The Drum Beat 695 - Communication and Change News and Issues

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695

Communication and Change News and Issues - The Drum Beat 695

From The Communication Initiative Network - where communication and media are central to social and economic development.

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EVALUATIONS [view all]

1. Evaluating the Impacts of Media Assistance: Problems and Principles
by Jessica Noske-Turner
To contribute to improving media assistance impact evaluation, this paper suggests that specific types of contextual factors must be known and understood. The paper outlines 4 principles for media assistance evaluation: (i) "Plan early, evaluate regularly, adapt periodically"; (ii) "Involve stakeholders in planning and evaluation"; (iii) Ensure that evaluation designs are theoretically informed and framed; (iv) Consider consultants as facilitators and coaches during the evaluation design process, and later as scrutineers over internal research and evaluation. [Jan 2015]
2. Assessing the Impacts of Shamba Shape Up
This report discusses a study to assess how Mediae's Shamba Shape Up (SSU) television edutainment programme influences small-scale farmers in Kenya. The approach is based on a theory of change that "incorporates key ideas from mass media theory, good practice in extension and advisory services and innovation systems frameworks." According to the report, the show's strength is that it brings multiple experts to a farm household, which would not be possible for most of the show's viewership, and uses a social learning strategy that engages visitors on both informative and emotional levels. Farmers are also able to interact with the show through the SMS service, brochures, and online information, which encourage them to seek out more information and actively pursue activities to improve their own livelihood. "Shamba Shape Up has clearly influenced a large number of small-scale (particularly dairy) farming households in the area of Kenya that it targets and the innovation systems within which farmers operate." [University of Reading and the Africa Enterprise Challenge Fund (AECF), Oct 2014]
3. Promoting Accountability through Debate in the Palestinian Territories
"These programmes are designed to provide Palestinians with the opportunity to question decision-makers face-to-face." BBC Media Action surveyed audience reaction to a programme of debates, which may be accessed through traditional (TV and radio) and social media platforms with the goals of engaging the audience and encouraging their interaction. Audiences found that the programmes: provide a platform for direct engagement between Palestinian citizens and decision-makers; play a role in holding decision-makers to account; and improve their own understanding of issues discussed on the programmes. The data also provided programming insight in that issues of concern vary by regions and can include concerns of poor infrastructure, such as lack of electricity and water in the Gaza Strip. It was found that the use of social media for increased interaction "provides important opportunities to engage with diverse audiences and provide an additional platform for freedom of expression." [Jun 2014]
4. Effectiveness of Little Children, Big Challenges: General Resilience Toolkit: School-Based Study
by Geraldine V. Oades-Sese, Abigail Lau, and Karen Grace-Martin
This report describes a study carried out to determine the effectiveness of Sesame Workshop's multimedia educator's toolkit, Little Children, Big Challenges (LCBC), which is distributed in the United States (US). It focuses on the English and Spanish versions of the LCBC general resilience toolkit for educators, which is designed to: (i) provide teachers with tools and the language to help children understand and cope with challenging situations at an age-appropriate level, (ii) aid children in expressing feelings around challenging issues, (iii) help children expand their vocabulary around feelings, and (iv) foster the development of emotional competence and literacy of children in terms of emotional understanding and emotional regulation, as well as interpersonal problem-solving skills. One finding: There was a "significant increase" in attachment relationships (teacher-child) in intervention classrooms, as reported by teachers. There was no increase found for active control classrooms. [Mar 2015]
- See also: Little Children, Big Challenges (LCBC)
5. Impact Evaluation of the Campaign Violence against Women: A Disaster that We Men Can Avoid - Evaluación del Impacto de la campaña Violencia contra las mujeres: Un desastre que los hombres si podemos evitar
This impact evaluation in Spanish of the violence against women (VAW) campaign "A Disaster that We Men Can Avoid" from Puntos de Encuentro, Nicaragua, found, amongst other things, that focusing on men's role and responsibility facilitated discussion, debate, and some change in attitude that may lead to changes in behaviour: Among all men interviewed, men who had learned about the campaign agreed 15% more often that men can avoid violence (84% vs. 69%). Those who think men can avoid violence indicated that they could: a) reason, understand, and think again (36%); b) talk with their partner (26%); and c) respect women's rights (11%). Other findings reflect on: the role of wide use of media to spread the message, the importance of collaborating with local organisations, the need for messages that are simple and clear (and especially taking into account literacy), and continuity (Men who were positively impacted by the campaign were likely to have heard about previous anti-violence campaigns run in Nicaragua.) [Jan 2012]

STRATEGIC THINKING [view all]

