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Public Engagement in Malawi Through a Health-Talk Radio Programme ‘Umoyo Nkukambirana’: A Mixed-Methods Evaluation

Deborah Nyirenda, Tamara Chipasula Makawa, Chapita, Greyson, Chisomo Mdalla, Nkolokosa, Mzati et al.

Public Understanding of Science, volume 27, issue 2 (2018), pp. 229-242

"Radio is an effective source of health information in many resource poor countries. In Malawi, 53% of households own radios however few radio programmes in Malawi focus on health issues in the context of medical research. An interactive health-talk radio programme ‘Umoyo nkukambirana’ was intro ... more

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Who Debates, Who Wins? At-Scale Experimental Evidence on Debate Participation in a Liberian Election

Jeremy Bowles, Horacio Larreguy

[no publisher] (2018), 45, 24 pp.

"In this paper we assess the electoral consequences of candidate selection into the supply of widely-disseminated programmatic information in the setting of Liberia, where clientelism is pervasive and the media sector is weak. We partnered with USAID and the NGO Internews to study the impact of rand ... omized elements of a nationwide initiative to hold debates for all 73 House of Representatives seats ahead of the Liberian election of October 2017. Beyond lawmaking, House members in Liberia control access to development funds as well as play key roles in the allocation and implementation of public goods, and thus voters have incentives to care about the policy priorities of the candidates and vote accordingly. However, historically, votes have been bought as often as won (Bowles et al., 2017). In an effort to improve democratic accountability, Internews organized 129 standardized debates, with at least one in each electoral district, to solicit the policy promises of the participating candidates. In the debates, the 59% of candidates who participated were asked a series of questions by moderating journalists on particular issues of local policy relevance, most often relating to district schools, primary healthcare facilities, and infrastructural investments. Rather than large townhall-style debates, the emphasis was on soliciting concrete policy platforms and promises from the candidates that would then be rebroadcast by community radio stations. To shock the supply of policy promises, we randomly varied the intensity of invitation efforts to persuade candidates to participate in the debates. The decision to participate is risky, particularly in clientelistic settings where the returns to programmatic competition can be both limited and highly uncertain. Candidates who ‘win’ a debate may enjoy greater publicity and net electoral gains, but ex ante they risk performing poorly, revealing their policy priorities to be disconnected from their constituents and restricting their ability to target campaign promises to small groups of influential voters. These risks are especially pronounced for the leading candidates (incumbents and their challengers), who enjoy greater resources for campaigning, are adapted to the existing clientelistic equilibrium, and are more likely to be attacked by opponents to gain publicity." (Pages 2-3) more

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Digital Platforms for Agro-Advisory and Business Service Delivery: Lessons from Scaling-up of AgroTech in Ghana

Cecil Osei, Alfred Yeboah, Francis Arthur, Emmanuel Agbedanu, Sybil Chidiac

Grameen Foundation; Farmradio International (2018), 15 pp.

"Grameen Foundation, Farm Radio International and other partners implemented the project “Achieving Impact at Scale” from 2015 to 2018 18. The objective of the project is to test the scale up of AgroTech, an ICT platform, in the delivery of agricultural extension and agribusiness advisory servic ... more

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How Has Media Programming Supported Polio Eradication?

Sanjib Saha

London: BBC Media Action (2018), 11 pp.

"Since 2013, BBC Media Action has been working closely with Unicef to support polio eradication. Through mass media programming – radio magazine shows and drama, and radio and TV public service announcements (PSAs) – it has sought to break down barriers to immunising against polio and other chil ... more

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Audience Responses to Migration Stories: Research Component of 'Voices of African Migrants'

Jessica Noske-Turner, Mirjam Twigt, Zakaria Sajir

Leicester; Copenhagen: University of Leicester; International Media Support (IMS) (2018), 46 pp.

