Liberia

2012 The Team Tabella FC: Final Outreach Report

This is the final report based on evaluation of The Team (Children and Youth) project implemented by Search for Common Ground/Talking Drum Studio-Liberia. This report covers outreach activities beginning March 2011 for the mobile screening of The Team: Tabella FC, a television project funded with grant from the UK's Department for International Development (DFID), USAID, the UK Foreign & Commonwealth Office, and the Norwegian government.

After a successful screening for 10 weeks on a number of TV stations in Monrovia, it became expedient to take the film outside to the greater society through mobile screening. This became possible with funding from the Children and Youth project of Search for Common Ground, Washington DC. The screening began in April of 2011 with a projection for completion at the end of June, 2011. But due to some unforeseen circumstances and the slow transfer of funds, the activities had to be extended to March, 2012. Unfortunately, funding for the completion of the project ended when the first set of outreach activities had only begun in 2011. As a result, some of the activities specified in the project could not be implemented.

This report covers outreach activities carried out under the C&Y Grant – the screening of these films in communities around Liberia – with the involvement of youth and children as part of the activities and part of discussions and feedback sessions.

Read the Final Outreach Report

2009 Liberia National Action Plan Survey Results

An outcome of the Internatioanl Colloquium on Women's Empowerment, Leadership Development, International Peace and Security held in Monrovia in March 2009 was the inclusion of women in post-conflict reconstruction into the Liberian National Action Plan (LNAP). The purpose of this survey at hand was to identify the gaps in rural Liberians' perceptions and knowledge of the recent inclusion of this component into the LNAP. The results have been used by both Ministry of Gender and Development and donor agencies alike. The emphasis of which is two-fold: (1) to receive feedback on the Liberian National Action Plan to include women in post-conflict reconstruction, and (2) to assess people's feelings about the state of women's peace and security in rural communities. After surveying a sample of 304 individuals in six counties throughout Liberia, the results found that while there was prevalent knowledge of the International Colloquium, there were significant gaps in understanding related to the LNAP and work of the Ministry of Gender and Development.

Read the National Action Plan Survey Results

2009 Liberia Community Radio Case Study: The Sustainability Myth

Community radio stations face several obstacles that threaten both their operations and engagement in democratic development. However, there are models of successful community radios in Liberia, and upon closer inspection there is evidence of long-term planning, accountability mechanisms and innovative management strategies. There are programs aimed at attracting community revenue and local advertisers, station managers who have identified alternative resources for capacity building, and national networks created for advocacy. This case study, carried out by Search for Common Ground in February 2009, explores exactly how these community radios are sustaining themselves, thereby revealing how the appropriate interventions aimed at increasing community radio's stability can be identified and their growth incorporated into the development agenda. The goal of the case study was to explore how community radios are sustaining themselves, while its specific objectives were to (1) identify strategies and innovations unique to community radio that enhance and strengthen sustainability, and (2) establish the community's role in sustaining community radio. The primary research tool was an informal interview protocol with guided questions developed in consultation with Search for Common Ground's Sierra Leone office. Community radio managers in the towns of Voinjama, Senji, Gbarnga, Ganta and Buchanan were the primary interviewees as they were in the best position to answer questions regarding the community radios' operations.

Read the Case Study

2008 Supporting Women's Engagement in Peacebuilding and Preventing Sexual and Gender Based Violence in Post-Conflict Community Led Approaches

This baseline assessment was carried out between September and October of 2008, and assessed the existing baseline on project indicators, providing both qualitative and quantitative data against which the indicators could be measured. In total there were three indicators measured: knowledge and awareness of SGBV in the community, available resources and their utilization in response to SGBV, and women's participation in economic and development activities in the community. To collect data a variety of research methods and tools were employed including desk review, surveys, focus group discussions, key informant interviews, and key stakeholder interviews. Ultimately, the baseline assessment found that SGBV reaches every part of the country and there are substantial hurdles to preventing and addressing it including bad road networks and transportations, insufficient awareness and trainings, and inaccessibility of the justice system particularly in rural areas.

Read the Baseline Assessment Report

2008 Report of Evaluation: Facilitating Civil Society Dialogue and Development to Foster Accountability and Good Governance in Liberia

The two year project (October 2006 - October 2008) Facilitating Civil Society Dialogue and Development to Foster Accountability and Good Governance in Liberia had two principal objectives; to increase the capability of civil society to engage their new leaders on governance and accountability issues and to increase constructive engagement between the government and civil society on how the state is governed. In order to reach these objectives, the project involved organizing Town Hall Meetings, employing media and outreach programs, developing partnerships, and build capacity through trainings or radio journalists and civil society leaders. To assess the extent to which the project fulfilled the objectives, the evaluators held 12 focus group meetings and 18 key informant interviews in all cities except Monrovia where the project was carried out. The evaluation noted the effectiveness of media programs and dramas in particular, but there exists the need for more programs in local languages. Furthermore, the evaluation highlights the success of Town Hall Meeting's creating higher levels of awareness among citizenry about government activities and subsequently higher expectations from the government as well.

Read the Evaluation of the Civil Society Dialogue

Read the Key Findings

2007 Final Report: PRM Post-Implememtation Study

Since 2003, Search for Common Ground has been working in coordination with the UNHCR to introduce and implement a mass information campaign supporting the information needs of refugees returning to Liberia from Guinea, Sierra Leone, Côte d'Ivoire, Nigeria, and Ghana. As an extension of these efforts, SFCG has implemented a 12-month campaign with the support of the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration (BPRM). This initiative, lasting from September 2006 to September 2007, was focused on supporting the final phase of facilitated repatriation and measured on the study of five indicators.

