In 2020, Kivu was part of an OPM team which evaluated the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade’s (DFAT’s) Media Development Initiative. Kivu’s support provided a highly politically informed assessment of the links between the Media programme and “voice and accountability”. What role does the media play in achieving policy change and holding government to account? How successfully did the Media Development Initiative support more impactful citizen voice and engagement? Grounded in an assessment of the political context we then provided advice on potential directions for future, higher-impact programming.