Communication for Empowerment Final

United Nations Development ProgrammeBureau for Developement Policy

Democratic Governance Group

Communication for Empowerment: developing media strategies

in support of vulnerable groups

Practical Guidance Note

This document has been developed by James Deane, Managing Director,the Communication for Social Change Consortiumwww.communicationforsocialchange.org, Elizabeth McCall, CivilSociety/Access to Information Adviser and Alexandra Wilde, GovernanceSpecialist, at the Oslo Governance Centre, a unit of UNDP’s DemocraticGovernance Group. It is informed by substantive feedback from aworkshop comprising UNDP governance and communicationspractitioners from selected UNDP Country Offices in Africa that washeld in November 2005. The workshop included the followingparticipants: Adam Rogers, Assan Ng’ombe, Audax Rutta, Emmie Wade,Ernest Aubee, Habiba Rodolfo, Jabu Matsebula, Jenifer Bukokhe, JosephMugore, Katherine Anderson, Lena Renju, Margaret Gulavic, MarxGarekwe, Mwiinga Cheelo, Nelson Xavier, NS Bereng, Sam Igaga Ibanda,Stephen Opio, Tapiwa C. Kamuruko, and Wadzanai Madombwe. ThePractical Guidance Note also benefited from additional insightfulcomments from colleagues both from within and outside UNDP,including Ernest Aubee (UNDP), Misaki Watanabe (UNDP), AlejandroPero (UNDP), Bjoern Foerde (UNDP), Sandra Pralong (UNDP), GeoffPrewitt (UNDP), Noëlle Rancourt (UNDP), Adam Rogers (UNCDF), KittyWarnock (Panos), Sina Odugbemi (Department for InternationalDevelopment, UK) and Peter Erichs (Swedish InternationalDevelopment Cooperation Agency).

Further information can be obtained from the Democratic GovernanceGroup of UNDP. Contact Elizabeth McCall at [email protected]

March 2006

UNDP is the UN’s global development network, advocating forchange and connecting countries to knowledge, experience andresources to help people build a better life. We are on the groundin 166 countries, working with them on their own solutions toglobal and national development challenges. As they developlocal capacity, they draw on the people of UNDP and our widerange of partners.

Acknowledgements

This Practical Guidance Note aims to demonstrate that media can playa crucial role in empowering vulnerable and marginalized groups. Thiscan best be achieved if media support and media capacitydevelopment is directed in a way that enables the media to betterrespond to and reflect the information and communication needs ofthese groups. This kind of media support can be called Communicationfor Empowerment. Communication for Empowerment is a critical driverfor securing the necessary participation, ownership and accountabilityfor achieving the MDGs. The Guidance Note explains Communicationfor Empowerment and its importance to poverty reduction. It identifiestrends in the media, and highlights key opportunities and challenges,including the impact of liberalization and the ongoing struggle manymedia face in holding onto hard fought media freedoms. The Noteunderscores the particular importance of radio in Communication forEmpowerment strategies because of its reach, accessibility to the poorand increasingly interactive character. It also outlines a range of waysthat UNDP and other development practitioners can best supportCommunication for Empowerment based on conducting informationand communication audits, and choosing the appropriate context-specific intervention strategy. It suggests that UNDP’s established rolesin-country of convening, facilitating, advising and advocating, as well asits focus on capacity development and its experience in democraticgovernance equip the organization to play a key role in furtheringCommunication for Empowerment

Abstract

Acronyms

1 Introduction page 61.1 The context of the Practical Guidance Note page 71.2 What is Communication for Empowerment? page 71.3 What does this Practical Guidance Note cover? page 81.4 What doesn’t the Practical Guidance Note cover? page 81.5 Who is the Practical Guidance Note for? page 9

PART ONE: THE COMMUNICATION FOR EMPOWERMENT CONTEXT2 Why Communication for Empowerment matters even more

now page 102.1 Five main converging factors page 102. 2 Reaching the MDGs: country ownership, citizen voice, and

accountability page 11

3 Media trends and challenges page 153.1 Media development trends: complex and contradictory page 18

PART TWO: PRACTICAL GUIDANCE FOR PROGRAMMING4 How can UNDP make a difference in the area of Communication

for Empowerment? page 21

5 UNDP’s support to Communication for Empowerment page 235.1 Undertaking an information and communication audit page 235.2 Communication for Empowerment support areas page 32

6 Modalities for UNDP support to Communication forEmpowerment page 36

6.1 Establishing Communication for Empowerment projects page 366.2 Mainstreaming Communication for Empowerment in democratic

governance and other practice area programmes page 366.3 Extra-programme support: putting Communication for

Empowerment on the agenda in all development dialogue anddiscourse page 37

7 Partnerships page 387.1 Governments page 387.2 Civil society organizations page 387.3 Media organizations page 397.4 Media support organizations page 397.5 Multilateral and bilateral development agencies page 39

8 Monitoring and evaluation page 409 Resources and further reading page 43

Annex page 47

Table of Contents

World Association of Community Radio Broadcasters

National Association of Advertisers (Peru)

Antiretroviral (drugs)

Common Country Assessment

Country Office

Community Based Organization

Civil Society Organization

Danish International Development Agency

World Bank Development Communication Division

Department for International Development (UK)

Food and Agriculture Organization

Genetically modified organisms

Human Development Reports

Information and Communications Technologies

Millennium Development Goals

Media Institute of South Africa

Non-Governmental Organization

Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights

Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper

Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation

Swedish International Development Agency

United Nations Capital Development Fund

United Nations Country Team

United Nations Development Programme

United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization

United Nations Development Fund for Women

AMARC

ANDA

ARVs

CCA

CO

CBO

CSO

Danida

DevComm

DFID

FAO

GMOs

HDRs

ICTs

MDGs

MISA

NGO

OHCHR

PRSP

SDC

SIDA

UNCDF

UNCT

UNDP

UNESCO

UNIFEM

Acronyms

Chapter 1 Introduction 6

UNDP – Bureau for Development Policy – Democratic Governance Group

1. Introduction

UNDP’s mandate is poverty reduction. Its priorities reflect aspecific commitment to the achievement of the MillenniumDevelopment Goals (MDGs) within the framework of theMillennium Declaration. Success in achieving the MDGs and thebroader millennium agenda will be determined in large part byhow well national planning processes are informed by the genuineparticipation and involvement of those most affected bydevelopment. UNDP believes that information andcommunication focused interventions are central in bringingabout such participation. It believes that genuine involvementand participation can only occur if the information needs of allcitizens (including those at the margins of societies) are met andthe voices of those most affected by development decisions areheard.

This Practical Guidance Note explicitly focuses on the role of informationand communication in empowering vulnerable groups, and particularlycentres on strategies that can strengthen the media to play this role. Itis not intended to prescribe the ‘ideal’ media landscape. An empoweringmedia and communication environment in one country may look verydifferent in another in terms of media ownership, number ofcommunity media outlets and media policy and regulation.

The Guidance Note takes account of the UN Millennium SummitOutcome,1 the Paris Declaration2 and other recent global meetings ondevelopment. It sets out how the character of today’s developmentchallenges makes the strategies recommended here particularlyrelevant and increasingly urgent in supporting efforts to meet theMDGs.

This Note is divided into two parts. Part One explains why informationand communication should be an increasing priority in UNDP’sgovernance work. It analyses how media and communicationlandscapes are changing, and shows how these changes directly impactthe ability of people living in poverty to make their voices heard insociety. Part Two provides practical guidance for programming. Itexplains how to make an assessment of the information andcommunication environment, and provides guidance for incorporatinginformation and communication based approaches into developmentwork. The Note identifies key entry points for UNDP’s engagement inthis area, based on its comparative advantage and its mandate to reducepoverty through a human rights based framework.

(1)www.globalpolicy.org/msummit/millenni/2005/0913thirteenth.pdf#search=’millennium%20summit%20outcome%20document

(2)www.oecd.org/dataoecd/0/27/34504737.pdf



1.1 The context of the Practical Guidance NoteThis is one of a series of Guidance Notes related to Access toInformation.3 UNDP’s Practice Note on Access to Information outlines aclear strategic framework for its work in Access to Information.4 At thecore of this framework is one central objective – to lever support in away that maximizes people’s participation, especially the poor, indemocratic governance.

There are four main support areas in UNDP’s Access to Information work:

1. Strengthening the legal and regulatory environment for freedom andpluralism in information;

2. Supporting capacity strengthening, networking, and elevating thestandard of media at national and local levels with a view topromoting the exchange of independent and pluralist information;

3. Raising awareness on rights to official information and strengtheningmechanisms to provide and access information;

4. Strengthening communication mechanisms for vulnerable groups.

This Practical Guidance Note focuses explicitly on the fourth area. Itsaim is to demonstrate how media can strengthen communicationmechanisms for vulnerable groups and in doing so contribute to theirempowerment. The Practical Guidance Note defines this approach asCommunication for Empowerment.

Communication for Empowerment can involve working in a contestedand complex political environment. While some governmentswelcome efforts to inform and empower their citizens, many wish toretain tight control over the media as an instrument of politicalinfluence, or are nervous about increasing media pluralism. UNDP’sneutrality, combined with its partnerships in government, civil societyand the media, as well as its explicit commitment to and potentialleadership role in empowering vulnerable groups, provide animportant bridging and convening role in these issues.

(3)www.undp.org/oslocentre/access_dev.htm

(4)UNDP Access to Information PracticeNote, www.undp.org/policy/docs/policynotes/a2i-english-final-4649027220103883.pdf



1.2 What is Communication for Empowerment?Communication for Empowerment is an approach that puts theinformation and communication needs and interests of disempoweredand marginalized groups at the centre of media support. The aim ofCommunication for Empowerment is to ensure that the media has thecapacity and capability to generate and provide the information thatmarginalized groups want and need and to provide a channel formarginalized groups to discuss and voice their perspectives on theissues that most concern them.

Communication for Empowerment, as with all areas of UNDP’s Accessto Information work, is consistent with and rooted in a human rightsbased approach to development which incorporates the core values ofequity and empowerment and derives from Article 19 of the UniversalDeclaration of Human Rights and International Covenant on Civil andPolitical Rights.

