Assessment Report: Impact of Multi Media Campaigns

This report documents the results of an impact assessment of the Multi Media Campaigns (MMCs) carried out as part of Development Alternatives, Inc. (DAI)'s Environmental Services Program (ESP) in collaboration with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID)/Indonesia. This impact assessment looked at the qualitative impact of the MMC, exploring:

• Evidence of MMCs improving discourse regarding ESP issues and principles;
• Indication of MMCs inspiring the general public to make demands for better service delivery;
• Verification of MMCs leading government/decision makers to provide improved service delivery - for example, increasing budget allocations to solve problems; and
• How MMCs can improve quality of reporting on water, health, and environmental issues in Indonesia.
  

As detailed here, MMCs are a tool for building awareness of and promoting advocacy for ESP principles related to improved delivery of environmental and health services. On a quarterly basis, MMCs are implemented by the Public Outreach Communications (POC) Coordinator in each ESP High Priority Province (HPP) in partnership with local media and non-governmental organisations (NGOs). ESP and USAID Basic Health Service (BHS) messages are communicated through these campaigns using multiple channels, such as local and national print and electronic media and community-based cultural events (photo exhibitions, children's drawing competitions, music and drama performances, etc.). MMC campaigns often conduct a 2-day weekend refresher programme outside the city for journalists on current environmental issues. MMC campaigns also have a journalist-swap programme so that they can write stories from another perspective and assess the differences between policies issued by local decisionmakers. The MMCs are meant to reach both decisionmakers and the general public, providing information and inspiring discourse that hopefully leads to a stronger demand for better public services delivery in the water, health, and sanitation sectors.

Each MMC has the following goals:

• Increase journalists', government officials', and community leaders' understanding of environmental, water, and health issues;
• Increase private sector and local government support for ESP-supported community initiatives aimed at decreasing the prevalence of diarrhoea; and
• Create a "call to action" that leads to general public pressure for improved environmental and basic health services, which in turn leads to better local government service delivery and supporting policies and regulations.

From 2005 to mid-2008, 124 MMCs were conducted by ESP and its partners in ESP's HPPs, which represent the 6 most populous provinces in Indonesia. Fourteen journalist networks have been established and regularly write articles and human interest stories on ESP-related themes that are published/broadcast in local and national media. More than 100 electronic and print stories are generated in national and local media per MMC.

The impact assessment was conducted by a short-term consultant over a one-month period, utilising qualitative methods such as interviews and document analysis. The assessment found that MMCs have been effective in at least 6 ways:

1. Regional and national journalist networks are stronger and better informed about ESP-related issues.
2. There is increased coverage of ESP-related issues in regional and national media as a result of MMCs.
3. There is some evidence of increased government investment in ESP-related issues as a result of MMCs.
4. MMCs provide a forum for informed public advocacy.
5. There is increased awareness among the general public regarding proper handwashing with soap practices in ESP HPPs.
6. Government, NGO, and journalist partners appreciate ESP News, a quarterly bilingual programme newsletter as a source of information and contacts for networking.
   

Other key findings of the impact assessment:

• Community leaders effectively use MMCs to present and advocate their issues to government. Media coverage leads to direct communications between communities and local government, often resulting in direct financial support to further ESP activities.
• Some local civil servants stated that MMCs provide important information that demonstrates the need for increased government investment in environment, water supply, and sanitation issues. "MMCs build awareness, which contributes to good governance. But corruption will not be eradicated quickly."

Selected excerpts from the opening sections of the "Major Findings" section of the report:

I. ESP and Media

"...Journalists interviewed commented that ESP through stakeholders has helped expose clear environmental issues....The Jakarta Post, Kompas, Tempo, VOA and Green Radio reported about handwashing with soap: 'Although people especially children wash their hand only if they feel it's dirty; but at least they know steps how to wash it now'...

[J]ournalists felt that they gained new knowledge and experiences when participating in an ESP program. For example, a journalist from Bandung commented that he learned about methods to purify water from the ESP program....ESP often brings journalists to the field to observe ESP community stakeholders' programs. Journalists comment that they respect this program because ESP lets them speak directly with the community and other stakeholders freely; ESP does not dictate who journalists can talk to and what issues they can cover....In addition, ESP and its stakeholders have successfully elevated local champions among the community members, who provide interesting stories and quotes for the journalists to cover....All journalists said that they have returned to ESP field sites without ESP to cover more environment-related stories.

Journalists report that they believe there has been a significant policy impact as a result of MMC campaigns....'One of the policymakers' consideration to add environment services to the local budget is because of news from the media,' said Erna Witoelar...Koran Tempo and Tribun Jabar added that there is no need now to fear hard dialogues between community member and policymakers because now is a transparency era that supposed to support [a] bottom-up approach...

...The most effective means of connecting between POC and the journalists is through informal gatherings, such as hanging-outs at coffee shops after office hours...

II. Media Networking and Stakeholders

...Stakeholders said that MMC strategy assisted them to spread environment issues more widely. MMC inspired ESP stakeholders, especially the low level of local government officials, to use media as tools to deal with those in a higher position. Policymakers...reported that, when they started as an ESP partner...they did not have capacity and knowledge of how to work with the media....ESP taught them how to manage issues and embrace the media. 'I thought working with journalists needed a lot of money and was difficult, but ESP media networking approach proved that this is not true...'

...ESP News uses basic journalistic principles of the 5 W's and 1 H (who, what, when, where, why, who, and how), which makes it informative and credible. The content of ESP News is not only about the program, but also about community champions or cadres who benefit from the program...

III. MMC as Advocacy Strategy

One of ESP's strategic activities is capacity building for the community. This is a participatory activity because there is no teacher and student and everybody learns from each other....In addition, such community has an additional knowledge and strength to face their problem because it is their own problem, not others'. For example, a community spoke out about environmental problems in their area, and asked policymakers such as the regent to be more concerned with the problem... 'I never thought that I and other villagers could go and talk to regent. But we have confidence after graduating from the Field School which taught us farm skill and farmers' rights,' told Eson, farmer from Desa Mekarwangi, Bandung....He was glad that media published their hearing. 'We have a good relationship with the journalists; they often come to this village to check on our progress...'"