Commission a Local News Ecosystem Assessment: An Operational Toolkit
Landscape analyses and ecosystem assessments are often the first step funders take when developing place-based grantmaking strategies.
With so many existing resources and vendors to choose from, knowing where to start and how to design an effective RFP can be a challenge. This Operational Toolkit was built with ecosystem assessment commissioners navigating that exact process.
The toolkit serves three core functions:
- Defining what an ecosystem assessment is and the level of work involved
- Providing a framework to scope your project and clarify designed outcomes
- Offer guidance on finding a vendor aligned with your strategies and values.
Designed for practical use, this eight-part toolkit includes worksheets, checkpoints, and templates that guide funders through the entire commissioning process. Supporting materials, suggested reading, and common roadblocks are woven throughout, giving users a complete picture at every stage.
The tool kit closes with best practices for activating your completed research, along with a vetted list of ecosystem assessment vendors currently active in the local news space.
Use This Resource To:
- Conduct a rigorous, practical exercise on understanding your ecosystem assessment needs and conducting a successful research project.
- Begin to think about what your internal capacity requirements are and what new partnerships need to be forged to yield your best results.
- Consider the behind-the-scenes elements that most often cause roadblocks and poor results in assessment projects often go unrecognized and learn how to prevent them in your own work.
Suggested Content:
- Funder Perspectives: Assessing Media Investments
- A Guide to Assessing Your Local News Ecosystem
- Civic Information Index
Source: Local News Impact Consortium