"This report was commissioned to examine the nature and quality of media stories produced by journalists supported by the Voices of African Migrants pilot programme (see http://migrantvoices.org), managed by International Media Support (IMS), in four migration ‘Hubs’ in Africa, and explored how ... more

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Evaluating the impact of information campaigns in the field of migration: A systematic review of the evidence, and practical guidance

Jasper Tjaden, Sandra Morgenstern, Frank Laczko

Geneva: International Organization for Migration (IOM); Global Migration Data Analysis Centre (GMDAC) (2018), 50 pp.

"Information campaigns designed to raise awareness of the potential risks of (irregular) migration have attracted much attention and investment across the world in recent years. Studies have repeatedly shown that many migrants start their journeys with limited or biased information and end up in vul ... nerable situations. In response, information campaigns have increased in number and the type, format, messages and strategy of such campaigns have diversified. This report presents the results from a systematic literature review of evaluations of such information campaigns in the field of migration. The study reveals that the evidence base available for programming and policymaking in this area is strikingly limited. We find that the uptake in the use of information campaigns has far outpaced any rigorous assessment of the effects that different campaigns may have on their respective target groups. In the absence of reliable evidence, the debate on the potential of this policy tool often relies on largely anecdotal evidence. Better evidence can show how information campaigns can be designed to best achieve their intended effects given the particular circumstances. The current lack of evidence limits the impact of future campaigns. While rigorous assessment of campaign impact can be difficult and costly, better evidence is clearly needed – wherever feasible and appropriate. Based on an extensive, systematic literature review, 60 relevant evaluations of information campaigns that targeted potential migrants and traffickers, as well as communities at large, were identified from a pool of 3,600 records. Only 30 of the selected campaign evaluations had publicly available results; the rest were collected through expert referrals. Two studies were published in peer-reviewed journals. Among the campaigns featured in the 60 studies, the most popular communication tools were workshop-type activities and cable TV programmes/advertisements. Most campaigns focused on trafficking, followed by irregular migration and, more generally, smuggling. A common issue is the lack of a clearly defined campaign objective and/or target group. This hampers any rigorous evaluation of programme effects. Whenever an objective is defined, it is most often aimed at “awareness-raising” and “knowledge generation.” The majority of the campaign evaluations claimed that the campaign under study was “successful” in inducing a change in knowledge, perceptions, attitudes and – to a lesser degree – (intended) behaviour. However, most of the evaluations reviewed provided relatively little evidence of the full impact of information campaigns. While many of the evaluations reported the number and profiles of campaign recipients or beneficiaries, impact was not directly measured. (In the evaluation literature, impact is defined as a change in outcome that is directly attributable to the programme and not any other factor.) Most of the evaluations identified did not meet minimum standards for robust evidence on programme effects. The large majority of evaluations were based on based on cross-sectional surveys of small numbers of participants (N) sampled at convenience, limiting the generalizability of the results. Only a few large-N studies employed a control-group design or involved pre- and post-measurements. None employed a (quasi-)experimental method for causal inference (e.g. randomized controlled trial, which is considered the “gold standard” for measuring impact)." (Executive summary) more

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Winning the War on State-Sponsored Propaganda: Gains in the Ability to Detect Disinformation a Year and a Half After Completing a Ukrainian News Media Literacy Program

Erin Murrock, Joy Amulya, Mehri Druckman, Tetiana Liubyva

IREX (2018), 47 pp.

"While Ukrainians consume a high volume of news content, barely one in four Ukrainians trust the media and only 23% cross-check news sources—the most basic form of media literacy [...] In this context, IREX designed and implemented Learn to Discern (L2D), a “demand-side” response to the proble ... more

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What Role Can Drama Play in Conflict? A Radio Drama for Syria: Qualitative Research Findings

Sally Gowland

London: BBC Media Action (2018), 5 pp.

"Against the backdrop of the war in Syria BBC Media Action produced and broadcast 150 episodes of the radio drama Hay el Matar (Airport District) between 2015 and 2017. Funded by the European Commission as part of a broader project aiming to help build an open and inclusive society in Syria, the dra ... more

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'No News is Bad News' Programme: Internal Mid-Term Evaluation Democratic Republic of Congo

Free Press Unlimited (2018), 30 pp.

