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Executive Summary
One month of field research, including interviews, observation and focus groups with radio
program listeners, partner radio station staff and training program beneficiaries, indicates that the
ongoing media and outreach activities of the United States Agency for International Development‘s
(USAID) PDEV program continue to strengthen and expand the existing ―civic culture‖ in Niger and
Chad. Fostering civic culture related directly to the PDEV project aims of including and broadcasting a
culturally and geographically diverse set of moderate voices via radio programming and local production
capacity building and increasing awareness and discussion on among citizens on issues of peace,
tolerance and good governance. The inclusive and multi-layered design of PDEV media programming has
resulted in a range of activities that include and address ordinary citizens and influential decision makers
alike.
This report documents the results of an end-line qualitative evaluation in Niger and Chad on the
media component of the Peace through Development (PDEV) program funded by USAID under the
Trans-Saharan Counterterrorism Partnership (TSCTP). Equal Access, a nongovernmental organization
(NGO) specializing in development communication and outreach, implements the media component of
the PDEV project and works in collaboration with the Academy for Educational Development (AED) 1 to
1) improve local governance in target communities; 2) empower at-risk youth to become active
participants in their communities and the economy; and 3) render superfluous ideologies that promote
violence.
This report is a follow on to the mid-line evaluation that focused primarily on listener accounts
of the impact of four radio programs produced by the PDEV media team (two in Niger and two in
Chad), which are broadcast by a network of PDEV radio partners in each country. 2 That report
documented numerous examples of individuals and communities inspired by PDEV radio programs to
engage in political and civic processes with local leaders and fellow community members.
This report focuses on seven interventions that I describe, for reasons which will become clear
in sections that follow, as ―sustained, multi-level activities.‖ With the exception of listening clubs (which
were extended in the 12 months since my first report), these activities are all second stage activities,
building on successes and lessons learned from first stage activities that have been previously reported
on. These activities include:
1. Communication training for religious leaders and association members (Niger)
2. Media guide for conflict situations (ONIMED) (Niger)
3. ―Year-3‖ radio programs (Niger and Chad) 3
4. Local production: Building the capacity of radio partners (Niger and Chad)
5. Radio station peer mentoring (Chad)
6. Listening clubs (Niger and Chad)
7. Listener engagement mechanisms: Frontline SMS/Text message software (Chad and Niger) and
FreedomFone interactive voice response (IVR) (Niger).
1
AED has been acquired by FHI 360 and now bears that name.
2
Greiner, K. (2010). Applying local solutions to local problems: Radio listeners as agents of change. Washington, DC:
USAID.
3
I use the term ―Year 3‖ radio programs for the religious-themed programs Sada Zumuntchi (Niger) and Chabab
Waddin (Chad). I emphasize the ―Year 3‖ designation because I believe that these programs are able to include
senstive, conflict-related content precisely because they come after steadily building credibility (and familiarity)
over two years of more general programming related to peace, tolerance and democratic expression.
1