U.S.A.

Final Report for the Post Implementation Study for SFCG’s Information and Outreach Efforts with Liberian Refugees in West Africa

The report measures the success of a 12-month campaign of mass information efforts from September 2006 to September 2007. This campaign, implemented with the support of the United States Department of State’s Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration (BPRM), focused on supporting the final phase of facilitated repatriation of Liberian refugees, targeting the host countries of Guinea, Sierra Leone, and Cote d’Ivoire.  The project had the goal of supporting repatriation and reintegration of refugees in safety and dignity.

The project was guided by two objectives:

• Provide information to refugee populations that enables them to make informed decisions about return; and
• Provide opportunities for refugee populations to engage their home communities and UNHCR in dialogue. 

Three tools were used to conduct the research – surveys; key informant interviews (KIIs) and focus group discussions (FGDs). The research was conducted in one town in each of six (6) counties in Liberia.  In total, 750 returnees and local authorities participated in the post-implementation study, which was conducted over a 2-week period in August 2007. 

Based on the key indicators, the work performed by SFCG was highly effective in ensuring that refugees were aware of their options regarding repatriation and had enough information about development in Liberia and their communities to support their decision to return home. The information provided by SFCG was thought to be truthful by most returnees (94%) who mentioned security, repatriation and community rehabilitation information as most useful. Focus group participants specifically mentioned hearing about land conflict solutions and hearing family members on the radio and reports of one-on-one conversations with TDS drama artists as influential in helping refugees to make the decision to return to Liberia.  Findings also indicated:

• The information source that was the most effective across all areas was drama, which was seen or heard by most (91%) respondents and, of those, most (95%) said the information they got from drama was good or excellent.
• When comparing all sources, refugees relied less on UNHCR, Word of Mouth and Camp Sources toward the end of the mass information campaign and relied more on radio, drama, information from home, the Liberian government and video.
• Authorities were generally satisfied with the level of information refugees had about the repatriation process and with the sources they used to get this information. UNHCR was cited as the main source with TDS given credit for delivering the message.

Download PRM Post Implementation Report

Health Care Coverage for the Uninsured Project (HCCU) (2007)

The 2007 external evaluation of the HCCU Consensus Building Process, aimed to assess outcomes and to identify lessons learned that could contribute to improving the application of consensus building as a tool to develop more effective and broadly supportable public policy. Key findings include:

• On the process: 84.5% participants to the process were satisfied with their level of input on ground rules and 74% were satisfied with their input on objectives. 6 out of 10 felt that the membership was sufficiently inclusive to meet objectives.
• On the policy implications: The majority of stakeholders were generally satisfied with the agreement. 64% of the survey respondents indicated they were satisfied with the agreement reached. 8 out of 10 felt the agreement was politically realistic or somewhat politically realistic.
• On relationships: 94% of participants gained new contacts as a result of their participation in the HCCU process whereas 5 out of 10 survey respondents stated that the consensus building process enabled them to form new partnerships.
• On institutional effects: One third of those interviewed believed that the HCCU process would lead to significant changes in the way they approach work.
• On the quality of facilitation: Almost 8 out of 10 stakeholders were satisfied or somewhat satisfied with the quality of the facilitation process. 83% said the team was equally receptive or somewhat equally receptive to all perspectives.

Download U.S.A. 2007 Key Findings Document

Evaluation of a Concensus-Building Process: The Working Group on Human Needs and Faith-based and Community Initiatives (2002)

An external evaluation by Daniel Bowling (PeaceBridge Communications) of the consensus building process with participants drawn from organizations representing views across the spectrum on the White House Faith-Based Initiative. Key findings include:

• The report of the concensus working group unanimously agreed upon 29 recommendations to improve the ability of faith and community-based organization to address unmet human needs in the US
• Moving to agreement is a delicate timing issue and could be improved upon in the next concensus process
• Participants reported gaining a deeper and broader understanding of the issues involved in this Initiative

Download U.S.A. 2002 Evaluation