United Nations Development Programm This proposed Lao Community Participation and Communication Support Programme builds on the pilot experience from the Khoun Community Radio, community media practices (i.e. community radio and village broadcast systems in combination with new technologies) will be scaled-up to additional poor districts in the country. The Scaling-up strategy takes into account the lessons from the first phaseof the project.
The project will help develop capacity in country to sustain community media. This includes the building of competence and partnerships in critical areas such as community media broadcasting, community building, financial and media management, broadcasting technology and peer support systems. The Programme  in cooperation with competent partners  is also well placed to assist the organizational strengthening of community radios who aspire to register as an association. Knowledge products  (manuals, reviews, studies) will be produced and disseminated to a wide range of international and local partners who are engaged in Supporting Community Organisations in the country. It is anticipated that a service-provider association will spin off the project implementation unit and thus be able to assist community media beyond the scope and life-time of the project.


By 2014, the Lao Community Participation and Communication Support Programme is expected to produce the following outcomes (see product II for statistics of beneficiaries). This component targets the most vulnerable segments of rural society: youth, women and elderly people from remote and under-served ethnic villages. The project seeks to improve access to:
 information in languages that people can understand and which they find relevant for taking informed decisions.
 communication channels to express their views, share knowledge, validate their cultureand traditions and to play an active part in society.
 Increase the voice of communities and through that empower them to become actors of their own development. Find solutions to development challenges from inside communities through community radio.


With thefollowing planned results
Scaling-up  Community media scaled up to poor and under-served districts
1. 5 (4 new established and 1 existing sustainable) community radios and village broadcasting systems operating sustainably
2. 30,000 people and remote villages benefitting from improved access to information and communication channels
3. Participation from target groups in programme-making (120 volunteers)
5. Satisfaction of listeners (in particular from key target groups)
4. Significant change stories reported by project target groups

Capacity for sustainability  Local organizations and companies have the knowledge and competence to scale up and sustain community media
1. Community radios, local governments, NGOs and donors make use of the projects knowledge products
   - Training manuals and tool kits
   - Study on sustainability of community   radio in Lao PDR
   - Online resources with local best   practices
2. Support systems for community media in place (local resources and partnerships for training, resource mobilization, technical maintenance)
3. Peer-support system for exchanges between Lao community radios
4. 5 Community radio associations registered
5. Service-provider association assisting partners in scaling up community media
Community media scaled up to poor and under-served districts

Learning and Advocacy Lessons learned will be used to inform policy-makers and contribute to an enabling environment for media, access to information and indigenous rights
1. M<(>&<)>E System to track aspects of sustainability and impacts of community media in Lao PDR.
2. Increased understanding and support from policy-makers and local authorities
3. Community media representatives contributing to policy debates (at least 2 forums per year)
4. Contributions to and from international networks (at least 4 contributions a year)

Efficient and effective programme monitoring and coordination systems and resources are in place.
1. Monthly <(>&<)> quarterly planning and coordination meetings take place and the agreed quorum is achieved.
2. Steering Committee Meetings are held twice each year
3. Programme review meetings held once per year 2009-2012.
4. Baseline monitoring data established.
5. Mid-term evaluation conducted in 2012 and lessons learned will be used for improving the programme.
6. Final evaluation conducted in 2013