1.3 What does this Practical Guidance Note cover?This Guidance Note details the role the media can play to makeinformation and communication more accessible to poor people andto provide a voice to those most affected by development. It also setsout how UNDP can strengthen action in this area.

The Guidance Note complements UNDP’s Practical Guidance Note onCivic Education5 which focuses on learning-based capacitydevelopment interventions for enhancing civic knowledge, civicdisposition and civic skills which promote participation in public life.This Note deals explicitly with the role of the media in supportingvulnerable groups. This encompasses its role in informing vulnerablegroups of issues that affect them, in providing opportunities for themto air their concerns in the public arena, and in providing spaces forthem to discuss and debate issues between themselves and with others.

In the context of this Practical Guidance Note, the term media includestraditional broadcast media (i.e. TV and radio) and the print press. ThisGuidance Note has a greater focus on radio as this continues to be by farthe most accessible medium for poor people in much of the developingworld.

(5)UNDP Practical Guidance Note on CivicEducation, 2004www. undp. org/oslocentre/docs04/Civic %20education. pdf



1.4 What doesn’t the Practical Guidance Note cover?Other important information and communication based interventionsdealing with, for example, the role of interpersonal communication,informal information and communication networks, communityconversations, and other similar public and private dialogue strategiesare not substantially addressed here.

The Practical Guidance Note does not address issues related to UNDP’sinternal communication or the work of the organization in promotingUNDP’s messages and mission, but rather aims to provide guidance onhow to support the media in ways that will contribute to empoweringvulnerable groups in society.

The role of the media in preventing, and in some instances promoting,conflict is not specifically addressed in this Practical Guidance Note.Media and conflict is a subject of critical importance and greatcomplexity that requires a Practical Guidance Note dedicated solely toit. UNDP plans to publish such a Guidance Note which will draw onexisting UNDP work in this area to provide specific guidance for itsprogramming.6

1.5 Who is the Practical Guidance Note for?The Practical Guidance Note is principally for UNDP developmentpractitioners, specifically democratic governance and communicationsspecialists in UNDP Country Offices interested in, and wishing to takeaction to address the challenges outlined in this guide.

(6)See Chapter 1, Access to Information inPost Conflict Settingswww.undp. org/oslocentre/achvmdg2.htm

Chapter 2 Why Communication for Empowerment matters even more now 10


A combination of factors, particularly the accumulation ofpractitioner knowledge and experience, as well as changes in themedia environment, provides greater impetus to prioritizingCommunication for Empowerment interventions. There is also agrowing realization by key development actors thatCommunication for Empowerment is a fundamental underpinningfor participation and therefore ownership in achieving the MDGs.

2.1 Five main converging factors1. The increasingly networked character of developing country societies: The

combination of increased democratization, use of communicationtechnologies, rapid liberalization and proliferation of media, and theemergence of more dynamic civil societies – all within the context ofglobalization is leading to new opportunities and challenges for usingcommunication to empower people living in poverty.

2. A better understanding of the importance of power structure analysisto successful development strategies: Current developmentdiscourses, such as “drivers of change” studies,7 are paying attentionto the way vested interests and other political factors affectdevelopment interventions. The media’s role in reinforcing orcountering this influence is increasingly becoming a considerationin the design of effective development strategies.

3. The experience of what works and demonstrating impact: Evaluationsof recent development experience, particularly from the HIV/AIDSpandemic, have led to a reassessment of traditional communicationapproaches and greater attention to participatory communicationstrategies. Growing evidence of the impact of communication fordevelopment is emerging and new approaches to evaluatingparticipatory communication approaches are being developed.8

4. A growing communication knowledge network is in evidence,characterized by a rapid and diverse proliferation of communicationinitiatives all over the developing world, most of them designed toempower people.9

5. The importance of communication to the MDGs: There is now awidespread recognition that meeting the MDGs will require peopleto have a much stronger sense of ownership of the developmentstrategies designed to benefit them. The success of currentdevelopment policies will therefore depend upon citizens, particularlythose living in poverty, being able to hold their governments to accountand to engage actively as informed citizens.

2. Why Communication for Empowermentmatters even more now

(7)www.grc-exchange.org/g_themes/politicalsystems_drivers.html

(8)For examples refer to: Dfid Guidelineson HIV/AIDS Communication, Dfid,2005, www.dfid.gov. uk/pubs/files/aids-communication.pdf,; UNCommunication for DevelopmentRoundtable Report, 2002www.panos.org.uk; and Missing theMessage: 20 years of learning of HIV/AIDS communication, Panos, 2003

(9)For examples refer to: theCommunication Initiative,www.comminit.com; Who measureschange? Participatory monitoring andevaluationwww.communicationforsocialchange.org;Soul City evaluationswww.soulcity.org.zm; and variousevaluations at www.comminit.com

PART ONE:THE COMMUNICATIONFOR EMPOWERMENTCONTEXT



2.2 Reaching the MDGs: country ownership, citizen voice, andaccountabilityDevelopment agencies are revisiting their assessment of the role ofcommunication and media in meeting the MDGs. A meeting of bilateraland multilateral development agencies held at the RockefellerFoundation Bellagio Conference Centre in 2004 concluded that:

“To a large degree, success in achieving the MDGs rests on participationand ownership. Communication is fundamental to helping peoplechange the societies in which they live, particularly communicationstrategies which both inform and amplify the voices of those with mostat stake and which address the structural impediments to achievingthese goals. However, such strategies remain a low priority ondevelopment agendas, undermining achievement of the MDGs” (seeAnnex).



Box 1. The importance of country ownership: two briefexamples

Containing HIV/AIDsThe goal of containing HIV/AIDS by 2015, and allied efforts toincrease access to anti-retroviral drugs, will not be reachedunless greater priority is given to communication. SuccessfulHIV/AIDS strategies depend on communication in order to helppeople construct a social environment in which behaviourchange becomes possible. Through dialogue and discussion,people can convert stigma to support. Strategies that placethe voices of those affected by HIV/AIDS at the core areessential to strengthen community based demand forprevention and treatment.

Poverty Reduction StrategiesThe integration of Communication for Empowermentapproaches holds great potential for enhancing theeffectiveness and outreach of Poverty Reduction Strategies(PRSPs). However, several recent reports, including a majorstudy by the World Bank, DFID and the Overseas DevelopmentInstitute,10 and from the Panos Institute,11 have concluded thatPRSP strategies have seriously suffered because of aninsufficient focus on communication. They point to inadequateefforts to generate public understanding and public debate ofPRSP processes. They also highlight the challenges in ensuringthat those with most to win or lose from these debates havethe ability to make their perspectives heard, particularlythrough the media. Clear targets for the purpose of monitoringare necessary for poor people to hold those responsible forimplementing PRSPs to account. A lack of such targets, inaddition to the media’s inadequate attention to creatingopportunities for debate and discussion, has underminedperceptions of real ownership of the PRSP process.

The UN Millennium Summit in September 2005 reaffirmed, “Strongand unambiguous commitment by all governments, in donor anddeveloping nations alike, to achieve the MDGs by 2015.” The role of thevoices of the poor in informing national decision-making processes, inholding governments accountable to those living in poverty, and inachieving ownership of PRSP and other development strategies bythose with most at stake in development, is seen as vital to meetingthe MDGs.

(10)With the Support of Multitudes: Usingstrategic communication to fightpoverty through PRSPs, Mozammel,Masud and Odugbemi, Sina, Dfid, 2005www.dfid.gov.uk/pubs/files/strat-comm-prsp.pdf

(11)Reducing Poverty: Is the World Bank’sStrategy Working? Warnock, Kitty, PanosInstitute, London, 2002www.panos.org.uk/Docs/reports/ReducingPoverty.doc



A critical factor in countries “owning” their own development strategiesis informed and inclusive public debate. Holding such debate is difficultif media is not informed, engaged and capable of both reaching andreflecting the perspectives of those most affected by developmentdecisions.

Several donors and development agencies have committed themselvesto providing more resources in the form of direct budget support. Atthe same time they have promised to impose fewer conditions ongovernments which receive assistance on the understanding thatgovernments should be more accountable to their own citizens than toexternal donors. As a consequence, interest in and support for the roleof the media in providing a check on government power on behalf ofcitizens can be expected to become an increasing priority.

Box 2. Voices on the Breeze - Communication forEmpowerment in Zambia12

Until 2003, when Breeze FM came on air, the people of Chipata,in eastern Zambia, had little involvement in the content oftheir local radio broadcasting. Information came from twomain sources: the government radio stations, which broadcastfrom the capital city, Lusaka, located some 600 kilometresaway; and civil society and religious sources.

These were fine up to a point, but the communication waslargely one-way and was about issues that the government,civil society and church organizations thought were importantfor the people. Two things were still missing: relevant andlocalized information on the issues that most affected and mostconcerned people in the region; and the opportunity to discussand bring to public attention their concerns and perceptions.

When Breeze FM opened in the provincial town of Chipata in2003,that changed. This commercial station prided itself onserving the community. It hired a retired school teacher whosoon became known as “Gogo” (grandfather) Breeze.

Gogo Breeze is pioneering a new type of journalism. Every day hetravels on his bicycle from township to township and village tovillage, meeting and talking to people about their real issues andproblems, recording their long-ignored folklore and music and –crucially - from office to office following up on people’scomplaints and grievances.

(12)Extract from an interview with MikeDaka, founder of Breeze FM at www.breezefm. com. Breeze FM is oneexample of many hundreds ofcommunity, commercial and publicservice media that are finding newways of providing a voice andgenerating dialogue on keydevelopment issues. See for example,Making Waves: Stories of participatoryCommunication for Social Change,Alfonso Gumucio,www.communicationforsocialchange.orgOther examples can be found onwww.comminit.com



He covers distances of up to 70 kilometres responding to therequests from villagers to visit their areas. When at the stationhe spends a lot of time receiving ordinary folk who come intoChipata town for other business and features those who visitthe station on a programme entitled, ‘Landilani Alendo”(Welcome To Our Visitors). His other programmes include themost popular ‘Letters from Our Listeners’ in which people,young and old, ask for his assistance in resolving issues rangingfrom family and community conflicts to poor governance andservice delivery at central, provincial, local and traditionallevels.

The government is slowly waking up to the fact that the localradio station is more effective in communicating importantinformation to the public than their own national broadcasterand is beginning to work with the station in areas such asagriculture, education, environment and health.