Read the Final Report

Read the Key Findings of the Report

2007 Civil Society Assessment: Liberia Program

In 2007 Search for Common Ground (SFCG), with support from DFID, conducted a civil society survey to gauge local organizations' capacity and their needs for support. The findings of this research are informing SFCG's ongoing partnerships and engagement with Liberian civil society organisations at the national and county level to make them more relevant and effective, with sustainable long-term results.

Read the Assessment Key Findings

Read the Full Assessment Evaluation Report

2007 Media Mapping Assessment: Liberia Program

In early 2007, SFCG undertook a 'media mapping' assessment to better understand existing communication practices around government policies. The research was national in scope and encompassed all media channels: radio, print and television. A number of methods including key informant interviews and surveys were employed to understand how individuals and communities are receiving public information and what they know about major government policies, and specifically the Poverty Reduction Strategy, Government Economic Management Assistance Plan, and the Youth Policy. SFCG has shared these findings with Liberian government ministries and other stakeholders, and is now working with them to develop strategies to address the challenges identified.

Read the Assessment Key Findings

Read the Full Assessment Report

2006 External Evaluation: Liberia Program

The purpose of this independent ex-post evaluation was to assess SFCG's overall program in Liberia covering the period of September 2003 - July 2006. The evaluation had two main objectives:

• To assess the extent to which SFCG's program in Liberia strengthened local capacities for peace in the eight communities targeted by the Next Steps in Peace program

• To critically examine SFCG's understanding and approach to partnership as it affects its abilities to engage and the effectiveness of its engagement.

Based on the key findings (see link below), the evaluation team outlined five recommendations to strengthen SFCG's Liberia program with regards to media, outreach and partnership building.

• TDS should look for activities that make use of the credibility gained through the media program.

• The Media Program needs to move closer to the Outreach Program. Perhaps more effort needs to be made within the organization to merge the two and explain the underlying strategy of synergy between outreach and media, and to clarify the mission of TDS as a peacebuilding media outlet.

• Everyone likes the radio dramas, but it is unclear how to measure the impact on peacebuilding. TDS should include more measurement and evaluation in their ongoing work.

• In post-war Liberia, the focus of programming has naturally shifted from conflict-resolution to governance issues. TDS needs to continuously assess how to continue the mandate of focusing on peacebuilding and on conflict resolution themes and stories.

• Regarding an exit strategy for SFCG, the organization should consider creating both a training program for media practitioners and a local media organization. The two organizations could fruitfully partner.

Read the Evaluation Key Findings

Read the Full Evaluation

2005 Listener Survey Report: Talking Drum Studio Liberia

SFCG's program runs two complementary projects, Talking Drum Studio (TDS) and Tinamenima. TDS is a multi-media production studio that produces 300 minutes of radio programming each week. Tinamenima is SFCG's community outreach arm, working directly in communities to facilitate dialogue and cooperative solutions. In December 2004 and January 2005, SFCG conducted a listener survey of 453 individuals in Monrovia and six counties. The survey focused on TDS and its activities, not addressing Tinamenima's efforts. The results of the survey both provide feedback on TDS's existing programming and also offer direction on Liberians' concerns and priorities, helping SFCG's new initiatives - both media and outreach - ensure relevancy to the target groups. In addition to gathering listenership data, the survey also collected information to inform SFCG-Liberia's monitoring plan. The survey was conducted using an intercept approach following a standard questionnaire. Outside surveyors were contracted so that they would not be identified as TDS representatives and bias potential responses. The surveyors participated in a workshop on survey methodology before deploying around Monrovia by neighbourhood and the upcountry locations easily accessible from the capital.

Read the Survey Report

1999 - Media and Conflict Programme Evaluation

An external USIP (United States Institute of Peace) evaluation of Talking Drum Studio's radio programming in Monrovia, Liberia, was conducted by Amr Abdalla and Nancy Torrey. TDS's goal is to use media to promote and support peacebuilding efforts and conflict resolution in a post-civil war environment. Key findings include:

• Talking Drum Studio is a leader and a laboratory for the development of a new type of media project in conflict situations: Intended Outcomes Media

• The case studies conducted during the research mission reveal the direct causal effect that TDS staff and programs have had on making Liberia a safer and better place for its own people and for their neighbors

• Due to the great desire in Liberia for increased TDS programming, it is recommended that TDS focus some of its resources on finding ways to expand its reach to existing and additional audiences

Read the Evaluation

1998 Audience Survey on Use of Radio in Post-War Peacemaking

These survey results are some of the first ever to report the Rapid Survey Method, a surveying method intended to be suitable for use in war-disrupted circumstances. The purpose of the survey itself was, among other things, to understand the demographics, proportions, and habits of listeners to Common Ground Production's Talking Drum Studio (TDS). At the time when the survey was conducted, in February of 1998, TDS had been active in Liberia for approximately eight months, and the studio's output had leveled out at around 15 new program hours per week. The rationale for undertaking an audience survey during February 1998 was two-fold. First, the longer-term goal was to build indigenous survey capacity that could provide audience information at all stages, from the time of up-front situation mapping and program planning to follow-up evaluation. Secondly, the immediate purpose of the Liberia survey was to gather information on the general patterns of radio listening, plus specific data on listener reactions to TDS programs. The survey results highlighted the strong and positive audience perceptions of the TDS programs, which is evident by both the levels of listenership but also audience awareness of the issues addressed in TDS radio programming.

Read the Evaluation of the Audience Survey