Improving access to information in conflictaffected areas: Supporting quality journalism,improving safety and the psychological01 /2017
Executive Summary | Syria
wellbeing of journalists in Pakistan
External Evaluation Report | Executive SummaryPakistan

10/2017

BackgroundPakistan enjoys a high level of media diversity, particularly
due to the government liberalizing the electronic media
in a watershed legislation in 2002. Reporters without Borders’ press freedom ranking places Pakistan at 147 out of
180 countries. Journalists live extremely dangerously, facing constant threats, abuse, and direct attacks from manysides. Many journalists practice self-censorship in light ofPakistan’s code of conduct that the Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) passed for radio and television
journalists. Also, a broad interpretation of the country’s“national interests” as well as blasphemy laws force journalists to practice self-censorship. Amnesty International (AI)criticizes Pakistani media organizations for not protecting
their journalists. And in the troubled rural provinces Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa (KP), Beluchistan, as well as the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), people are solely dependent
on information provided by local radio stations.
DW Akademie’s project in Pakistan supports associationsof journalists and editors to create continuing education

programs on ethical standards, psychological risks, as well
as physical and mental safety at media outlets (project line1). Trauma centers at the University of Peshawar (UoP) andthe University of Baluchistan (UoB) are offering journalists
counseling on psychological risks in addition to therapy(project line 1). The curriculum of journalism programs atuniversities in troubled provinces KP and Beluchistan areexpanded and graduates should apply this knowledge in theprofessional sphere (project line 2). Radio networks in KP,Beluchistan, and FATA should support their local affiliates
to encourage their listeners to take part in ‘Participatory
Information Programmes’ (PIPS) (project line 3).
The evaluation is based on the OECD/DAC evaluation criteria as well as the criterion ’Quality of Management’. DW
Akademie has chosen a theory-based evaluation design for
the evaluation of the projects in Pakistan by the German
Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). The BMZ requires an impartial assessment thatthe project has achieved the intended results. Theory based
design focuses on program theory, specifically change theory,DW Akademie

Improving access to information in conflict-affected areas

and action theory. Contribution analysis was chosen for the
method approach, which is six steps based on the following
questions: Did intended and unintended results occur? If so,
how did the project contribute? To what extent did external
factors influence the achievement of goals, both in inhibiting
and promoting results? What alternative patterns of explanation could there be for visible changes? To compliment
this approach, in accordance with DW Akademie criteria, theOECD/DAC criteria relevance, effectivity, sustainability, andthe assessment of the quality of management assessment
dimensions were adopted. The evaluation examines theproject activities between 2015 to 2017. Besides the reviewof the activities that have already been implemented, anassessment of the possible remaining future activities fromApril to December 2017 is also made.
The objective of this evaluation, which was carried out by an
external consultant, is to provide a constructive assessmentof the project’s results. The recommendations made at theend do not necessarily align with the perspective and planning of the project team. Nevertheless, all suggestions werediscussed in order to allow lessons learned to be incorporated
into the development of future strategies.

