the iVerify tool: support package to strengthen information integrity

Particularly in new and emerging digital societies, Election Management Bodies, journalists, elections observers and others often find themselves on the backfoot when confronted with elections-related disinformation and hate speech, struggling to stem the flow, correct the record and protect voters’ access to trustworthy information. UNDP has seen significantly increased demand expressed by national counterparts in all regions to better manage elections disinformation and hate speech.

In order to respond to this demand, the Brussels-based Electoral Assistance Task Force in partnership with the UNDP Chief Digital Office, working closely with the Crisis Bureau and the Oslo Governance Center, has built a package of support to customize and roll out a digital platform to support national counterparts in the identification, analysis, and countering of disinformation in challenging governance environments, called iVerify. Mutualizing resources and expertise, the iVerify initiative leverages UNDP expertise (in the field) to allow for easy and cost-effective replication and customization at country level in support of national beneficiaries.

Information integrity

ACTIVITY

DESCRIPTION

iVerify is a comprehensive support package which has at its core an online monitoring and fact-checking platform. It is intended to allow for ongoing, real-time identification of, and response to, harmful content online, build on a powerful digital solution namely the Meedan’s fact-checking tool. Technical expertise is provided to national counterparts to customize and rollout the system according to local needs and conditions.

  • Technical support is made available to map the existing institutional infrastructure and initiatives and to build synergies between them; supporting the creation and coordination of a multi-stakeholder mechanism for the rapid and efficient identification, fact-checking, and response to online threats to the integrity of elections e.g., disinformation, misinformation, mal-information, hate speech.
  • iVerify is the digital component of the package, combining solutions to cover the entire spectrum from identification to fact-checking to response. It combines both human and automated features, and a centralized database of verified information and disinformation narratives to feed into coordinated response.

In essence, the iVerify tool equips national stakeholders to better respond to the challenge of elections-related information pollution in three ways

IMPLEMENTATION CONSIDERATIONS

The mechanism is guided by the following principles

Avoid duplication by tapping into existing capacities and integrating ongoing initiatives, leveraging the UNDP project to encourage a coordinated effort

Combine strengths and build synergies between all actors involved in counter dis/misinformation and hate speech by contributing to information, resource and knowledge sharing

Propose a sustainable solution that benefits from existing and sound technologies; taking a learning approach that intends to strengthen technologies by adjusting them according to needs

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COST CENTRES

LIMITATIONS AND CHALLENGES

RESOURCES

EXAMPLES

IMPLEMENTATION PROCESS

The iVerify implementation requires technical support to ensure national partners are capacitated to verify information flagged by the general public, more specifically the following steps should be undertaken:

Assessment, Programming and planning :

  • Map existing initiatives
  • Identify threats to information integrity
  • Analyse the legal landscape
  • Propose partnerships and operational structure
  • Implementation and roll-out of iVerify to be hosted by a national partner

Institutional Capacity building :

  • Validation of SOPs
  • Development of training modules
  • Delivery of online-offline trainings
  • Development of communication and visibility plan and materials

Digital package solutions :

  • Development and customization of the fact-checking back end
  • Development and integration of the website
  • Development, verification, and integration of social media accounts
  • Other developments, as necessary depending on the context.

Communication and Monitoring & Evaluation :

  • Roll-out of communication plan and materials
  • Establishment of monitoring tools to assess visibility
  • Support for long-term coaching and troubleshooting.

COUNTRY DEPLOYMENTS

Current countries where iVerify is active, or will be, include:

Zambia (2021) Implemented by PANOS
Honduras (2021) Implemented by Licenciatura en Periodismo de Ceutec
Kenya (2022) Implemented by the Kenya Media Council
Liberia (2023) Implemented by Local Voices Liberia
Sierra Leone (2023) Implemented by a consortium of BBC Media Action, SLAJ and IRN
Nigeria (2023) Implemented by IPC
DRC (2023) Implemented by L’Université de Lubumashi
Madagascar (2024) Implemented by Studio Sifaka
Pakistan (2024) Implemented by CEJ
North Macedonia (2024)

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Contact: [email protected]

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Information Integrity E-learning

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