According to the managing director of the station,“Organizations such as the UNDP, who are concerned aboutalleviating poverty and improving the living standards of ruralpeople, now also have useful communication channels throughwhich to meaningfully involve people in development efforts.UNDP could lead the way in exploring ways and meansof utilizing the potential provided by community based radiosuch as Breeze FM to communicate and encourage dialoguewith and among poor people on the Millennium DevelopmentGoals (MDGs).”

The station is carrying out three roles which either did not orbarely existed in the region before. It is providing a voiceexplicitly for vulnerable groups to communicate theirperspectives in the public domain; it is providing a space forsuch groups to engage in public dialogue and debate on theissues that affect them; and it is providing a channel tocommunicate information on development issues to peoplemost affected, and to communicate perspectives from thesepeople to those in authority. While the station is largelysustainable, it does rely on sponsorship/advertisements fromdevelopment and other social organizations, and it also relieson an enabling regulatory framework. Breeze FM receivedsupport from UNESCO (for studio and transmitter equipment),which provided studio and transmitter equipment, the OpenSociety Institute and Danida.

Chapter 3 Media trends and challenges 15


The media landscape in most developing countries hasundergone a revolution over the last 15 years. This has beenmarked by increased democratization; an ensuing liberalizationof media, particularly of broadcasting; a subsequent decline ingovernment support to former monopoly broadcasting; andgreater availability of new and more cost effective informationand communication technologies.

Media in many of these countries have been transformed frommonopolistic and government-dominated systems to increasinglydiverse types. Changes related to the communication opportunitiesfor the poor are in general insufficiently mapped, but evidence isgrowing that their effects are profound. The key media trends and theirimplications, both positive and negative, are summarized in the tableon page 18.13

To a large extent changes during this period have been positive,characterized by increasing independence for media outlets in manycountries. At the same time new challenges are also being posed formedia, and its ability to serve the poor. Democratization, liberalization,and donor assistance in particular have given rise to challenges, as wellas opportunities. It is worth highlighting some of the more pronouncedchallenges.

1. Liberalization: Liberal media policy is fostering more open, free anddiverse environments for media discussion. At the same time,however, liberalization is yet to be firmly entrenched in a number ofcountries, and hard fought freedoms, including freedom of expression,are under renewed pressure, particularly in Eastern Europe.

2. Commercialization: Commercialization of the media has been awelcome source of diversification and funding in many national mediaenvironments. However, while proliferation of media in the wake ofliberalization was initially marked by an upsurge of public debate ona whole range of issues, this progress is being offset bycommercialization. Evidence is growing that as competitionintensifies, content is increasingly being shaped by the demands ofadvertisers and sponsors rather than public interest factors.

3. Media trends and challenges

(13)A more detailed explanation of thesetrends can be found in The OtherInformation Revolution: Media andempowerment in developing countries,by Deane, James et al, UNRISD, 2003www.unrisd.org



3. Few successful examples of transformation from state to publicservice broadcasting: Public service broadcasting has the potentialto play a crucial role in ensuring the public’s right to receive a widediversity of independent and non-partisan information and ideas. Itcan also help to promote a sense of national identity, fosterdemocratic and other important social values, provide qualityeducational and informational programming, and serve the needs ofminority and other specialized interest groups.14 However, formergovernment-owned monopoly broadcasters have rarely transformedthemselves into independent public service broadcasters. Declininginvestment in these media – usually the media with the greatestreach (including into rural areas) – has often led to a reduction in pro-poor programming and minority language services.

4. Balancing donors’ legitimate wish to get development across withthe need to build the professional capacity of the media: Ratherthan increase support to media and communication strategies thatpromote inclusive debate, the response of many development actorshas been to invest in advocacy efforts, including using media to gettheir own message across. This is often entirely legitimate, but theremay be a danger that such investment can come at the expense ofdeveloping the capacities of the media.

(14)See the UNDP Practical Guidance Noteon Support to Public ServiceBroadcastingwww. undp. org/oslocentre/docs04/PublicServiceBroadcasting. pdf



Box 3. Not just radio: India and the rural newspaperrevolution15

India has undergone more dramatic and rapid change in its medialandscape perhaps than any other country, characterizedparticularly by a dramatic liberalization and an explosion ofsatellite television. A less documented revolution is taking placein its newspaper industry where a “rural newspaper revolution” istaking place.16

In many countries, people living in rural areas are considered tobe a low priority for newspapers. Distribution is expensive,newsgathering difficult and advertisers are often uninterested in apopulation with so little purchasing power. In India, however,rural areas are increasingly important business for newspapers. Inmany Indian states, including Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand,Chattisgarh or Uttar Pradesh, newspapers have fine-tuned theirpublication and delivery schedules to deliver newspapers by sixa.m. to villages (or at least those that are close to roads), in everydistrict of the state. It is a market created by growing literacy,improved roads and other communications, increased purchasingpower by those in rural areas, and increased hunger forinformation caused in part by a hunger for greater - and morelocalized - information than that provided by radio and television(community radio in India remains largely illegal). Newspaperswhich have found their urban markets declining or stagnating, andadvertising income leaching to television, have been forced tolook for new markets.

Local newspaper editions are now important informationchannels for development agents at the village level. Civil societyorganizations have been able to get community news, includingwomen’s news, as well as to publicly raise these issues in thewider society. This development has been reported to bringtransparency in the dynamics of political parties, generatingdiscussion on given policy options. On the other hand, SevantaNinan, an Indian media researcher who has written extensively onthis revolution, argues that the revolution has its drawbacks. “Ruralscribes are loose canons. They inform, but they alsosensationalise and trivialise.” The newspaper revolution has alsotended to be driven by profit-maximizing, rather thandevelopment concerns.

The Indian government is resisting pressure to liberalize radiobroadcasting and this in turn has prevented the emergence of avibrant community radio sector. Rural newspapers are in somerespects filling this gap, providing an obvious point ofengagement for those working to improve governance.

(16)Does the Rural Newspaper Revolutionpromote development? Sevanti Ninan,www.thehoot.org

(15)Extract from an article based onongoing research funded by theNational Foundation for India andwritten by Sevanti Ninan, a mediacolumnist and researcher. Publishedon www.thehoot.org

Freedom of expression is fragile and in manycountries under renewed pressure. Media whichunderwent a flourishing of freedoms in the 1990sare seeing those freedoms increasingly curtailedwith a major diminution of freedom of expression.This takes many forms, including political orcommercial pressure, censorship or self-censorship, overt or covert. This trend is beingaccentuated by additional constraints promptedby the war on terror. Journalists’ deaths in thecourse of their work are increasing.

Widespread liberalization of media, particularly ofbroadcasting: an increasingly crowded, complexmedia environment. An information revolutionwhich particularly affects the poor.

Demand by citizens groups for greater access toinformation from government is becoming moreorganised and more prevalent.

Media coverage is becoming more parochial andreporting and communication across culturalboundaries more limited. South-Southcommunication is, except through opportunitiesprovided by the internet, increasingly limited, withdeclining interest from editors to report from otherdeveloping countries. In an age of globalization,media coverage globally is, in cross-cultural terms,increasingly limited to a homogenous globalentertainment and celebrity industry.

None, although civil society organizations andmedia freedom organizations are finding commoncause in some countries, and in some casesinternationally, to demand protection of freedom.

An increasingly diverse and open media. Aproliferation of media creating new opportunitiesfor public debate, engagement, governmentscrutiny and diversity of perspectives.

Greater accountability of government to thosemost affected, and increased opportunities forthose most affected to generate their own agendasfor change.

Media is reinventing itself and catalysing rapidprocesses of social change, with global mediaplayers often having to root their strategies in thecultural realities of the countries in which theyoperate. Fresh, energetic hybrid cultural identitiesare often being formed (the satellite revolution inIndia is one example) and cultural products (suchas Bollywood) flourishing.

Protecting existing freedoms and advancing media freedom.This is important so mainstream media and the society as awhole can exercise freedom of expression, not just an urbanelite. 17 [See the Bellagio Statement on Media, Freedomand Poverty, www.panos.org.uk]

Media coverage is focused heavily on mainstream politics andentertainment. Increasingly competitive, commercial,consumer -oriented, advertising-driven media has fewincentives to focus on poverty related issues or to reflect theperspectives of those living in poverty. Such issues areincreasingly marginalized unless development agenciessponsor coverage. In some countries with freedom ofexpression, only a minority of the population is in a position toexercise or benefit from it.

Challenges of programming and scaling up such efforts whilemaintaining civil society ownership.

Sources of information on the global forces shaping changefor the vast majority of people living in poverty are arguablydwindling or are at least increasingly dependent on a smallnumber of major global news providers such as the BBC.Twenty years ago there were perhaps five or six global newsservices explicitly focused on covering news issues from adeveloping country perspective and aimed at promotingSouth-South communication. Today there is perhapsone.Coverage of global processes (i.e. trade, aid, debt, andnew technologies such as GMOs ) is arguably declining.

3.1 Media development trends: complex and contradictory

Positive implications ChallengesCommunication trend

A revitalization of the oral tradition withdiscussion programmes, talk shows and phone-insis opening up new forms of public debate anddiscourse. Citizens have increasing opportunitiesto make their perspectives heard in the publicarena and to question those in authority. Manyexamples of radio stations engaging indevelopment issues in fresh and original forms.

Increasingly, information is passed horizontallybetween people, rather than vertically, and newcommunication environments are characterizedby discussion, debate, interpersonal and many tomany communication.

A resurgent community media movement (e.g.www.amarc.org) is fostering a mushrooming ofcommunity based and owned media initiativescommitted to amplifying voices of those living inpoverty. Increasing number of examples ofpositive social change as a result of such mediaefforts.

Development agencies can form national orregional partnerships with major media players fordevelopment focused media initiatives rather thanwork with a myriad of smaller actors.

The new radio revolution is a largely urban, commercial one.State-run broadcasting entities are often in crisis, withreductions in government funding leading to reducedtransmission capacity (often to rural areas), of minoritylanguage programming and content (e.g. agricultural/educational), and of issues concerning to people living inpoverty. Few models exist of successful transformation fromgovernment-controlled to public service broadcasting. Thereis little monitoring of these trends or their impacts. Talkshows/phone-ins can be difficult too (often a need to screencalls and avoid incitement) and professional standards andtraining can vary. Equipment for screening calls can be beyondbudgets of small stations.

