# About GFMD IMPACT & FAQs ## What is GFMD IMPACT? The International Media Policy and Advisory Centre (IMPACT) is an initiative by the Global Forum for Media Development (GFMD) that aims to assist donors, funders, policy-makers, practitioners, and other stakeholders in making informed, evidence-based decisions on strategies, programming, funding, and advocacy for media development and journalism support. It is a collaborative learning and exchange project designed to bring together media development and journalism support groups, donors and funding organisations, academic and research institutions, as well as technology, media, and governance experts. ## What are GFMD IMPACT's aims? 1. To leverage expertise and maximize the effectiveness of funding to address the global crises facing media across the world, including the collapse of traditional business models, increasing attacks on journalists, and the rise of dis/misinformation, 2. To offer donor agencies, philanthropic organisations, and media support actors required insights, and a range of tools and resources for informing strategy, programme, and project design, as well as implementation, monitoring, and evaluation. By helping to maximise the effectiveness of the funds available for this sector GFMD IMPACT hopes to catalyse efforts to build stronger, healthier, and more sustainable media and information systems. ## What is GFMD IMPACT's theory of change? ![GFMD IMPACT theory of change](/files/-MUNrRU7h-1GvhR5Hkxi) ## How does GFMD IMPACT work? ![IMPACT Structure](/files/-MUNriwft_1XVyh1Gz2f) {% embed url="" %} {% embed url="" %} ## Who funds GFMD IMPACT? 2021 is a pilot year for GFMD IMPACT and this first phase is supported by the [Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC)](https://www.eda.admin.ch/sdc), National Endowment for Democracy (NED), and the PRIMED project funded by the UK FCDO. ## Why was GFMD IMPACT created? For information about the consultations, studies and co-design sessions that have led to the creation of GFMD IMPACT go to: {% content-ref url="/pages/-MT5mpb7O9JiVVIGchXm" %} [Consultation (2019)](/background/consultation.md) {% endcontent-ref %} {% content-ref url="/pages/-MUiCXG3rVRuWRRu0Men" %} [Co-design (2020-2021)](/background/co-design.md) {% endcontent-ref %} ## Who runs GFMD IMPACT? International Media Policy Advisory Centre (IMPACT) an initiative of the [Global Forum for Media Development (GFMD)](https://gfmd.info/) and is administered by a project team including: * [Mira Milosevic](https://gfmd.info/members/mira/), Executive Director * Ivana Bjelic Vucinic, Programmes and Project Manager * Tom Law, Media Policy Advisor {% hint style="info" %} If you want to speak to GFMD about how you can participate in GFMD IMPACT, please contact **** {% endhint %} ## How does the GFMD IMPACT help desk work? The GFMD IMPACT [**Help Desk**](/activities-services/learning.md#establishing-a-help-desk) uses a network of experts and [resources](/master.md#resource-centre) brought together by the GFMD IMPACT team to respond in a timely fashion to requests from donors, practitioners and policymakers. {% hint style="info" %} For potential examples of how a help desk for the media development community could function, see the [Governance and Social Development Resource Centre](https://gsdrc.org/research-helpdesk/) and the [Knowledge, Evidence, and Learning (K4D)](https://www.ids.ac.uk/projects/k4d-helpdesk-service) initiative. {% endhint %} {% content-ref url="/pages/-M\_\_a5KALQgWr2io3\_O\_" %} [Help desk](/activities-services/help-desk.md) {% endcontent-ref %} --- # Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question. Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter: ``` GET https://impact.gfmd.info/about/gfmd-impact-faqs.md?ask= ``` The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language. The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation. Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.