Situation analysis

The first step in seeking to understand and respond to information risks is for operation to conduct a situation analysis to understand where risks are taking place and what communities are being impacted.

Operations should seek to incorporate risks to information integrity into existing and ongoing situation analyses and adapt such analyses to their operational context. Situation analyses for information risks can include:

• Risk analysis
• Information and communication needs assessments (ICNA) 
• Information ecosystem assessments
• Information Protection Analytical Framework (IPAF)
• Participatory assessments
• Multi-sector needs assessments (MSNA)
• Engagement with diverse stakeholders including forcibly displaced and stateless persons, RLOs/CBOs, local media, as well as new types of partners such as digital rights organisations and tech companies.
• Reports/research from civil society or digital rights groups  
• Social media situation analysis
• Data protection and privacy

Situation analyses will outline how information risks impact different groups – based on age, gender, disability, and other aspects of diversity. For example, is online hate specifically targeted at women? Or is disinformation targeted at youth? You can also include known capacities or opportunities to strengthen Information Integrity. For example, fact checking organizations or digital literacy programs?