Opportunities for disseminating development messages tolarge numbers of people through a limited number of mediachannels is dwindling. Development agencies face challengesin fostering and engaging in debates.

Media can be captured by narrow, special interests bent onfostering violence, division or intolerance. It is often used byreligious, political or other actors to promote their interests.Community media face challenges of sustainability. Not allmedia described as community media are genuinely rooted in,owned by, or accountable to the communities they aim toserve; equally, some commercial media outlets may serve astrong community function.

Concentration is leading to decreased pluralism in the media,potentially undermining freedom of expression. Strongevidence that this is leading to a growing focus on profit ratherthan public interest.

A radio renaissance with a dramatic increase inthe number of radio stations in many of thepoorest countries (e.g. more than 100 in Uganda,several hundred in Niger). Talk-based radio iscombining with the spread of ICTs to make radioan increasingly interactive medium. Radiocontinues to be by far the most accessiblemedium in much of the developing world.

‘Old’ technologies, such as radio, television andthe printing press, are interacting with newtechnologies (internet, SMS, mobile telephony)and increasingly connected civil societies, tocreate much more networked societies.

A fragmentation of media, with many moreinterests and organizations having a stake in themedia.

Growing concentration of media ownership—atthe global, regional and national levels—isincreasingly a characteristic of new environments.

ChallengesPositive implicationsCommunication trend

New opportunities for journalists wanting to make theirmark, particularly by exposing government or othercorruption or mismanagement. Journalists are workingin an expanding and dynamic field. (Potential) newopportunities for women journalists in a traditionallymale profession. Journalists’ role is beingcomplemented by those of DJs and talk show hosts, andby new breeds of journalists like Mr Gogo on Breeze FM,who travels around communities in Zambia to discoverpeople’s concerns (see Box 2 on Page 13).

In many cases this is leading to an increasinglyprofessional and informed media, with greateropportunities for exposure to development issues.

New opportunities for development programming oftenwith dramatic results. e.g. “edutainment” programmessuch as Soul City television, radio and print soap operasin South Africa (www. soulcity.org.za).

There is little incentive among many journalists to focus ondevelopment issues since this is a poor career move. With nopaying market for poverty-related content, and particularly forpolitically sensitive or awkward reporting, the incentive forjournalists, editors, publishers and owners to prioritize suchreporting is declining. Journalists in some countries continueto risk jail or death when covering public interest issuesunpopular to some governments or vested interests.

Public interest journalism training is under pressure, andschools in some countries find that graduates are oftensnapped up by the public relations and advertising industries.Much training is fragmented and unstructured and there isevidence of “seminar fatigue” among editors and journalists.While in some places journalists are becoming moreprofessional, this is offset by the number of small media actorswith small budgets who cannot afford professional journalisticstaff and there is in some sectors a decline in mediaprofessionalism. Many media support programmes focus onnews, and accurate news reporting, in the context of a one-dimensional model of “free media”. “Media for Development”issues, such as diversity of content, audience participation,and stations, are not often included in such courses.

Media organizations increasingly depend on the developmentsector for income. Danger of “highest bidder syndrome”determining content, being dictated by financial requirementsrather than journalistic judgment. Development agencies areincreasingly accused of using the media for their ownadvertising benefits.

The evolving role of journalism in adramatically changing environment.

There is also increasing support bydevelopment agencies for journalisttraining and awareness raising strategies.

Development agencies are increasinglyengaging with the media as partners.

Positive implications ChallengesCommunication trend

Chapter 4 How can UNDP make a difference ? 21


UNDP can use its already established roles and expertise in fourkey areas to support Communication for Empowerment for poorand marginalized people. These are:

• Its convening and facilitating roleIn many countries UNDP has often assumed an importantcoordinating and facilitating role, liaising between government,donors, civil society organizations and project partners. UNDP coulduse this role to play a much stronger convening and facilitating rolein the area of Communication for Empowerment. If Communicationfor Empowerment strategies are to succeed, improved collaborativerelationships are needed with all players active in this area, includingother UN agencies, particularly at the UN Country Team (UNCT) level.UNDP is well placed to ensure that information and communicationanalyses are undertaken at the national and sub-national levels andthat such analyses inform the agreed national development prioritiesfor UN-wide development programming.

• Its advocacy and advisory roleCommunication for Empowerment requires an enablingenvironment for media that poor people can access. To this end, UNDPcan draw on its traditional role in working with/advising nationalgovernment counterparts on policy development.

Identifying national counterparts with a similar vision is an importantpart of the process, given the degree to which country contexts varyin their support of or hostility towards Communication forEmpowerment. These partnerships can benefit UNDP by ensuring itunderstands the situation of its target group – those living in poverty– in all development programming and by strengthening UNDP’sability to provide quality upstream advice.

Communication for Empowerment can play a key role in contributingto the effectiveness of development and poverty reduction plans.UNDP is well positioned to advocate for greater attention to pro-poor media in meeting the MDGs.

4. How can UNDP make a difference in the areaof Communication for Empowerment?PART TWO:

PRACTICAL GUIDANCEFOR PROGRAMMING

Chapter 4 How can UNDP make a difference ? 22


• Its focus on national capacity developmentCapacity development is a priority for all UNDP’s work. Developingthe capacities of the media is critical in an environment faced withthe challenges outlined in section 3 (i.e. liberalization, financialunsustainability, commercialization). With development assistancemodalities shifting more towards direct budget support, the mediamay be in a more precarious situation.

• Its expertise and experience in democratic governanceAs at the end of 2005, 133 of UNDP’s 135 Country Offices reportedwork in Democratic Governance. This translates into every CountryOffice in the Africa, Arab States, Eastern and Central Europe and LatinAmerica Caribbean regions reporting support to this area, and allbut two in the Asia Pacific region. In financial terms, democraticgovernance continues to be the leading practice area for UNDP,accounting for approximately 46% of UNDP’s global technicalassistance expenditures in all practice areas in 2005 (nearly $1.4billion worldwide). This also makes UNDP one of the world’s largestproviders of governance technical assistance. Through this supportto democratic governance programmes UNDP can work to ensurethat the media, especially community and public service media, issupported.

Chapter 5 UNDP’s support to Communication for Empowerment 23


This section focuses on how to design and develop practicalCommunication for Empowerment strategies. It has twocomponents:

1. Undertaking an information and communication audit.2. Selecting possible Communication for Empowerment support areas:

i. Increasing access to information of marginalized groups;ii. Highlighting and amplifying marginalized voices;iii. Creating spaces for public debate, dialogue and action.

The process of undertaking an information and communication audit isa crucial part of any Communication for Empowerment interventionand section 5.1 is therefore devoted exclusively to it. The secondcomponent dealing with selecting possible Communication forEmpowerment support areas is addressed in sections 5.2.

5.1 Undertaking an information and communication auditIn most developing countries, an understanding of what informationpeople living in poverty value and have access to, and what opportunitythey have to make their perspectives public through the media, isextremely sparse.

Any strategy designed to meet the information and communicationneeds of people living in poverty must be informed by an understandingof what information and communication opportunities already exist,and what people’s needs are. To do this, it is recommended that UNDPCountry Offices undertake, commission or otherwise support aninformation and communication audit which can serve as baselinesurveys for designing, monitoring and evaluating future programmaticactivities.

Ideally, the results of a mapping of the information and communicationenvironment, especially as it affects poorer groups in society, shouldbe an integral part of the strategic situational analysis documents suchas the Common Country Assessments (CCA) or equivalent to the CCAthat is used to inform development planning frameworks.

5. UNDP’s support to Communication forEmpowerment

An information and communication audit includes two parts:

1 Mapping the information needs of poor people(information audit)

2 Mapping the voice needs of poor people(communication audit)



Outlined below is a detailed set of guidelines and suggestions forcarrying out such an audit. Not all these suggestions will be equallyapplicable in all situations. The overarching principle is to focus on theneeds of those most affected by development, and to bridge the gapbetween their needs and opportunities for access to information andcommunication.

5.1.1 Mapping the information needs of poor people(information audit)A critical first step is to understand what information on an issue ofconcern is available to people, and whether such information enablespeople to come to their own understanding of it.

People living in poverty need many types of information. For thepurposes of this process, information is not in the form of explicit advice,such as ‘vaccinate your child’ or ‘wear a condom’. Nor is it informationdesigned to promote awareness of a particular organization. Rather,the audit is designed to assess access to information that enables peopleto come to their own understanding of an issue, and to help form theirown analysis of it.

Such information needs to be accessible and understandable,particularly to people who live in poverty or at the margins of society.It needs to be in a language they can understand, and in a form that theycan access on their own terms. It needs to relate to their personalsituations. It is generally information that raises questions or encouragesa response from the recipient rather than simply seeking to educatethem or raise awareness of an issue.

Key questions in an ‘information audit’

How accessible is the media? Which media do people have access to? Which newspapers and other media are available in a community? Are radio or television signals strong enough to reach ruralcommunities? How has access changed, how can it be expected to change? This isparticularly aimed at discovering accessibility in rural areas.

What is the value placed on the media? What value or credibility do people in any given community placeon the media and for what reasons?Is it valued for news, for discussion, for music and entertainment?Does it have a development value in their eyes? Is there a perception that the media is or could be important to people? Is the media trusted by vulnerable groups?



What is the content of the media? Does it provide information on policy or social issues (national orlocal) in ways that people affected can understand and respond to? Is there a level of balance and reliability? Is coverage relevant? What form does coverage take (news reporting, investigativereporting, talk shows and discussion programmes)? Do people find it covers the issues that most affect their lives? Do UNDP or other development practitioners find coverage of thosepolicy issues which are most impacting on people’s lives? (e.g. healthor education reforms, land reform, water policy, governmentdecentralization, poverty reduction strategies etc.)

How does the media deal with language and literacy issues?Is there sufficient literacy for people to access print media? Are the media broadcast in a language which people most affectedspeak?

