Removing Barriers, Increasing Effectiveness - amarc

PART IChapter 1. Overview. AMARC CR Impact Assessment: Removing Barriers,Increasing Effectiveness.This book brings together the principal findings, reflections, lines of action anddocumentation arising from the global assessment of Community Radio (CR)conducted by the World Association of Community Radio Broadcasters (AMARC)in 2006 entitled “Community Radio Impact Assessment: Removing Barriers,Increasing Effectiveness”. 1 This overview is a synthesis of the key findings of theAMARC evaluation process. The reader can also consult http://www.amarc.orgfor further information.The Goal of CR impact assessment was to contribute to the reduction of povertyby highlighting the barriers that hinder Community Radio (CR) social impact andseek to better define the interventions that can increase the effectiveness ofcommunity radio sector and of AMARC in achieving social and developmentgoals.The global assessment was a participatory action-research process that involved927 CR stakeholders of 96 countries in regional Roundtables, in a survey, anelectronic Forum, in AMARC decision–making bodies meetings, and the AMARC9 World Conference held in Amman, Jordan 11-17 November 2007. The GlobalEvaluation process was the first phase of a participatory monitoring & actionresearch process. It counted on the participation of two groups: a core groupcommunity radio stakeholders including AMARC members and partners; a largeruniverse of community radio stakeholders including participants from communityradios, academicians, donors and communication for development stakeholders.It was an open monitoring and evaluation process that combined the appropriateuse of ICTs and face-to-face meetings. It was facilitated by the web publication ofthe outputs of the different phases of the process. In that perspective theevaluation process respected the basic epistemological principles of actionresearchmethodology, allowing for external analysts to review the building ofconsensus among the participants.Key findings on the Community Radio Global Review:The themes of the assessment process included: a Community Radio GlobalReview assessing common challenges, the diversity of situations and bestexperiences; Community Radio Social Impact in poverty reduction, developmentand democracy building and finally; AMARC Effectiveness Assessment as aglobal network and leading institution of the CR movement. The participatory1The project “Community Radio Social Impact Assessment: Removing Barriers, IncreasingEffectiveness” was supported by the Open Society Foundation, Ford Foundation, SwissDevelopment Cooperation (SDC) and Swedish International development Agency (SIDA).AMARC Community Radio Social Impact Assessment 2007 Page 6 of 128