"The guide has been formatted to be useful to people at all levels of familiarity with media evaluation. The next section begins by presenting a core framework: four “building blocks” that distill a diverse set of evaluation frameworks into a straightforward process you can use to plan a new mea
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surement effort. We follow with a discussion of each phase of the evaluation process, offering examples from the media world and tips for both basic and advanced measurement methods. There’s a lot to absorb, so to make it digestible and practical we have included planning worksheets at the end of each section along with a list of recommended resources: tools, how-to instructions, white papers, articles, and books you can turn to for more support in specific areas." (Page 3)
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"The news organisations that we spoke to could be broadly divided into two camps with regards to their attitudes to online comments: there are those who embrace comments from users, often as part of a wider strategy of involving their readers in their publication, and there are those who see them as
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essentially, a necessary evil. Very few organisations (seven) didn‘t allow comments at all, but in times of financial difficulties, a costly initiative such as comment moderation, without any immediate and obvious financial benefit, is not always a priority. However, there are many organisations which see them as an essential element in fostering a real community around their publication or a niche topic. Comments are believed to increase reader engagement, both in terms of time spent on site, and in terms of loyalty." (Page 6)
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"Do you want your videos to be available in the future? Do you want your videos to serve as evidence of crimes or human rights abuses? Do you want your videos to raise awareness and educate future generations? If the answer is yes, it is important to begin thinking about archiving before it is too l
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ate [...] This Guide is organized into 8 sections focused on stages in a video archiving workflow: Create, Transfer, Acquire, Organize, Store, Catalog, Preserve, Share." (Pages 3-5)
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This book provides a comprehensive yet accessible guide to running randomized impact evaluations of social programs. Drawing on the experience of researchers at the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab, which has run hundreds of such evaluations in dozens of countries throughout the world, it offer
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s practical insights on how to use this powerful technique, especially in resource-poor environments. This step-by-step guide explains why and when randomized evaluations are useful, in what situations they should be used, and how to prioritize different evaluation opportunities. It shows how to design and analyze studies that answer important questions while respecting the constraints of those working on and benefiting from the program being evaluated. The book gives concrete tips on issues such as improving the quality of a study despite tight budget constraints, and demonstrates how the results of randomized impact evaluations can inform policy. With its self-contained modules, this one-of-a-kind guide is easy to navigate. It also includes invaluable references and a checklist of the common pitfalls to avoid. Provides the most up-to-date guide to running randomized evaluations of social programs, especially in developing countries Offers practical tips on how to complete high-quality studies in even the most challenging environments Self-contained modules allow for easy reference and flexible teaching and learning Comprehensive yet nontechnical
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"This book has been written largely as a result of the success of the Smart Toolkit for Evaluating Information Projects, Products and Services (2010) and in response to suggestions made by stakeholders to produce a compact primer. For many, the Smart Toolkit represents a major work that, despite its
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simplicity, at first glance appears overwhelming and daunting to use. It is envisaged that this book will provide a short overview of the Smart Toolkit for policy- and decisionmakers and managers (also known as enablers) in agricultural and rural development institutions in Africa, the Caribbean and Pacific countries, as well as act as a quick reference for users." (Foreword, page 5)
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"This Tool is not a true how-to manual, although it offers detailed suggestions from leading journalists on innovative ways to use a vast and growing trove of public records and independent media networks. The flood of information in today’s inter-connected world creates an opportunity for journal
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ists focused on corruption, and this document provides advice for extracting that information and explaining what it means to the public. It also places great emphasis on the need for ethics, accountability and accuracy that distinguish professional investigative reporting from an increasing number of online and social media sites that often publish information without the depth and context such efforts require. Most of the measures outlined have been long practiced and taught by respected journalists and academics. This document also takes a step further, introducing innovative suggestions, such as standardizing computer records across nations, enlisting lawyers to work pro-bono with journalists, and increasing the use of cross-border journalism networks and evidence-based activism." (Page 8)
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"This guide follows a regional conference hosted by FAIR during September 2012 in Nairobi (Kenya) where more than 40 journalists, editors and media representatives discussed issues around ‘War on Terror in East Africa: security, elections and transparency. The programme also combined regional case
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study presentations with technical skills training. Ron Nixon (New York Times and founder of the Ujima project) provided insight on ‘how to follow government spending through public information’. His session demonstrated there is a lot of data about African state spending freely available on the internet, such as US department databases, service contracts, legal documents and US aid agency websites. Although termed ‘classified’ by some Ministries, data on government programmes can be obtained via the US Freedom of Information Act, for example. The selection of websites and documents presented by Ron Nixon at the Nairobi workshop, and also contained in this guide, is meant to enable investigative journalists to dig deeper using various tools and sources without getting into trouble. The ultimate objective is to show how data from external sources can be used by African journalists to expose forms of secret lobbying and foreign aid that do not help development." (Foreword)
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"El presente manual es una guía de métodos y técnicas básicas para el periodismo de investigación que busca expresamente llenar un vacío existente en la literatura de la profesión. La mayoría de los manuales dedicados al tema tratan extensamente al problema de dónde encontrar la informació
