Strengthening the government’s operational preparedness to respond to FIMI in North Macedonia

The project aims to establish a structured process for communication, coordination and institutional response to foreign information manipulation and interference in North Macedonia.

The project “Strengthening the government’s operational preparedness to respond to FIMI in North Macedonia” helped establish a structured process for communication, coordination and response to foreign information manipulation and interference in North Macedonia.

Through a baseline assessment of existing institutional mechanisms and information flows, the project produced the first structured diagnosis of how FIMI is detected, interpreted and handled across government institutions. The analysis identified weaknesses in coordination, escalation procedures and shared standards for institutional action.

Based on these findings, the project developed two practical tools for institutions: a draft Operational Protocol for Institutional Response to FIMI and a standardised Incident Response Template. These tools set out a clear path from detecting a FIMI signal, through verification, risk classification and decision-making, to coordinated public communication.

The tools were shaped through consultations with government institutions and strengthened with advisory expertise from the United Kingdom, the European Union and OSCE/ODIHR. In this way, the project contributed to a more systematic institutional approach, better operational preparedness and more effective coordination in dealing with FIMI.