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Can the TV Makeover Format of Edutainment Lead to Widespread Changes in Farmer Behaviour and Influence Innovation Systems? Shamba Shape Up in Kenya

Graham Clarkson, Chris Garforth, Peter Dorward, George Mose, Carlos Barahona, Francisco Areal, MacKenzie Dove

Land Use Policy, volume 76 (2018), pp. 338-351

"Edutainment, the combination of education with entertainment through various media such as television, radio, mobile phone applications and games, is increasingly being used as an approach to stimulate innovation and increase agricultural productivity amongst smallholder farmers in sub-Saharan Afri ... ca. Shamba Shape Up, a widely publicised makeover reality TV programme, is an example of edutainment that has received considerable attention, and airs in three countries in East Africa where it is estimated to be watched by millions of viewers. There is no published academic research on the influence of makeover television formats on innovation systems and processes in smallholder agriculture. Using an Agricultural Innovation Systems approach, this paper explores how makeover edutainment is influencing smallholder farmer innovation systems together with the effect this is having on smallholder farms. In the absence of previous research, it articulates a Theory of Change which draws on research traditions from mass communication, agricultural extension and innovation systems. Data came from two large scale quantitative (n=9885 and n=1572) surveys and in-depth participatory qualitative research comprising focus group discussions, participatory budgets, agricultural timelines, case studies and key information interviews in Kenya. An estimated 430,000 farmers in the study area were benefiting from their interaction with the programme through increased income and / or a range of related social benefits including food security, improving household health, diversification of livelihood choices, paying school fees for children and increasing their community standing / social capital. Participatory research showed SSU enhanced an already rich communication environment and strengthened existing processes of innovation. It helped set the agenda for discussions within farming communities about opportunities for improving smallholder farms, while also giving specific ideas, information and knowledge, all in the context of featured farm families carefully selected so that a wide range of viewers would identify with them and their challenges. Broadcasts motivated and inspired farmers to improve their own farms through a range of influences including entertainment, strong empathy with the featured host farm families, the way ideas emerged through interaction with credible experts, and importantly through stimulating widespread discussion and interaction amongst and between farmers and communities of experts on agricultural problems, solutions and opportunities. The fact that local extension workers also watched the programmes further enhanced the influence on local innovation systems. The findings indicate that well designed makeover edutainment can strongly influence agricultural innovation processes and systems resulting in impact on the agricultural production and behaviours of large numbers of smallholder farmers." (Abstract) more

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Women Into Politics! Greater Female Participation in Cambodia: A Best-Practice Handbook 2016–2018

Kyle James

Bonn: Deutsche Welle DW Akademie (2018), 35 pp.

"Women are a great untapped potential in Cambodia. That is the driving idea behind the EU-funded project “Women into Politics! Greater female participation in Cambodia”. This three-year project reached women from different regions in Cambodia and gave them the communications skills they needed t ... more

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Evaluation of Media Support in Somalia 2014–2017

Nora Stenius

Helsinki: Vikes Finnish Foundation for Media and Development (2018), 26 pp.

