MEASURE Communication Final Report - Population Reference ...

MEASURE Communication Final Report
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allowed PRB staff to explore the use of materials more
in-depth, both with those audiences who requested
additional materials and those who did not. These
interviews were organized in two stages: First, from
2001-2002, PRB staff interviewed 37 individuals from
17 countries whose organizations had frequently
requested additional copies of PRB publications during
the previous five years (“frequent requesters”).
These interviews explored how the publications had
been used and what impact, if any, could be identified
as resulting from this use. Second, in 2003, consultants
in seven countries contacted 36 recipients who had
never given feedback on our publications nor requested
additional publications (“nonresponders”).
Media
MEASURE Communication tracked the project’s media
activities by asking journalists who attended seminars or
conferences under the project’s auspices to submit all the
newspaper articles or TV/radio transcripts that they prepared
after participating. The articles were catalogued
electronically and kept in binders. PRB’s media staff regularly
reviewed the articles and sent feedback to the
authors.
Project staff also sought feedback from seminar participants
as to how they had been able to use the information
or skills beyond specific articles, and if they
perceived any policy or coalition building results from
their efforts. Their responses were catalogued according
to the project’s results framework.
In addition, project staff conducted several special
media analyses: for example, staff surveyed all the journalists
who were on the media listservs to ascertain how they
had used the information and how the service could be
improved; conducted an assessment of all the articles written
after the national seminar to release the India National
Family Health Survey to identify themes and errors in the
coverage; and engaged a consultant to do a detailed review
of the project’s West Africa media activities.
Capacity building
MEASURE Communication developed an extensive follow-up
and evaluation process for the capacity-building
program. At the end of each training seminar, facilitators
worked with participants to establish objectives on skills
use over the next year. Then PRB staff worked actively to
follow up:
1. At three months, the participants were reminded of
their objectives via e-mail; at six months each participant
received a postcard from MEASURE
Communication (written by the participants themselves
on the final day of the workshop) that contained
the objectives that they developed; and at one
year they received an evaluation questionnaire to
determine whether they were able to implement any
of their objectives. Participants were also asked to give
examples of individual skill use and institutional
(programmatic or operational) changes that have
come about as a direct result of the training received.
2. PRB established a listserv after each workshop to promote
regular exchange among participants to share
ideas and news, seek advice, and keep the workshop
participants and facilitators informed of progress in
implementing their objectives outlined in the final
week.
Because of the efforts to keep in contact with alumni,
MEASURE Communication had up to a 65 percent
response rate from the follow-up questionnaires sent to
participants at the one-year mark.
Special assessments
PRB staff organized special assessments throughout the
life of the project to monitor the pace and impact of project
activities. The results of these studies were used to
modify and improve project services. Following is a list of
some of the activities that were studied:
● The policy files (a survey of requestors);
● The Policy Fellows (a survey of participants);
● The International Programs Fellows (a survey
of the Fellows);
● PopPlanet, a collaborative website between
PRB and the National Center for Science and
the Environment (a detailed user assessment,
comparative analysis and content review done
by outside consultants); and
● The IGWG listserv (an electronic survey using
“Survey-Monkey” software).
Country Work
MEASURE Communication carried out an extensive set of
country activities, often in collaboration with other MEA-
SURE partners, to enhance the use of MEASURE-generated
and other local data and information (see Figure 2,
page 8). Box 2 (page 9) provides a quick overview of the
range and scope of this aspect of the project. This section
will review in more detail the impacts of three country
activities: India, Kenya, and Cambodia.
The project’s approach to in-country technical assistance
flowed directly from the policy-change model, particularly
in countries where technical assistance was
significant and multiyear. In a highly collaborative and
participatory style, staff worked on a range of activities