Preliminary situation assessment Situation assessment could be done most effectively in a participatory manner through PRCA or participatory rural communication appraisal. Three kinds of analysis are done in PRCA: audience analysis, programme analysis, and situation analysis. Audience analysis Audience analysis is essentially "listening" to what potential users of information need. They are the ones whom the communication program intends to reach. Users of information are also referred to as stakeholders of a communication program. Collecting baseline information about these stakeholders is an essential preliminary step towards developing a communication strategy. Segmentation, or dividing large groups of stakeholders into smaller groups, helps achieve focus in communication strategy development. Segmentation is usually done in two ways: Conventional segmentation according to socio-economic status (income, education, age, sex, etc.), place of residence (urban-rural), and language/ethnic group Innovative segmentation based on behaviour, needs, and values and lifestyles. Situation analysis: In doing situation analysis, planners look at both the possible problem to be addressed by the communication program and the conditions surrounding such problem. What are the factors which cause a gap between the existing and desired behavior of stakeholders? Is the problem due to the stakeholders' lack of awareness or knowledge of the nature of the problem? Or is it attitudinal in nature? Could the gap be due to their lack of skills to carry out certain practices? Situation analysis likewise includes assessing the communication resources in the area which could be tapped for the communication program. Knowledge of the area's mass and small media, as well as interpersonal means of communication, should contribute substantially to strategy development. Programme analysis When doing program analysis, program planners need to take both an inward and an outward look at the situation that is, looking at the organization's own vision, policies, resources, strengths, and weaknesses relevant to the problem. Are there adequate resources to realize this vision? How well are program managers using available resources? At the same time, it is important to scan the environment for existing programs that could affect, positively or negatively, the communication strategy to be developed. Monitoring and evaluation Monitoring enables the planners and implementors to answer the question: Are things going all right? Evaluation, on the other hand, provides answers to the question: So, did it work? Together, monitoring and evaluation help planners and implementors: Achieve better understanding of how the communication programme is working; Make informal decisions regarding operations and adjust to changing conditions; Ensure most effective and efficient use of resources; Look at the extent to which the program/project is having or has had the desired impact; and Fine-tune future programme impact. To help gauge programme impact on stakeholders, it is important to set up clear standards and indicators based on the objectives set. How much have the activities contributed to achieving objectives of key organizations? This can be gauged by comparing evaluation with baseline data, specifically those gathered during the PRCA. More importantly, monitoring and evaluation data contribute to planning for program sustainability and self-sufficiency. Minga Peru is a non-profit organization formed to address issues of "social justice, gender equality, reproductive health, and human rights". Minga has targeted the northern Loreto region for its development of "communicative spaces" which hope to spark debate and participation from the community. In order to achieve these goals they have produced a radio program, started a community empowerment and leadership program and supported income generating activities.
Preliminary situation assessment Situation assessment could be done most effectively in a participatory manner through PRCA or participatory rural communication appraisal. Three kinds of analysis are done in PRCA: audience analysis, programme analysis, and situation analysis. Audience analysis is essentially "listening" to what potential users of information need. They are the ones whom the communication program intends to reach. Users of information are also referred to as stakeholders of a communication program. Collecting baseline information about these stakeholders is an essential preliminary step towards developing a communication strategy. Segmentation, or dividing large groups of stakeholders into smaller groups, helps achieve focus in communication strategy development. Segmentation is usually done in two ways: Conventional segmentation according to socio-economic status (income, education, age, sex, etc.), place of residence (urban-rural), and language/ethnic group Innovative segmentation based on behaviour, needs, and values and lifestyles. Situation analysis: In doing situation analysis, planners look at both the possible problem to be addressed by the communication program and the conditions surrounding such problem. What are the factors which cause a gap between the existing and desired behavior of stakeholders? Is the problem due to the stakeholders' lack of awareness or knowledge of the nature of the problem? Or is it attitudinal in nature? Could the gap be due to their lack of skills to carry out certain practices? Situation analysis likewise includes assessing the communication resources in the area which could be tapped for the communication program. Knowledge of the area's mass and small media, as well as interpersonal means of communication, should contribute substantially to strategy development. When doing program analysis, program planners need to take both an inward and an outward look at the situation that is, looking at the organization's own vision, policies, resources, strengths, and weaknesses relevant to the problem. Are there adequate resources to realize this vision? How well are program managers using available resources? At the same time, it is important to scan the environment for existing programs that could affect, positively or negatively, the communication strategy to be developed. Monitoring and evaluation Monitoring enables the planners and implementors to answer the question: Are things going all right? Evaluation, on the other hand, provides answers to the question: So, did it work? Together, monitoring and evaluation helps planners and implementors: Achieve better understanding of how the communication programme is working; Make informal decisions regarding operations and adjust to changing conditions; Ensure most effective and efficient use of resources; Look at the extent to which the program/project is having or has had the desired impact; and Fine-tune future programme impact. To help gauge programme impact on stakeholders, it is important to set up clear standards and indicators based on the objectives set. How much have the activities contributed to achieving objectives of key organizations? This can be gauged by comparing evaluation with baseline data, specifically those gathered during the PRCA. More importantly, monitoring and evaluation data contribute to planning for program sustainability and self-sufficiency. Minga Peru is a non-profit organization formed to address issues of "social justice, gender equality, reproductive health, and human rights". Minga has targeted the northern Loreto region for its development of "communicative spaces" which hope to spark debate and participation from the community. In order to achieve these goals they have produced a radio program, started a community empowerment and leadership program and supported income-generating activities.
D
Audience analysis
D
Programme analysis
R
help
helps
R
income generating
income-generating