"The main partners of the project have been Somali National Television (SNTV), Somali Ministry of Information and Public Awareness, and the National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ). After expanding the geographical coverage of the project in 2015, partnerships were also established with Somalila ... nd Journalists Association (SOLJA) and Media Association of Puntland (MAP). Several women journalist associations have likewise participated in the project implementation. This evaluation covers the first phase of the project (2014–2016), including observations from cost-extended first phase trainings arranged in May 2017. The aim of the evaluation is to provide sufficient information about the performance of the project, to identify possible obstacles hindering the expected outcomes, and to provide recommendations for future. Based on the key findings, the project has been relevant, highly effective and efficient. The project has responded to a well-articulated need: the professional capacity of Somali journalists is still relatively low, as is their general understanding of media ethics. The project is relevant and aligns well with national priorities. The project activities have been carried out through collaboration of Finnish specialists and Somali stakeholders in such a way that the project ownership remains in Somalia. The project has been highly effective. As a result of the project, the first multi-camera TV studio in Somalia was constructed with modern news production and editing system. The studio enabled first ever live broadcasting of news in Somalia. The quality of SNTV news production has also visibly improved. Video and sound quality is more professional, news inserts are shorter, more compact and cover a wider range of topics. More investigative programmes and children and youth programmes have also emerged. Close to 400 journalists from across Somalia and Somaliland have taken part in training courses on basic journalism skills and journalism ethics, by far exceeding the project’s initial goal. Furthermore, around 120 representatives from the police, judiciary and key ministries have received training on freedom of expression and respect for media rights. The approach has been ground-breaking by bringing together journalists and security officials and improving their respect for one another. General findings on the cost-effectiveness and efficiency showcase that Vikes has been spending much less than other international media support organizations to provide quality trainings with noticeable results. Yet, as anticipated, the challenging operational environment has also hampered the project implementation. Some activities have been postponed either due to the volatile security situation or logistic delays. Lack of spare parts and technical equipment in Somalia has also hindered the maintenance of the news production studio and affected some of the in-house trainings." (Executive summary, page 3-4) more

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Improving Maternal and Child Health Through Media in South Sudan: Final Evaluation

Trish Doherty, Karen O’Connor

London: BBC Media Action (2017), 51 pp.

"Following decades of civil war, South Sudan still lacks a functioning healthcare system and has some of the worst maternal and child health indicators in the world. To help address this, between 2012 and 2017 BBC Media Action produced and broadcast a range of national radio programmes seeking to in ... more

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Turn Up the Volume: Empowering Women Through Media. Lessons from BBC Media Action’s Governance Programming

Josephine Casserly

London: BBC Media Action (2017), 26 pp.

"This practice briefing sets out what BBC Media Action has learned about how media can provide a platform for both men and women to hold their leaders to account, while empowering them to participate in their own communities. Unpicking the challenges faced and the solutions found, it will bring toge ... more

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Textbook Provision for All: Lessons Learned from the General Education Quality Improvement Project (GEQIP)

Girma Woldetsadik, Chandrani Raysarkar

Washington, DC: World Bank Group (2017), xiv, 40 pp.

"Ethiopia printed more than 78 million textbooks for 20.1 million students under GEQIP1. When the current reliance on development partners to provide teaching/learning materials comes to an end, these impressive gains can be sustained only if the Ethiopian government allocates adequate, predictable ... yearly financing from the treasury to do so. Based on the experience of GEQIP1, the average budget to sustain the provision of textbooks and teaching guides is estimated at 6–8 percent of the yearly recurrent budget for education (8–10 percent if supplementary materials are added). A second prerequisite for sustaining these gains is to develop an effective information management system to track national demand for textbooks in relation to supply and facilitate inventory control. To handle the complexities of international competitive bidding and maintain a strict timeline for routine delivery, the MoE should plan a robust capacity-building exercise that will help Ethiopia not only to manage textbook provision for larger linguistic groups but mainstream access to textbooks for minority groups as well. Lack of expertise and limited production facilities of local publishers and printers have required the government to resort to international alternatives, sometimes to the detriment of local enterprises. Given that it would be preferable to rely on local suppliers to produce teaching/learning materials of comparable quality to those produced internationally, a systematic effort is essential to scale up local capacity and enable the local printing industry to become competitive in supplying national requirements. As in many nations, Ethiopia’s weakest link in the textbook supply chain is the distribution system. Schools in rural and remote areas suffer the most. Restructuring the delivery system would ensure more timely distribution of teaching/learning materials from districts (woredas) to schools. Finally, students must be encouraged to bring their textbooks to school rather than keep them at home for fear of damaging them and incurring fines. Teachers, who are the primary facilitators of learning, must be trained in effective handling of textbooks and to play an active role in sensitizing families to the importance of using textbooks in the classroom." (Main findings, page xiv) more

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Combined Final Evaluation for ‘I Love my Country’: Strategic Communications for Peace Building in South Sudan” & Baseline Evaluation for ‘I Love my Country’: Promoting Localized Understanding and Peaceful Coexistence in South Sudan

Search for Common Ground; Forcier Consulting (2017), 83 pp.