Who owns and who controls the media?Is the media controlled by specific political interests and, if so howmuch does this dictate or bias coverage, or possibly foster communaltension? Is there strong government control, and if so does this limit opencoverage and discussion?Is it controlled by religious interests, and if so does this determinecoverage or curtail coverage of issues such as contraception, safe sexor maternal health, or alternatively provide opportunities fordiscussion of poverty related issues?Is there tight commercial control determining coverage, for example,only that which appeals to those who constitute a market foradvertisers? Does coverage allow people to come to their own understanding,and create their own meaning of issues?

What shapes the priorities of media decision makers? Why do those responsible for media content make the decisionsthey do? What commercial or political pressures are they under? What room do they have to prioritize poverty-related content? How can their creative, intellectual and financial resources bemobilized in support of poverty related content?



What is the overall enabling environment for the media? Are there regulatory measures to diversify ownership? Is there a liberalized environment? Is community media encouraged or permitted? Are there measures to encourage social content of private operators(as conditions of licences), and if so, are these widely accepted oruseful? Is freedom of expression effectively protected and upheld?

What is the position of women in the media? How are women portrayed by the media? How are gender related issues covered by the media? What is the gender balance of men/women journalists?

Who receives the media?Who owns the radios and determines when they are on and wherethey are listened to? (e.g. men or women; community elders oruniversal access)If there are televisions, where are they placed? (e.g. in people’shomes, in a community space, in the homes of a community leader)Who can afford batteries for radios and is there the capacity to obtain,for example, wind-up/solar powered radios?

What other ways can people access information on issues that affectthem?

Are there strong civil society or community development networkswhich fulfil this function?Are they trusted, and do they provide a range of arguments to people?Is there increasing access to the internet or telecommunicationthrough which people can access this information?

Who are the key actors providing support to the media to improvepoor people’s access to information?

What do they do? Where is their support directed? How are CSOs engaging with the media? Are CSOs involving the media in their outreach and advocacyprogrammes? If so how?



What are the existing support mechanisms to media, and what supportmechanisms have already been identified by the media or other actorsto encourage pro-poor coverage?

Is there support for training (journalism) initiatives to improve accessto – and make accessible – government information and policiesconcerning vulnerable groups?Are donors supporting the media in terms of providing equipmentand technology that will extend the media’s outreach to marginalizedcommunities?

What is the status of public service and former monopolybroadcasters?

Are there strategies to transform them into independent publicservice providers, and if not, what are the constraints? Are they cutting back on language services relied on by vulnerablegroups, or transmitter capacity which may provide the only signal tosome rural areas? Are they open to debate and feedback?

Box 4. Communication for Empowerment in Peru:Citizens’ Media Watch18

Citizens’ Media Watch brings together eleven civil societyorganizations to monitor the quality of mass media in Peru.Founded in 2001 and hosted by the NGO, Calandria, it consistsof the National Association of Advertisers (ANDA), UNICEF,communication faculties of several different universities and aweb of interested specialists and opinion leaders. There is alsoa group of volunteers from seven cities: Lima, Arequipa, Cusco,Puno, Iquitos, Trujillo, and Chimbote; and it relies on theparticipation of citizens all around the country.

The principal objectives of Citizens’ Media Watch are to:mobilize civil society institutions to work towards betterquality mass media content; make visible citizens’ opinionsregarding the media; educate and mobilize citizens to achievethe right to voice their opinions; and influence the authorities,entrepreneurs, and media themselves to see theirresponsibility in communicating with Peruvian audiences.Citizens’ Media Watch claims that it is currently the onlyinstitution in Peru dedicated exclusively to monitoring mediafor better quality and to offering mechanisms for citizenparticipation. Through Media Watch, citizens can express theiropinion about media and they can also advocate for respect of

(18)www.comminit.com/experiences/pds42004/experiences-1906.html

their communication rights.



5.1.2 Mapping the voice needs of poor people(communication/voice audit)Just as important as ascertaining the information needs of people livingin poverty is determining what opportunities people have tocommunicate their own perspectives through the media. Acommunication or voice audit would be designed to determine to whatextent the perspectives, voices, and aspirations of vulnerable groupsare reflected in media coverage. Many of the questions set out abovewill provide insight into these issues. In addition a series of other criticalquestions can be asked:

Key questions in a ‘communication/voice audit’

Is the media structured in a way that provides opportunities for peopleliving in poverty to have their views heard?

Is there a healthy community media movement: are there talk shows,discussion programmes and phone-ins that encourage people to give theirperspectives?

Is the media listening and investigating issues of concern: To what extent do journalists and other media figures explicitly travel to andreport from and on poor communities? How accurate is their reporting and how effective are they at includingperspectives?Are there initiatives from radio or television stations to actively solicit people’sviews? (e.g. in the form of listening clubs)

Is the media noticed by policy makers? If the media is providing space for people most affected by development tohave their say, is there evidence that politicians and other decision makersare likely to take note of such media coverage?

Is training or support available to journalists to encourage them to reflectand report perspectives of those living in poverty and other marginalizedgroups?

Are there other incentives in place for doing so, such as awards orfellowships? Do editors support journalists to travel to rural areas and other communitiesof vulnerable groups?

Are there opportunities for public dialogue on key issues of concern? Whether prompted by the media or from other sources?

Are there infrastructure challenges which prevent people from having theirvoices heard?

Is there access to telephony? (e.g. phone-ins to television or radio, or evento newspapers, depend on access to telephony)



What other opportunities exist for people living in poverty to make theirvoices heard?

Is there a strong network of civil society or other organizations? Do they see a value in strengthening the capacity of the media to reflectthese concerns and voices?

What are the key groups working to strengthen the media’s capacity tomeet the communication needs of poor people?

What do they do? Where is their support directed?

What support mechanisms for media exist that are designed to highlightthe voices of vulnerable groups in mainstream public debate?

Is there donor support for community media, or support to journalists whotravel to and report from rural or disadvantaged communities (i.e.fellowships, travel support, and awards)?

5.1.3 Methodologies and approaches for undertaking the auditsSome of the information needed to answer the key questions in theinformation and communication audits might already be compiled andaccessible, but because trends are fast moving and because this area isa comparatively neglected one, new research is likely to be needed.Research can take two main forms:

• Ensuring that information and communication questions are includedin existing UNDP data gathering and research processes (e.g.participatory assessment tools).

• Specific support to or commissioning of information andcommunication audits by UNDP.

Sources of information can include existing UNDP country analyses suchas the CCA and MDG reports as well as reports from partner UN agencies,particularly UNESCO and FAO. Sources of information will also comefrom research carried out by media support agencies and NGOs.Examples include Panos, AMARC, Article 19, the Media Institute ofSouthern Africa (MISA), the Asian Media Information andCommunication Center, the Media Foundation (India), the BBC WorldService Trust, Rhodes University, and many more such organizations,19

as well as university and NGO research organizations. Such organizationscan potentially be commissioned or supported to carry out such audits.

(19)Panos - www. panos. org. uk; the WorldAssociation of Community RadioBroadcasters (AMARC) -www.amarc.org; Article 19 - www.article19. org; MISA - www. misa. org;the Asian Media Information andCommunication Center -www.amic.org.sg; the MediaFoundation (India) - www.thehoot.org;the BBC World Service Trust -www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/us/trust;.Rhodes University - journ.ru.ac.za/See also the UNDP Oslo Centre globaldatabase for information on these andother key players working with accessto information and communicationissues at undp.botterli.com/default.aspx.



Box 5. Ter Yat: The Ugandan Mega Forum

Ter Yat is a weekly political talk show broadcast on Mega FM, acommunity based radio station in Gulu, northern Uganda,explicitly set up to contribute to dialogue and better publicunderstanding in order to defuse tensions. Supported by DFID,but run on a commercial basis, the station broadcasts 24 hoursa day, and has a strong emphasis on developmentprogramming. Unlike most other radio stations accessible inthe region, it broadcasts in Luo, the local language. Audienceresearch suggests that it is listened to by more than half of themillion or so people it reaches.

Ter Yat is one of the most popular programmes on the station,broadcast weekly on Saturday mornings. Political leaders andopinion makers discuss issues of regional and nationalimportance. Ministers, members of parliament, religiousleaders, politicians and rebels talk in the studio or by phoneand give their views on the way forward to peace anddevelopment and above all answer questions through phone-ins.

Audit methods will vary but are likely to involve a mix of quantitativeand qualitative data including:

• Household surveys and other field work focused on covering people’saccess to and perspectives on the media;

• Central Statistical Offices and other government information on theprofile of the media (e.g. statistical information on the density anddiversity of the media);

• Networking and consulting with community based organizations on theinformation and communication needs of people living in poverty;

• Interviews with senior representatives of a sample of private and communitybroadcasters, including heads of programmes. Interviews can cover issuesof ownership (private, community, religious), location (capital, other city,rural), language (majority/official, minority/local), size (large, small) andconstraints and opportunities;



• Content analysis of selected media programmes (identified by thebroadcasters as being “pro-poor” or “containing the voices of the poor”)against “pro-poor” criteria.

o What were the sources of the information?o Did poor people influence the choice of topic, or the programme

format?o Did poor people speak on the programme?o Did the programme give poor people the opportunity to respond

to the information being given?

• Interviews with samples of listeners/viewers/readers on their listening habitsand attitudes in relation to specific development indices; and on theirattitudes to programmes against specific criteria. Sample groups could beselected, for instance, from three locations: one urban, one rural withcommunity radio, one rural with no community radio;

• Small focus groups of selected audiences in the three locations with a specific emphasis on people living in poverty;

• Radio listening clubs, which can take many forms but which in this instanceare supported to provide feedback and assessment of the value of media.Such clubs can be representative of the community as a whole, or fromspecific groups (e.g. women, or people with HIV);

• Independent media monitoring studies, and possibly involving support toindependent media monitoring organizations to collect appropriate dataand conduct content analysis (e.g. content analysis by the Media Instituteof Southern Africa);20

• Mapping of media initiatives specifically designed to foster perspectives ofpoor people (e.g. listeners’ groups);

• Monitoring of legal and policy process, particularly on access to information.

5.1.4 Issues to bear in mind when undertaking audits

Partnerships with other organizations, particularly UNESCO, should beconsidered.