Conclusions of the project evaluation
The project leaders identified the relevant target groups andaimed at solving the core problems. During the course of
the project there were changes to the general framework.
This had only limited influence on the strategic orientation of the project. The criterion relevance is judged to be“comprehensively fulfilled.”
The purpose of the project is on the whole coherent. Theobjectives of project lines 1 and 3 are on track and will be
fulfilled by the end of the project’s term. The objectivesof project line 2 are now considered to be too ambitious
and they will not be reached by year’s end. The objective
indicators either do not meet the SMART-criteria or do soonly partially. They are, therefore, only not wholly suitable
as a basis of evaluation. Unintended negative effects werenot observed. The criterion effectivity is assessed to be“generally fulfilled.”
With regard to content, the project appears to contribute tolong-term national goals of DW Akademie and the project
partner. The evaluation takes into account that no overall
goal has been defined in the logical framework. Therefore,
impact is not something that was explicitly laid out in theconception of the project nevermind the prediction at thisearly stage of long-term effects. In addition, based on the2financial and personnel resources at its disposal, DW Akademie has limited influence on Pakistani groups that arediscriminated against or on the country’s media scene asa whole. Due to these points, the criterion impact is judged
to be “partially fulfilled.”
From the financial perspective, there were no alternative
approaches that would have been more cost-efficient forthe measures taken. For the effects achieved, the financial
costs are justified. Almost without exception, DW Akademie
hired project partners from Pakistan who did the majorityof the work. The criterion efficiency was rated to be “comprehensively fulfilled.”
In concordance with the project’s strategy, partners took on
responsibility in terms of ownership from the start. Mostof the measures have been institutionalized. It can be assumed that the partners will to some extent continue tocarry out the measures after the project’s financing comesto an end. The projects have also been, for the most part,conceived in a way that sustainability is embedded andshould be achieved. Due to the project’s conceptualizationand implementation, the criterion sustainability is rated
to be “comprehensively fulfilled.”
From the beginning, the project had solid, up-to-date data
analysis and information to work with. Cooperative efforts
were to a great extent adapted to the needs and facilities ofthe partners. As a rule, the project partners were ready to takeon the institutional changes required. However, the administrative costs are considered to be disproportionately highfor the benefits achieved. The project, nevertheless, was able
to take on the challenge of dealing with a disproportionately
complex system of cause and effect for its relatively small size.
It managed this thanks to a well-structured and innovative
monitoring system. The quality of management criterion
is considered to be “generally fulfilled.”
Unintended negative effects were not observed in the evaluation period (do no harm). It should be mentioned that theproject quite intentionally counteracted the danger of negative effects on the individual level. This was done througha combination of prevention measures and counseling services, e.g., the Competence Centre for Journalists (CTCJ) andthe ‘Help Line’ of the Council of Pakistan Newspaper Editors.

DW Akademie

Improving access to information in conflict-affected areas

Key Recommendations
1. T he project partners were allowed sufficient room to maneuver, but the logic of this did not allow them sufficiently
to cooperate. For the follow-up project, the developmentof the program theory and choice and formulation ofindicators should be such that participative processes
can be created.
2. W hen extending the project, it is recommended to reduce the complexity of the system of objectives and theindicators should correspond with the SMART quality
criteria. Furthermore, it is recommended in the followup proposal, to reflect on the logic of the effects (allocation efficiency) of the institutional capacity structureof the project partners.
3. A
 n overall objective should be integrated into the logframe
to highlight the intended impact of the project.
4. T he workload of the project management personnel inthe field of administration should be assessed realistically. In this way, any cross-financing by other areas orprojects can also be avoided.
5. A
 n external organizational consultancy might be considered with the aim of making administrative procedures
more efficient.

3

6. T he project partners submitted a number of ideas andproposals for the content conception of the follow-up
project, which should be examined by the country management team in the planning of the follow-up project:
It was suggested to address bloggers and columnists
as target groups and refer to the crises of Sindh andthe involvement of religious minorities of Hindus andChristians, which are underrepresented in the media(Media House Islamabad (MHI), CPNE). As the advisorymodel and the developed materials are to be graduallyadopted by media houses, the synergy effects between
the CTCJ and the CPNE/MHI should be exploited to agreater extent. The possibility of outpatient and clinical transfer to psychiatric psychiatrists and psychiatrists for sick journalists, which the CPNE has alreadyestablished together with the charity organization Basic Needs, requires more development for CTCJ. The
MHI recommends that students take part in university
lectures interdisciplinarily. Students of the specialized
departments of law, political science, peace research andgender studies could be integrated. A cooperation at thedistricts with universities of applied sciences using theTraining of Trainers (ToT) approach is also suggested.DW Akademie
DW Akademie is Germany’s leading organization for media development and Deutsche Welle’s center of excellence foreducation and knowledge transfer. As a strategic partner of Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation andDevelopment we strengthen the universal human rights of free expression, education, and access to information.

Contact
Dr. Jan Lublinski
Head Research and Evaluation
DW Akademie
jan.lublinski@dw.com

DW Akademie
53110 Bonn, Germany

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