"The present report provides the findings of a combined baseline evaluation of “‘I Love My Country:’ Promoting Localized Understanding and Peaceful Coexistence in South Sudan” (PLUPC) funded by the Peace and Stabilization Operations Program (PSOPS) of the Canadian government, and endline eva ... luation of the project, “‘I Love My Country’: Strategic Communications for Peace Building in South Sudan” (SCPB) funded by the European Union (EU). The goal of the “‘I Love My Country:’ Promoting Localized Understanding and Peaceful Coexistence in South Sudan” project is to build greater understanding and application of key concepts embodied within the Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan (ARCSS) through key stakeholder meetings, participatory theater performances, civil society engagement, small-scale peace initiatives, short media productions, and radio drama production and broadcast. The project began on December 15, 2016 is expected to end on June 15, 2018. The purpose of the “‘I Love My Country’: Strategic Communications for Peace Building in South Sudan” project is “to promote social cohesion, resilience, and the peaceful resolution of conflicts among individuals and communities in South Sudan” by strengthening national platforms for diverse and constructive and promoting peace, tolerance, and reconciliation with key groups and individuals. Search for Common Ground, iHub, UNESCO, and Catholic Radio Network launched the project in November 1, 2014 and it was concluded on March 1, 2017. The objectives of the baseline evaluation for PLUPC are to update the analysis of local conflict dynamics in the targeted zones for outreach activities, collect baseline data for project indicators, to reflect upon the Objectives and Theory of Change (TOC) of the project, and to evaluate potential risks to project participants, implementing staff, and partners. The final evaluation for SCPB seeks to measure changes in key indicators after the implementation of activities, evaluate the project using OECD-DAC criteria (relevance, effectiveness, efficiency, impact, and sustainability), and provide lessons learned and recommendations to inform future peace building activities in the country." (Executive summary) more

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Journalists and Safety Training: Experiences and Opinions

Autumn Slaughter, Bradley Brummel, Susan Drevo, Elana Newman et al.

Dart Center for Journalism & Trauma; University of Tulsa, Trauma Research Lab (2017), 57 pp.

"The report, based on answers from 247 respondents, summarises the ‘good news’, that journalists do implement changes in their behaviour when they have attended safety trainings, and the gaps and challenges, including the fact that few journalists keep their training up to date in spite of indus ... more

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Evaluation International Association of Women in Radio and Television (IAWRT)

Elisabeth Eide, Hanna Marie Knudsen, Goretti Nassanga, Brian Semujju

International Association of Women in Radio and Television (IAWRT); KUS Forum for Women and Development (2017), 51 pp.

"The organization has grown since the last evaluation in 2007, with the number of chapters expanding from seven to twelve. The membership comprises 45 other countries, some with the capacity to become chapters. Whether IAWRT is in a phase of expansion or consolidation is unclear, as there is no stra ... more

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Peace Radio Programme in the Border Areas Between Oromia and SNNPRS in Ethiopia: Impact Assessment 2016

Addis Ababa: Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), Civil Peace Service (CPS) Programme Ethiopia (2017), vii, 32 pp.

"The impact assessment comprised a survey, focus-group discussions and key informant interviews as its sources of data. The survey covered 194 members of the Peace Radio listener clubs, in which members discuss the Peace Radio contents and initiate peace initiatives on the basis of a standardised qu ... more

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Inclusive Rural Communication Services: Building Evidence, Informing Policy
Deep Insights

Rome: FAO; University of Queensland (2017), viii, 90 pp.

"This publication is the first scoping study aimed at compiling existing evaluation cases in the field of Communication for Development as applied to agricultural and rural development initiatives. It draws on a literature review and 19 cases across Africa, Asia-Pacific, Latin America and the Caribb ... more

Inclusive Rural Communication Services: Building Evidence, Informing Policy Deep Insights

Inclusive Rural Communication Services: Building Evidence, Informing Policy
Deep Insights