Mozambique Media Strengthening Program
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Mozambique Media Strengthening Program Cooperative Agreement No. AID-656-A-12-00001 FINAL REPORT June 11, 2012 to June 30, 2019 Submitted August 23, 2019 MSP Final Report Mozambique Media Strengthening Program Final Report June 2012 – June 2019 Submitted by: Aleksander Dardeli Executive Vice President for Strategy and Development IREX 1275 K Street, NW, Suite 600, Washington DC 20005 +1 (202) 628-8188 x 137 | [email protected] USAID Cooperative Agreement: AID-656-A-12-00001 Submission Date: August 23, 2019 DISCLAIMER This report was made possible by the generous support of the American people through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The contents are the responsibility of IREX and do not necessarily reflect the views of USAID or the United States Government. 2 MSP Final Report Table of Contents Executive summary .................................................................................................................... 4 Program summary ..................................................................................................................... 5 Key program strategies .............................................................................................................. 8 Increased professional capacity of Mozambican media sector ................................................. 9 Strengthened business management and organizational capacity of media organizations to improve long-term financial viability ....................................................................................... 16 Improved journalism education at UEM’s School of Communications & Arts ........................ 18 Increased ability of community radio stations to provide more and better information to listeners .................................................................................................................................... 19 Increased ability of Mozambican organizations to advocate for press freedom and an improved legal enabling environment for media .................................................................... 26 Increased ability of Mozambican media to address gender / gender-based violence (GBV) . 29 Strengthened capacity and ability of deaf persons to produce and sustain media operations through TV Surdo ..................................................................................................................... 31 Material and technical inputs from foreign sources for MSP .................................................. 33 Decentralization, localization and sustainability ..................................................................... 35 Lessons learned ........................................................................................................................ 36 Administrative/Closeout .......................................................................................................... 37 3 MSP Final Report List of Acronyms BCC Behavior Change Communication CIHO Communication for Improved Health Outcomes COP Chief of Party DCOP Deputy Chief of Party DEPROS The MOH’s health promotion unit ECA School of Communications & Arts (at Eduardo Mondlane University) ECD Early Childhood Development FP Family planning GBV Gender-based Violence h2n Name of the Mozambique Media Strengthening Program health unit HIV Human immunodeficiency virus HN Health and nutrition HNCN Health and Nutrition Communication Network ICS Instituto de Comunicacao Social / Institute of Social Communication IREX International Research and Exchanges Board LOP Life of project ML Midia Lab MCSP Maternal and Child Survival Program MOH Ministry of Health MSP Mozambique Media Strengthening Program PTD Project to date PWD People with disabilities RH Reproductive health RMNCH Reproductive, maternal, newborn and child health SBCC Social and Behavioral Change Communication STV SOICO TV (independent television station) UEM Eduardo Mondlane University UNICEF United Nations Children’s Fund USAID United States Agency for International Development WFP World Food Program WHO World Health Organization Executive summary This Mozambique Media Strengthening Program (MSP) final report is an overview of IREX’s implementation of a wide range of assistance activities to strengthen the media and health- related communications sectors in Mozambique over a seven-year period. These activities have significantly contributed to a free, open, diverse Mozambican media sector providing high quality information to citizens that promotes debate, accountability and development. Within the context of media strengthening, MSP focused on five thematic subject areas with some minor additions and modifications: (a) health and nutrition (HN), (b) gender, (c) human trafficking, (d) environment (umbrella term for biodiversity/wildlife trafficking/conservation/climate change) and (e) accountability and transparency, as well as on investigative journalism as a cross-cutting theme. While all themes were addressed at 4 MSP Final Report different times and in different contexts, in 2017, HN became a predominant theme. This integrated approach involved subject-specific HN communications training. What distinguished MSP from a pure HN project was the continued focus on building expertise in reporting on substantive subject matters, as well as a media capacity building focus. By combining (a) the development of strong community-based communication and media skills in the program beneficiaries with (b) the knowledge and use of simple, but effective HN messages, the program greatly increased its effectiveness, as it enabled and empowered program beneficiaries to continue to develop their own communication solutions (e.g., how to design a particular radio program) based on the messages and knowledge beneficiaries gained. While the successes of this program abound, there is much still to accomplish in supporting the media and communications actors and enacting a reorientation towards a true self- reliance of the sector led by local organizations through local strategy, local decision making and harnessing local revenue streams. This report summarizes MSP’s objective-related activities, results, and impact during USAID funding, as well as the MSP transformation to sustainable localization efforts. The first phase of the project was widely recognized for developing and strengthening flagship component practice areas (Midia Lab, TV Surdo, h2n, and Community Radios), which impacted Mozambicans directly and indirectly throughout the country. In 2017, IREX began the next phase of the project to transform flagship practice areas into three affiliates, which were prepared to continue many USAID objectives. This sustainability strategy was so successful, that Dr. William Steiger, USAID's Chief of Staff, noted on his recent visit to Mozambique, that IREX’s strategy execution to sustain MSP through development of h2n, Midia Lab and TV Surdo stood as an example that should be replicated in other parts of the world. This report’s contents are presented based on the original seven program areas, strategies, lessons learned, key partnerships, and the phase II initiative beginning in 2017, which put more emphasis and resources towards decentralization, localization and sustainability of activities and institutions. This report also includes a review of those areas which, through a continued analysis of activities, were eliminated or modified extensively through continuous learning and adaptation. Program summary Under a 7-year, $14,963,605 partnership between USAID and IREX, and various additional support from other donors and partners, IREX’s Mozambique Media Strengthening Program (MSP) transformed media practices throughout Mozambique with a focus on Maputo and Nampula. From June 11, 2012, to March 31, 2019, IREX provided USAID-funded implementation for activities designed to address the overall program objective, which was to contribute to: a free, open, diverse and self-sustaining Mozambican media sector providing high quality information to citizens that promote debate, accountability and development. Soon after the Cooperative Agreement was signed on June 11, 2012, IREX started operations in Mozambique. The main geographic areas of operation were Maputo and the four northernmost provinces. The original program had five program components: (i) capacity 5 MSP Final Report building of journalists; (ii) media business operations; (iii) journalism education; (iv) community radios; and (v) media advocacy. Over time, components for (vi) gender & media and (vii) inclusive media for people with disabilities (PWD) were added to the program. In 2014, the journalism education component ended, whereas the gender & media and inclusive media for PWD, which were both funded through earmarked and time-limited USAID funds, were phased out or re-integrated into other program areas. As media and health gradually took on increasing importance and prominence, this area was separated out as a sub- component under capacity building and by the final phase of the project was the largest section of MSP operations. These changes all took place and were implemented in close consultation with USAID and in response to evolving priorities and changes in donor requirements and the operating environment. HEALTH FOCUS AND IMPLICATIONS OF AN EVOLVING CONTEXT Nearly all MSP activities more strongly, directly and explicitly incorporated a health and nutrition (HN) focus through years of program implementation. Wherever possible, the program sought to integrate thematic