It is extremely important to minimize duplication of data-gathering efforts.In many places the effort may be on original research. In others it may be asynthesis of existing research and data, or support for greater coherence inexisting data gathering and research efforts which are already beingundertaken. UNDP’s important convening role may be especially importantin this context.

Government may be uneasy about UNDP carrying out such audit workdirectly itself. Support to partner organizations to carry out this work maybe a more appropriate strategy in some cases.

(20)www.misa.org



It is important that audits do not make assumptions about what people’sinformation and communication needs are. A balance will need to be struckbetween focusing the research on an MDG priority area (for example people’saccess to information and capacity to communicate perspectives aroundHIV/AIDS), and gaining a detailed insight into a fundamental understandingof what people themselves prioritize in terms of information andcommunication needs.

5.1.5 Issues to bear in mind before selecting intervention areasAn information and communication audit should serve as the baselinefor identifying strategies to address information and communicationgaps. Before outlining such entry points it is important to note thatCommunication for Empowerment strategies need to be rooted notonly in a strong understanding of the information and communicationneeds of vulnerable groups, but also in a broader political analysis whichtakes into account any risks of increasing factionalism or communaltension in society. Media directed strategies that encourage debateand dialogue across such boundaries and within a context of acommitment to reflect fairly a variety of perspectives are clearly

There is also a manageable risk associated with more liberalized andopen media environments or with investments in Communication forEmpowerment strategies. Particular media or communication outletscan be captured by special interests (political, commercial or religious)with a view to sowing mistrust and tension in society. A plural mediainevitably can mean a fragmented media which can divide along ethnic,political or other lines.

5.2 Communication for Empowerment support areasThere are three broad areas in which UNDP is well placed to supportCommunication for Empowerment.

i. Increasing access to information for marginalized groups;ii. Highlighting and amplifying marginalized voices;iii. Creating spaces for public debate, dialogue and action.

particularly important in this context.



Working with relevantgovernment departments atnational and local levels todevelop and implement openmedia policies, laws andregulations.

Establishing partnerships withrelevant media organizations andCSOs which are either workingwith or have direct links to poorpeople.

Integrating Communication forEmpowerment into broaderAccess to Information activitiesand other democratic governancework.

Goal Suggested Entry Points

1. Supporting thetransformation ofstate broadcastingmonopolies intopublic interest servicemedia.

2. Supporting theinvolvement of civilsociety and mediaorganizations in theprovision ofaccessible, credible,unbiased forms ofinformation peoplecan understand andact on.

3. Strengthening theimpact of UNDP’sAccess to Informationand other democraticgovernance activities.

4. Encouraginggovernment to makeinformation moreavailable to the publicand journalists.

Article 19 - www.article19.orgBBC World Service Trust - www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice.us.trustUNDP Case Study Paper on Support to PublicService Broadcasting - www.undp.org/oslocentre/docs04/PublicServiceBroadcasting.pdf

UNDP and Civil Society: A Policy of Engagement -www.undp.org/policy/docs/policynotes/Partners in Human Development: UNDP and CivilSociety www.undp.org/cso/partnershd.htmlUNDP and Civil Society Organizations: A Toolkitfor Strengthening Partnershipswww.undp.org/cso/documents/CSO_Toolkit_linked.pdfPanos - www.panos.org.uk

UNDP Practice Note on Access to Information -www.undp.org/oslocentre/access_prac.htm UNDP Toolkit on Access to Information -www.undp.org/oslocentre/citzpart.htm UNDP Democratic Governance practice noteswww.undp.org/governance/practice-notes.htm

UNDP Practical Guidance Note on Right toInformation - www.undp.org/oslocentre/docs04/RighttoInformation.pdf Article 19 – www.article19.orgCommonwealth Human Rights Initiative -www.humanrightsinitiative.org UNDP Practical Guidance Note on E-Governance -www.undp.org/governance/guidelines-toolkits.htm#guides_egov Transparency International Access to InformationProgramme -www.corisweb.org/article/articlestatic/4/1/246/The Danish Institute for Human Rights -www.humanrights.dk/frontpage

Examples of Information andKnowledge Resources

• Initiate a dialogue on theimportance of informationtransparency and openness forachieving the MDGs;

• Support right to informationlegislation and policies;

• Support government informationofficers within ministerialdepartments;

• Support e-governance and otherinitiatives focused on enhancingcitizens’ access to information.(e.g. supporting governmentdepartments to develop theirown websites).

5.2.1 Increasing access to information for marginalized groupsThis area of support focuses on various mechanisms designed to fill information gaps.

Working with government partnersat national and local levels to:



Goal Suggested Entry Points Examples of Information and KnowledgeResources

World Association of Community RadioBroadcasters (AMARC) - www.amarc.orgMedia Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) -www.misa.org Communication for Social ChangeConsortium –www.communicationforsocialchange.org

Gender and Media Southern Africa –www.gemsa.org.za Panos – www.panos.orgGender Links – www.genderlinks.zaThe Global Media Monitoring Project -www.globalmediamonitoring.orgThe Communication Initiative –www.comminit.comUNIFEM – www.uniefm.org

5.2.2 Highlighting and amplifying marginalized voicesThis area of support focuses on the need for interventions to ensure that the concerns of those at themargins of political or social power structures are highlighted in media and public debate.

• Working with government partners ondeveloping legislation that promotescommunity media and protects against unfaircompetition;

• Working with other key development players(i.e. media, CSOs, donors, government) toprovide strategic support to foster communitymedia.;

• Supporting public interest programming ofvarious media including local news, phone-ins, and hosted chat shows.

• Working with media organizations, CSOs,and research institutes to developrelevant training.

• Using the MDGs and HDRs to inform andupdate media organizations on keydevelopment issues at the national andlocal levels.;

• Organizing roundtables with interestedjournalists and editors to explore creativeinitiatives and partnerships to highlightmarginalized voices;

• People with HIV/AIDS taking centre stage atpress conferences;

• Gender awareness training for editors andjournalists;

• Promoting the efforts of women journaliststhrough awards.

• Working with media organizations, CSOs,and research institutes to buildprogramming capacity of relevant mediaorganizations;

• Monitoring and analysing media coverage,content and discussion, including press,radio and television coverage, and payingparticular attention to minority orunofficial language media. Reporting onfindings to government decision makers.

BBC World Service Trust –www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/us/trustMediaInstitute of Southern Africa (MISA) –www.misa.orgThe Global Media Monitoring Project -www.globalmediamonitoring.orgUNESCO – www.unesco.org

World Association of Community RadioBroadcasters (AMARC) - www.amarc.orgUNESCO -http://portal.unesco.org/frev.phpURL_ID=24669&URL_DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.htmlFAO - www.fao.orgThe Communications Initiative –www.commint.orgPanos – www.panos.org.ukCommunica – www.communica.orgInternews – www.internews.org

3. Increasing journalists’awareness ofdevelopment issuesand advocating waysof giving prominenceto marginalizedvoices.

4. Building the capacity ofmedia to (i) makeprogrammes covering arange of governance anddevelopment issues (ii)make programmes thataddress the specific needsof poor and marginalizedgroups (iii) report onissues that affect the poor.

2. Providing mediatraining to CBOs toenable them tocommunicate viewsin mainstream policydebate.

1. Supporting anenablingenvironment for alltypes of communityand public interestmedia.



5.2.3 Creating spaces for public debate, dialogue and actionMany mechanisms are available and already used effectively by UNDP and its partners to foster publicdialogue and debate. For the purposes of Communication for Empowerment, such debate must centreon what is important to the community. Deliberate efforts need to be made to place those most affectedby an issue at the heart of the debate.

1. Supporting linkagesbetween minoritylanguages, community orother community-focusedmedia initiatives tonational policy processesand national publicdebates.

2. Providing support andencouragement to mediaprogrammes that promotediscussion, such as radiotalk shows, broadcastpublic debates, andtravelling theatres. Thiscould include creatingawards.

Suggested Entry Points Possible Information andKnowledge Resources

Goal

Communication for Social ChangeConsortium – www.communicationforsocialchange.orgUNESCO- portal.unesco.org/fr/ev.php-URL_ID=24669&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html

• Establishing partnerships withrelevant media organizations andCSOs which are either workingwith or have direct links to poorpeople;

• Working with media, CSOs andlocal government.

• Supporting CSOs and mediaorganizations that use pro-poorinteractive broadcastingcommunication (i.e. talk shows,broadcast public debates, andtravelling theatres).

• Forging sustained links with civiceducation initiatives.

3. Increasing poorpeople’sunderstanding andknowledge of key localgovernment anddevelopment issuesand participation inpublic affairs .

World Association of Community RadioBroadcasters - www.amarc.orgInterworldradio (Panos) –www.interworldradio.org

Civicus – www.civicus.orgUNDP Practical Guidance Note on CivicEducation www.undp.org/oslocentre/access_dev.htmUNDP Essentials on Civic Engagement(October 2002) - www.undp.org/eo/documents/essentials/CivicEngagement-Final31October2002.pdf CIVNET - www.civnet.orgTelevision Trust for the Environment –www.tve.org United Nation Volunteers (UNV) -www.unv.org/index.htmDevelopment Research Centre onCitizenship, Participation andAccountabilitywww.drc-citizenship.org/

Chapter 6 Modalities for UNDP support to Communication for Empowermentent 36


6. Modalities for UNDP support toCommunication for Empowerment

There are three principal modalities for UNDP support toCommunication for Empowerment:

1. Establishing Communication for Empowerment projects;2. Mainstreaming Communication for Empowerment in democratic

governance and other practice area programmes;3. Extra-programme support: putting Communication for

Empowerment on the agenda in all development dialogue anddiscourse.

All modalities require support in terms of resources and each modalitypresents opportunities and challenges in this respect. In terms offinancial resources available to UNDP Country Offices, the DemocraticGovernance Thematic Trust Fund (DGTTF)21 offers one such opportunityto fund activities in this area through the Access to Information ServiceLine.

6.1 Establishing Communication for Empowerment projectsThis approach involves individual projects combined with strong andstructured linkages with other projects and programmes. The projectis focused on one or more of the principal Communication forEmpowerment support areas. Choosing this approach can give rise toother advantageous outcomes including:

• Greater potential to develop partnerships and managementstructures, specifically around Communication for Empowerment;

• Greater clarity of content and strategy which may appeal to somedonors that have a specific interest in Communication forEmpowerment;

• Potential to create a strong staffing resource to support and adviseCommunication for Empowerment components in otherprogrammes.