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n y asumen que, una vez que el periodista encuentra la información buscada será capaz de redactar una historia viable. Los autores, sin embargo, no compartimos este supuesto. No consideramos que el problema central sea el hallazgo de la información sino la tarea fundamental de contar una historia. Esto lleva a la principal innovación metodológica presentada por este manual: utilizamos las historias como el cemento que une cada paso del proceso de investigación, desde su concepción hasta la indagación, redacción, control de calidad y publicación. También nos referimos a este enfoque como “investigación basada en hipótesis”, porque comenzamos por formular la historia que esperamos redactar como una hipótesis que será verificada o refutada. Se trata del primer paso de un proceso integrado: Al analizar una histora hipotética el periodista puede detectar con mayor facilidad qué información necesita buscar. Al editor se le facilita la tarea de evaluar la factibilidad, costos, recompensas y avances del proyecto de investigación. A medida que avanza la investigación el periodisata o el equipo de investigación pueden ir organizando el material para su redacción, y componiendo segmentos específicos de la historia final. Esto, a su vez, facilita el control de calidad y permite considerar en qué medida la historia cumple con criterios legales y éticos. Al final del proceso se obtendrá una historia que puede resumirse en unas pocas frases contundentes, una historia que puede ser promocionada, defendida y recordada." (Introducción)
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"The Handbook on Advocacy, Communication, and Social Mobilization (ACSM) for RNTCP aims to provide momentum and build ACSM capacity by clearly describing the processes involved in planning and implementation of ACSM activities in support of TB control and prevention. It seeks to help the reader bett
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er understand the significance of ACSM in TB-control interventions under the Revised National TB Control Programme (RNTCP). The handbook provides practical guidelines and describes the ‘nuts and bolts’ of operational activities with examples of planning and implementing different ACSM programs and activities. The experience of assessing the ACSM scenario in five states, viz., Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Karnataka, and Meghalaya, conducted by IHBP during 2012, came useful in developing this handbook. This document remains a dynamic and living document that will be updated with inputs from the field during its operationalization at state and district levels. The handbook has been organized into seven parts: Part 1 of the handbook describes the background and context of TB-related ACSM in India and provides conceptual clarity on the strategy framework of ACSM as distinct but mutually supporting interventions for TB prevention and cure. Part 2 outlines the strategy and explains step-by-step processes of ACSM situation analysis to prepare robust, evidence-based program implementation plans (PIPs). Part 3 describes ACSM objectives, approach, and implementation plan. Part 4 discusses the selection of channels and messages based on the ‘strengths’ and ‘weaknesses’ of different channels to enable selection of costeffective channels/vehicles of message delivery to targeted audiences and design of appropriate messages. Part 5 describes the different tools that could be used for ACSM activities and preparation of PIPs at district and state levels as well as describes various ACSM activities with practical operational details for implementation. Part 5 outlines the processes and targeted staff for ACSM capacity building. Part 6 emphasizes the need for rigorous monitoring and evaluation (M&E) and provides simple guidelines for conducting M&E to make ACSM activities more effective in support of RNTCP." (About this handbook, page 9)
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"The goal of this document is to improve the effectiveness of DFID programmes and the measurement of their impacts by providing DFID Advisers with the practical skills to develop high quality theories of change, to understand the role they play in programme design and assessment. It is intended for
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DFID advisors to more clearly and explicitly articulate their theories of change as a means of improving the effectiveness of interventions. Part I first explores the fundamentals of theories of change: what they are, why they are important, and how to create a theory of change. It explores theories of change at different levels, and concludes with advice on how theories of change can enhance the effectiveness and relevance of programming. Part II continues to build upon Part I by focusing on how theories of change can be used in the monitoring and evaluation stages of the project cycle. It provides practical guidance on how and why to use theories of change-focused monitoring and evaluation strategies, particularly exploring the ways in which theories of change can be included in any evaluation approach." (Document summary, page 3)
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"The Freedom of Expression Toolkit is UNESCO’s contribution to freedom of expression and it is written with upper high school students in mind. The Toolkit covers the major concepts and issues and it is written in an easy to understand, conversational manner [...] Overall, the Toolkit consists of
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four major elements: Understanding freedom of expression; Identifying threats to freedom of expression; Identifying conditions favourable to freedom of expression; Doing one’s part in promoting and defending freedom of expression through practical activities." (Introduction, page 9-10)
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"Dealing with uncertainty has been an important and distinct topic for PBL Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency (formerly MNP) and the Dutch National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), in terms of analysis and communication. Acting responsibly with regard to this issue is
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important; particularly where policy analyses are concerned. Without adequate attention to the role and implications of uncertainty, the outcome of research and assessments may be of limited value and could result in incorrect policy decisions, with all the attendant consequences. However, the general public does not always appear in need of very detailed information in ‘documents full of subtle distinctions’. Consequently, information on uncertainty is not always considered relevant, understood, or even noticed. Thus, uncertainty remains an awkward issue and a challenge for the authors of policy reports. This Guide comprises hints and points of attention, as well as questions that researchers should try to answer when communicating about uncertainty (e.g. in written reports and presentations). It is not intended as a protocol; every situation is unique and demands its own approach. Thus, the Guide for Uncertainty Communication is intended to support the researcher/communicator in making well-considered choices. Communication on uncertainty regarding a particular study requires having a clear picture of why this communication is important and to whom it should be addressed. For this, the issues and concerns of the intended target audience(s) must be known, as well as all relevant uncertainties involved in the study and their possible effects on the results of the study. This involves serious reflection on certain topics, such as on where uncertainties originate, what significance and/or implications they have, if uncertainty may be reduced, on the context of the study, and on the manner in which uncertainty was dealt with in the study. The purpose of the study will strongly determine what uncertainty information would be relevant. For example, a study which primarily deals with the effects of policy measures will focus less on uncertainty about the severity of environmental problems than would be the case when a newly emerging environmental problem is explored. Addressing these questions, ideally, would provide a clear insight into all relevant aspects of uncertainty, which should be communicated effectively to the intended target audiences. This Guide is set up to support this process." (Preface, pages 4-5)
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