6. Guiding Principles on Young People's Participation in Peacebuilding
These guidelines from the United Nations (UN) Inter-Agency Network on Youth Development's (IANYD) Subgroup on Youth Participation in Peacebuilding are intended to provide guidance to UN agencies, governments, and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in increasing youth engagement in conflict prevention. The document recommends multiple approaches to involving youth in civic engagement and active citizenship. Principles offering key guidance are elaborated in the document. For example, the over-arching principle of "do no harm" recommends active avoidance of negative consequences for participants, along with many recommendations to key actors. [Apr 2014]
7. Adaptive Macro and Micro Communication Strategies to Eradicate Polio in India: Social Mobilization, Opinion Leadership, and Interpersonal Influence at Unprecedented Scale
by Arvind Singhal
Drawing on his experiences with the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) in India, Singhal discusses the micro-targeting and messaging interventions designed to achieve large-scale compliance with the oral polio vaccine (OPV), especially in the states of Uttar Pradesh (UP) and Bihar, analysing the elements of social mobilisation, involvement and engagement of local opinion leaders, and a data-driven adaptive strategy. In his conversations, such as those with women who lived and worked in communities at high risk for ongoing transmission of the polio virus - the author learned that "[w]hat made these on-the-ground social mobilizers tick was the personal rapport, credibility, and trust they brought to an interpersonal encounter..." [July 2013]
8. Communication for Development, Community Media and ICTs for Family Farming and Rural Development
"Communication for development, community media and information and communication technologies (ICTs) can help family farmers to acquire and exchange knowledge and information, strengthen rural institutions and give voice to their concerns, but only if they reflect and respond to the needs, objectives and conditions of farmers and their communities." This policy brief resulted from a 2-week-long global online forum in which participants discussed policies to support improvements in rural communication services (RCS) by responding to actual needs and by fostering better linkages between different sectors. Hosted as part of the e-Agriculture Community of Practice and organised by the Food and Agriculture Organization and the World Association of Community Radio Broadcasters (AMARC), the forum generated feedback from participants such as: "the starting point for improved rural communication services as part of agricultural policies should be to address the real needs of farmers and involve them in the different stages of the development process." [Jan 2015]
9. Protecting the Rights of Children: The Role of the Media
by Susan Angle, Thomas Baerthlein, Neeti Daftari, Brice Rambaud, and Niousha Roshani
From Internews Europe, this report summarises research in Kenya, India, and Brazil "to understand how to harness the power of traditional media (TV, newspapers, and radio) and new media (Internet and mobile phones) to amplify the voices of advocates and children, improve media coverage and transform child protection." Through primary and secondary research, local researchers sought to "understand current media practices and how media intersect with youth and advocates' voices to form an 'information ecosystem' that can hinder or help child rights protection." [Jan 2014]
10. In or Out? Asia-Pacific Regional Review of the Inclusion of Young Key Populations in National AIDS Strategic Plans
by Karen Humphries-Waa
This document investigates how young key populations (men who have sex with men, transgender people, people who sell sex, people who inject drugs, and people living with HIV) are being addressed in national AIDS strategic plans (NSPs) in the Asia-Pacific region through an analysis of their inclusion in the NSPs for HIV and AIDS of 19 countries. Findings suggest inadequate strategic information on key populations, lack of their involvement in plan development, and lack of plans for further research. "Involvement of representatives of all key populations, including younger members, as stakeholders in the development of NSPs would assist in improving the relevance of plans and ensure a stronger sense of ownership of interventions." [Jul 2014]

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MATERIALS [view all]

11. The Climate Change Advocacy Toolkits
by Hannah Reid, Ian Chandler, Raja Jarrah, and Peter With
Developed and published by the Southern Voices on Climate Change programme and based on the practical experience of civil society organisations associated with the Southern Voices programme from around the world, these 9 toolkits are designed to help organisations plan and deliver effective advocacy to support and protect poor and vulnerable communities from the effects of climate change, and to ensure that their voices are heard by policymakers locally, nationally, and globally. They include: a mix of instructions on how to plan and conduct advocacy interventions, a range of case stories on how civil society works to influence climate change policy-making, and references for further reading. [2014]
12. Field Guide: Three Star Approach for WASH in Schools
As described in this field guide, group activities drive the Three Star Approach's incremental, participatory approach, beginning with daily, supervised group hand-washing sessions that are designed to reinforce the habit of good hygiene behaviour. This strategy uses the positive power of social norms and peer encouragement to strengthen healthy actions. Having described the approach in detail, with specific instructions for each of the "star" school categories, the field guide explores strategies for managing the approach, including topics such as the role of government and external support partners and the importance of recognising and rewarding achievements when it comes to monitoring and certifying schools. [United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, Aug 2013]
13. What Have We Learnt about CwC Coordination from Previous Experience?
"The CDAC (communicating with disaster affected communities) Network aims to ensure that communities affected by, and prone to, crisis are better able to withstand and recover from humanitarian emergencies, and are actively engaged in decisions about the relief and recovery efforts in their country." This website contains a library of lessons learnt from various disaster responses.
14. AIDS Today
From the International HIV/AIDS Alliance (Alliance), this biennial publication presents the global state of the civil society response to AIDS. It is published with the intent "to spark a timely debate about the global AIDS response: what it has achieved, what it can teach others fighting for health and justice, and what remains to be done to bring about a sustainable end to AIDS." [Oct 2014]
15. Tax Justice Advocacy Toolkit
by Sally Golding, Matti Kohonen, Katrin McGauran, David McNair, and Sophie Powell
The purpose of this toolkit is to introduce civil society to tax topics in a way that is accessible and understandable and strengthens its capacity to: understand and analyse the issues surrounding tax justice in a given country; develop advocacy strategies for tax justice; do tax research; plan and undertake different advocacy activities (for example, lobbying, campaigning, and media work); and learn from the experiences of others already doing tax advocacy. [Christian Aid and SOMO - Center for Research on Multinational Corporations, Feb 2012]

This issue of The Drum Beat was written by Kier Olsen DeVries.

The Drum Beat is the email and web network of The Communication Initiative Partnership.

Full list of the CI Partners:
ANDI, BBC Media Action, Bernard van Leer Foundation, Breakthrough, Citurna TV, Fundación Imaginario, Fundación Nuevo Periodismo Iberoamericano (FNPI), Heartlines, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health Center for Communication Programs, Maternal and Child Survival Program (MCSP), MISA, Open Society Foundations, Oxfam Novib, PAHO, The Panos Institute, Puntos de Encuentro, SAfAIDS, Sesame Workshop, Soul City, STEPS International, UNAIDS, UNICEF, Universidad de los Andes, USAID, World Health Organization (WHO), W.K. Kellogg Foundation

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The Editor of The Drum Beat is Kier Olsen DeVries.

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