6.2 Mainstreaming Communication for Empowerment indemocratic governance and other practice area programmesThis approach requires ensuring that the results of an information andcommunication audit are integrated into the needs assessments thatinform all democratic governance and other UNDP programmes.Including the Communication for Empowerment perspective at thedesign stage of development programmes allows greater synergiesbetween Communication for Empowerment and other UNDP serviceline areas and acknowledges its cross-cutting nature. This option is agood alternative for Country Offices that do not have the resources topursue a dedicated Communication for Empowerment programme.

(21) www.undp.org/governance/ttf.htm

Chapter 6 Modalities for UNDP support to Communication for Empowermentent 37


6.3 Extra-programme support: putting Communication forEmpowerment on the agenda in all development dialogue anddiscourseThis approach draws on UNDP’s role as a leading actor and partner inpolicy level dialogue and reform. It calls for UNDP Country Offices(including programme, communications and other staff ) to advocateCommunication for Empowerment in dialogue with nationalcounterparts and in global forums. This means keeping the informationand communication needs of poor groups at the centre of discussionswith development partners, and in important advocacy and policyinitiatives such as the development of the MDG reports, as well as theglobal, regional and national HDRs.

Chapter 7 Partnerships 38


By working in partnership with other development actors, UNDPcan lever its relatively limited resources to address complexchallenges and to enhance the impact of its work onCommunication for Empowerment.

Ultimately, its effectiveness in supporting Communication forEmpowerment initiatives will depend on the types of partnerships itforms with organizations that uphold the UNDP’s values of sustainablehuman development driven by a human rights based approach, as wellas having a shared vision of the potential of the media as a force indevelopment.

UNDP’s main partners in Communication for Empowerment aregovernment (national and local) and CSOs including media organizations.Other key partners will be the UN family, including UNESCO but alsoother UN agencies that work on media related issues such as FAO, UNICEF,UNIFEM and OCHR, as well as multilateral and bilateral organizations.

7. Partnerships

7.1 GovernmentsNational governments are the principal partner of UNDP. Its relationshipwith governments is a special one based on respect, mutualaccountability and recognition of the important of national ownershipof development processes. The organization has a key role in enhancingnational and local government’s awareness of the importance ofCommunication for Empowerment in achieving the MDGs. The idea ofsustaining a dialogue with CSOs, particularly media organizations whichretain the right to criticize government policies, sits uneasily with anumber of governments. UNDP has an important role in mediatingthis dialogue between government and CSOs.

7.2 Civil society organizationsMany CSOs can bring to a partnership valuable and authoritativeexpertise and experience from working on access to information andcommunication issues with poor people at local level. However, notall CSOs work necessarily in the interests of the poor. If interventions inthe area of communication for empowerment are to reflect the needsof poor people, UNDP needs to identify relevant CSO partners atnational and local level which have both a strong understanding of thecircumstances of the poor and expertise in helping them to accessinformation and make their voices heard.

Chapter 7 Partnerships 39


7.3 Media organizationsMany UNDP Country Offices already have good working relationshipswith a number of national and local based media in their countries,especially around the dialogue and debate generated by national MDGreports and National HDRs. As with UNDP’s relationships with otherCSOs, UNDP will need to identify a broad range of media to work with,especially community based media and media that have an interest inthe needs and concerns of vulnerable groups in society. This requiresactively ensuring that such organizations are supported in a way thatenables them to participate in UNDP media outreach events (e.g.mapping local and community media to understand what media outletsexist, what kind of information and news services they provide, andproviding financial support to enable them to interact in UNDP mediaevents).

7.4 Media support organizationsThere are a range of international, regional and national organizationsthat are providing support to media capacity development, e.g. financialsupport, training programmes and technical advisory services. TheUNDP Oslo Governance Centre maintains an updated database of over100 such organizations which can be accessed at undp.botterli.com.

7.5 Multilateral and bilateral development agenciesThere are a number of multilateral and bilateral development partnersthat are prioritizing Communication for Empowerment support. TheWorld Bank’s Development Communication Division (DevComm)supports the Bank’s mission of reducing poverty by providing clientswith strategic communication advice and tools they need to developand implement successful projects and pro-poor reform efforts.22 TheFAO’s Sustainable Development Department has been a pioneer inthe use of communication processes and media to help rural peopleto exchange experiences, find common ground for collaboration andactively participate in and manage agricultural and rural developmentactivities.23 UNESCO has a long history of providing technical supportand expertise in strengthening community based media. Bilateraldonors such as the Danish International Development Agency (Danida),Global Finland, the Netherlands Foreign Ministry, the NorwegianAgency for Development Cooperation (Norad), the SwedishInternational Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA) the SwissAgency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and the UKDepartment for International Development (DFID) include support tothe media as part of a pro-poor development strategy.

(22) web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/TOPICS/EXTDEVCOMMENG/0,,contentMDK:20239027~menuPK:490442~pagePK:34000187~piPK:34000160~theSitePK:423815,00.html(23)www.fao.org/sd/KN1_en.htm

Chapter 8 Monitoring and evaluation 40


8. Monitoring and evaluation

The table below lists some example output indicators across thethree main Communication for Empowerment support areas.These output indicators are linked to achieving a key outcomefor any Communication for Empowerment programme, and thatis to increase poor people’s participation in the governance anddevelopment processes that impact on their lives.

While these indicators point to priority areas for measurement, UNDPCountry Offices should also refer to the corporate guidance and workthat is ongoing on enhancing results based management, as well asguidance on measuring the impact of communication work producedby other organizations. 24

• New legislation or degreeto which legislative/policyframework provides asupportive environment forpublic interest/publicservice media;

• Increased media coverage/content on development/MDG issues in mainstreamand community media;

• Increased diversity of mediadelivery serving allpopulations, includingbroadcasting in minoritylanguages, and adequatetransmitter capacity toreach vulnerable groups;

• Improved support for, andcapacity of, media supportorganizations in providingaccessible, credibleinformation in forms peoplecan understand and engagewith.

• Increased evidence of strongdevelopment orientation inmedia reporting, sparking publicdebate and dialogue;

• Increased reference to mediacoverage from surveys withfamilies/communities;

• Increased reference fromsurveys with civil societyorganizations that action ordebate is sparked by mediacoverage;

• Policy changes linked to media-generated public debate(characterised by strongrepresentation of perspectivesof vulnerable groups);

• Value placed on the media byvulnerable groups in their abilityto access relevant policy issues;

• Degree to which governmentprocesses (select committees,ministerial consultations etc)reflect and seek to garnerresults of media-facilitateddebate.

Creating spaces for publicdebate, dialogue and action

• New legislation, or improvements inthe degree to which the legislative/policy framework provides asupportive environment forcommunity media;

• Increase in the number, sustainability,quality and professionalism, anddynamism of community-owned andcommunity-based media;

• Increased and improved profile forgrassroots civil society organizations inmedia debates;

• Increased participation andrepresentation of the perspectives ofvulnerable groups in media debates,for instance in phone-ins, mainstreammedia reporting;

• Increased investigative reporting onissues of concern to vulnerablegroups, and increased ability ofvulnerable groups to bring issues ofconcern onto the media agenda;

• Degree to which women’s voices andperspectives are reported fairly andprominently.

Increasing the access toinformation ofmarginalized groups

Highlighting and amplifyingmarginalized voices

(24)See the UNDP Evaluation OfficeHandbook on Monitoring andEvaluating for Results which should beconsulted for generic technicalguidance on developing indicators forbaseline setting and monitoring andevaluating. stone.undp.org/undpweb/eo/evalnet/docstore3/yellowbook/documents/full_draft.pdf. and Whomeasures change?, Communication forSocial Change Consortium 2005, www.communicationforsocialchange.org;and Guiding note on indicators forcommunication for development,Danida, 2004.



An example of innovative monitoring and evaluation techniques inCommunication for Empowerment is provided by the UNDP/UNESCOsupported community radio stations in Mozambique (see box).

Box 6. Barefoot Assessments: evaluating community radioin Mozambique25

An expanding network of community radios is strengtheningcivil society and supporting community development andsocial change in Mozambique. The increase from onecommunity radio station in 1994 to nearly fifty in 2005 meansthat more than a third of the population now lives within reachof a station. Regular and sustainable impact assessments areessential if these stations are to be effective.

The UNESCO/UNDP Mozambique Media Development Projectwww.mediamoz.com set out to determine whethercommunity radio stations promote democracy, activeinvolvement of communities, and allow people to set theirown development agendas. They also sought to ensure thatvolunteer community radio producers would be able to carryout assessments by themselves beyond the project’s end. Theassessment model they adopted was labelled a “barefoot”impact assessment, so called because the methodology waseasy to apply and produced understandable results.

The impact assessment focused on three sets of questions:• Is the radio station working effectively internally and do the

volunteers have contracts, rights, and clearly defined duties?• Do the programmes respond to the interests of the public?

Are they well researched, using culturally relevant formatssuch as story telling, songs, proverbs and music? Are theyconsidered good and effective by listeners?

• Does the radio station create desired development andsocial change (determined by the original baselineresearch) within the community?

“Barefoot” impact assessments of eight of Mozambique’scommunity radio stations revealed both positive results andpotential problems:

Areas of Dondo, a town in the centre waiting for years forelectricity, were successful following an intense one monthcommunity radio campaign.

(25)Extract from “Assessing communitychange: development of a “barefoot”impact assessment methodology’, byBirgitte Jallov, Radio Journal, July2005, www. id21. org



The number of deaths caused by cholera in Dondo duringannual flooding in 2004 dropped drastically to zero becauseduring a cholera epidemic the radio broadcast informationabout the distribution of chlorine and the importance ofputting it in the water.

The number of people seeking HIV testing increasedsignificantly after radio programmes created an environmentwhere the subject could be discussed openly. Working on andlistening to radio programmes also helped young people buildup confidence to negotiate practicing safe sex.

The civic education campaigns resulted in increasedparticipation, heightened debate and community control ofelection procedures.

In one case most management functions had been filled bypeople from the Catholic Church and the assessmentdiscovered that the radio was beginning to be referred towithin the community as a Catholic radio, which waspotentially divisive.

