthening democratic media ecosystems is a long-term endeavor. AVE demonstrated that sustained, well-designed investment in people, organizations, and professional networks can generate durable change, even under adverse conditions.