THE USIP BOOKSTORE IS TEMPORARILY UNAVAILABLE 

The methodology defined in this work helps a media assessment team understand the causes of conflict in a society, identify changes that could reduce that conflict, and create media interventions that help realize those changes. 

Over the past twenty years, media interventions have become an accepted tool for conflict management. Interventions have often proven ineffective, however, because they lacked clear definition of their intended outcomes.  This research describes an Intended-Outcomes Needs Assessment methodology (IONA) to help address this by:

  • Integrating conflict analysis and media assessments to sharpen the focus on peacebuilding objectives; and
  • Improving the quality and precision of project plans to enable better comparison of the results achieved.

About IONA

The IONA methodology helps a media assessment team understand the causes of conflict in a society, identify changes that could reduce that conflict, and create media interventions that help realize those changes. 

The IONA methodology is composed of two complementary elements, the IONA framework and the IONA process.

  • The IONA framework defines the information that is needed to understand how to foster social change that prevents conflict and/or builds peace. The assessment team uses the IONA framework to organize information about social transformations that have already occurred in the target society and helps the team identify transitions that should occur to achieve certain outcomes that may reduce conflict.
  • The IONA process is an interview-based, three-stage process designed to manage the collection and synthesis of information describing the media, the conflict, and the relationship between the two.  Using the process, a media assessment team can populate the IONA framework with information that enables more effective design and comparison of options for media intervention.

To help manage the data collected during the IONA process, USIP has developed an Excel-based analysis tool (Frame Manager) with basic functionality (search, sort, ranking, filtering, and comparison) to compare different frames.  We invite IONA users to download and use this prototype tool. 

Because USIP plans to develop custom software to support IONA, we encourage users to communicate any feedback or insights, they may have about using either IONA or the Frame Manager.


Related Research & Analysis

The 2022 Pelosi Visit to Taiwan: Assessing US-China Signaling and Action-Reaction Dynamics

The 2022 Pelosi Visit to Taiwan: Assessing US-China Signaling and Action-Reaction Dynamics

Monday, July 7, 2025

In recent years, the United States and the People’s Republic of China (PRC) have found it particularly challenging to interpret one another’s foreign policy signals. Misinterpretation of each other’s signaling may contribute to a bilateral action-reaction dynamic and can intensify into an action-reaction cycle and escalation spiral.

Type: Report

What the DRC-Rwanda Peace Deal Means for the U.S. and Africa’s Mineral-Rich Great Lakes Region

What the DRC-Rwanda Peace Deal Means for the U.S. and Africa’s Mineral-Rich Great Lakes Region

Thursday, July 3, 2025

Last Friday, the foreign ministers of Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) met in Washington to sign an agreement to end 30 years of conflict in Africa’s Great Lakes region. The peace deal was accompanied by commitments to build a “regional economic integration framework” and promises of U.S. investment in eastern DRC’s abundant critical mineral reserves, among other commercial agreements.

Type: Question and Answer

With Cease-fire Holding, Can Israel and Iran Move Toward De-escalation?

With Cease-fire Holding, Can Israel and Iran Move Toward De-escalation?

Wednesday, June 25, 2025

Israel’s stunning and sophisticated June 13 attack on Iran set off a worrying 12-day escalatory spiral. Iran responded in short order with ballistic missile and drone strikes, which led to a series of tit-for-tat exchanges between the two sides. A cease-fire is now in place -- but will it hold?

Type: Analysis

The Element of Surprise: Space and Cyber Warfare in U.S.-China Rivalry

The Element of Surprise: Space and Cyber Warfare in U.S.-China Rivalry

Wednesday, June 18, 2025

The 2024 revelations over China’s effort to implant malware in critical U.S. infrastructure by the Volt Typhoon hacking group — as well as the Salt Typhoon group’s successful breaching of at least nine major U.S. telecoms — have renewed concern over Beijing’s constant, ongoing efforts to hack Western companies, governments and non-governmental organizations. Unlike past incidents, like those involving Chinese military unit 61398, which were largely about cyber espionage, the Volt Typhoon group was actively implanting malware designed to disrupt critical infrastructure such as water and power systems.

Type: Analysis

View All Research & Analysis