One radio station had a high turnover among volunteers,motivating the radio management to discover why they wereall leaving and what could be done.

“Barefoot” impact assessments can ensure that communityradio stations are on track with their objectives. They can alsoprovide feedback to the communities in which they areworking and demonstrate their credibility to local andinternational funding partners. They need to be simple enoughto be sustainable without external assistance andsystematically making sure that impact is assessed at all threelevels outlined above.

Chapter 9 Resources and further reading 43


9. Resources and further reading

UNDP publicationsAccess to Information Practice Note. UNDP (2003)www.undp.org/policy/docs/policynotes/a2i-english-final-4649027220103883.pdf

Practical Guidance Note on Civic Education. UNDP (2004)www.undp.org/oslocentre/docs04/Civic%20education.pdf

Other relevant publicationsBackground Paper for Communication for Development Roundtable,Nicaragua. Panos Institute: sponsored by UNFPA in association withthe Rockefeller Foundation and UNESCO (2001)www.comminit.com/pdf/cdr_nov22.pdf

Bibliography of Who Measures Change. Communication for SocialChange Consortium. (2005)www.communicationforsocialchange.org/index.php?pageid=10&articleid=1

Communications and Development. Burke, Adam. DFID, SocialDevelopment Division (1999)www.dfid.gov.uk/Pubs/files/c-d.pdf

Communication for Social Change: Working Paper Series. Figueroa,Maria Elena, D. Lawrence Kincaid, Manju Rani & Gary Lewis.Rockerfeller Foundation (2002)www.rockfound.org/Documents/540/socialchange.pdf

Communication for Social Change: A Position Paper and ConferenceReport. The Rockefeller Foundation. (1999)www.communicationforsocialchange.org/publications-resources.php?id=108

Communication That Works. Chetley, Andrew. Health Exchange (2002)www.ecdpm.org/Web_ECDPM/Web/Content/Navigation.nsf/index.htm

Conflict Sensitive Approaches: Resource Pack. Roth, Colin (ed). FEWER,International Alert & Saferworld. (2003)www.conflictsensitivity.org/

Empowerment, Participation and the Poor. Streeten, Paul. HumanDevelopment Report Office. Occasional Paper, Background Paper forthe HDR (2002)hdr.undp. org/docs/publications/background_papers/2002/Streeten_2002.pdf



Family Tree of Theories, Methodologies and Strategies in DevelopmentCommunication: convergences and differences. Waiboard, Silvio. TheRockefeller Foundation (2001)www.communicationforsocialchange.org/publications-resources.php?id=105

Giving Voice to the Voiceless: Good Governance, Human Development &Mass Communications. Norris, Pippa & Dieter Zinnbauer. HumanDevelopment Report Office. Occasional Paper, Background Paper forthe HDR (2002)hdr.undp.org/docs/publications/background_papers/2002/Norris-Zinnbauer_2002.pdf

Involving the Community – A guide to Participatory DevelopmentCommunication. Besette, Guy. International Development ResearchCentre (2004)web.idrc.ca/openebooks/066-7/

Laying the Foundation for Sustainable Development: GoodGovernance and the Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers (PRSPs.)Hudock, Dr Ann., World Learning Foundation (2003)www.worldlearning.org/wlid/docs/wl_goodgov_povreduce.pdf

Making Knowledge Networks Work for the Poor. Lloyd-Laney, Megan.Intermediate Technology Development Group (2003)www.itcltd.com/docs/mknwp%20project%20final%20report.pdf

Managing Development Communication in Bank Projects – AHandbook for Project Officers. Inter-American Development BankOffice of External Relations & Academy for Educational Development(2004)enet.iadb.org/idbdocswebservices/idbdocsInternet/IADBPublicDoc.aspx?docnum=491159

Missing the message: 20 years of learning of HIV/AIDS communication.Panos. (2003)www.panos.org.uk/PDF/reports/mtm_eng_hi.pdf

Participatory Communication Strategy Design. Mefalopulos, Paolo &Chris Kamlongera. SADC Centre of Communication for Development.FAO (2005)www.fao.org/documents/show_cdr.asp?url_file=/docrep/008/y5794e/y5794e00.htm



Reducing Poverty: Is the World Bank’s strategy working? Panos (2003)www.panos.org.uk/Docs/reports/ReducingPoverty.doc

Report of the Commission for Africa in 2005. Commission for Africa(2005)www.commissionforafrica.org/english/report/introduction.html

Report of the Communication for Development Roundtable. FAO (2004)siteresources. worldbank. org/EXTDEVCOMMENG/Resources/faoreport2005.pdf#search=’Report%20of%20the%20Communication%20for%20Development%20Roundtable%2C%202004%2C%20FAO

Social Accountability an Introduction to The Concept and EmergingPractice. Carmen Malena & Reiner Forster, Janmejay Singh. SocialDevelopment Papers: Participation and Civic Engagement. PaperNo. 76. World Bank Institute (2004)siteresources.worldbank.org/INTPCENG/214578-1116499844371/20524122/310420PAPER0So1ity0SDP0Civic0no1076.pdf

Strengthening the Knowledge and Information Systems of the UrbanPoor. Schilderman, Theo. Intermediate Technology DevelopmentGroup (2002)www.itdg.org/?id=kis_research

The Other Information Revolution: Media and empowerment indeveloping countriesDeane, James et al. UNRISD (2003)www.unrisd.org

Strategic Communication for Development Projects – A toolkit for taskteam leaders. Cabañero-Verzosa, Cecillia. World Bank (2003)siteresources.worldbank.org/EXTDEVCOMMENG/Resources/toolkitwebjan2004.pdf

Strategic Communication in PRSP. Mozammel, Masud & ZatiokalBarbara. World Bank (2002)siteresources.worldbank.org/EXTDEVCOMMENG/Resources/prspstrategiccommchapter.pdf

Voice, Accountability and Human Development: The Emergence of aNew Agenda. Goetz, Anne Marie & Rob Jenkins. HumanDevelopment Report Office, Occasional Paper, Background Paper forthe HDR (2002)hdr.undp.org/docs/publications/background_papers/2002/Goetz-Jenkins_2002.pdf



With the support of multitudes: Using strategic communication to fightpoverty through PRSPs. Department for International Development,UK and World Bank (2005)www.dfid.gov.uk/pubs/files/strat-comm-prsp.pdf

In November, 2004 a group of representatives from bilateral,multilateral and nongovernmental organizations met at the RockefellerFoundation Bellagio Conference Centre, Italy, to explore howcommunication strategies could support the Millennium DevelopmentGoals. The meeting was organised by the Communication for SocialChange Consortium with the support of the Department forInternational Development (DFID), UK. This statement (edited from itsoriginal) was developed and adopted at the meeting along with a set ofAction Points.

In 2000, the world committed to the Millennium Declaration, and tomeeting eight Millennium Development Goals by 2015. In 2004,prospects for achieving these goals are already in doubt.

To a large degree, success in achieving them rests on participation andownership. Communication is fundamental to helping people changethe societies in which they live, particularly communication strategieswhich both inform and amplify the voices of those with most at stakeand which address the structural impediments to achieving these goals.However, such strategies remain a low priority on developmentagendas, undermining achievement of the MDGs. For example:

• The principal strategy for meeting the primary MDG of halvingpoverty by 2015 is the implementation of poverty reductionstrategies. Despite an emphasis in the PRSP process on participation,poor public understanding, limited public debate and low levels ofcountry ownership threaten successful implementation of thisstrategy. Similar problems threaten sector wide approaches andbudget support programmes.

• The goal of containing HIV/AIDS by 2015 and allied efforts to increaseaccess to anti-retroviral drugs will not be reached unless greaterpriority is given to communication. Successful HIV/AIDS strategiesdepend on communication to help people construct a socialenvironment in which behaviour change becomes possible. Throughdialogue and discussion, they can convert stigma to support. Whereless than 10% of people know their HIV status, communication isneeded to ensure that ARVs reach and benefit those who need them.Strategies which place the voices of those affected by HIV/AIDS atthe core are essential to affect community based demand forprevention and treatment.

ANNEXBellagio Statement on the Role of Communication inMeeting the Millennium Development GoalsNovember 8 - 11, 2004

• The goal of reducing child mortality is challenged by increasing, ratherthan decreasing child mortality rates. The global effort to eliminatepolio, for example, has been undermined by anti-immunizationcampaigns. Communication strategies that engage dialogue onthese issues are critical to successful responses to this challenge.

• High priority on the Development Cooperation agenda is given toenhancing democracy, enlarging participation and strengthening ofhuman rights for poor people. To reach this goal the importance oftwo-way development communication, where poor populations aregiven opportunities to share voice their needs cannot beoverestimated.

• The goal of halving extreme poverty and hunger by 2015 will not bemet unless rural poverty is addressed. Knowledge, communicationand participation are essential to this process.

Several development agencies are reconsidering and reprioritisingcommunication strategies in response to these and many similarchallenges. A Communication for Development Congress, initiated bythe World Bank, is planned in 2005. At the same time, communicationstrategies in many development agencies are fragile, fragmented, andunstrategic.

New strategic thinking around meeting the MDGs is now taking place,and communication should be central to this thinking.

In this context, effective communication can no longer be seen asinformation dissemination alone. If communication practitioners createand nurture forums for public discussion, they can build support for theMDGs and produce social energy to achieve them. It cannot beoverstated that communication is a two-way process, rooted inprinciples of ownership, participation and voice. These principles werereaffirmed at the United Nations’ Roundtable on Communication forDevelopment held in Rome, Italy in 2004.

The changing and complex information and communicationenvironment reinforces this emphasis and creates new communicationopportunities, especially if information and communicationtechnologies are used to support people-centred development.Attempts to achieve the MDGs should be based on core principles ofdevelopment thinking, such as equity, gender sensitivity, inclusion, andcultural sensitivity. Such principles must be reflected in funding andpractice of the communication strategies used by developmentagencies to meet the MDGs.

United Nations Development ProgrammeBureau for Development Policy,Democratic Governance Group,304 East 45th Street, New YorkNY 10017

Oslo Governance CentreBorgata 2BPostboks 2881 Tøyen0608 OsloNorway

www.undp.orgwww.undp.org/oslocentre

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