INDEPENDENT PROGRAM EVALUATION Search for Common Ground in Burundi 1999-2001 April 2002 Evaluation Team: Amr K. Abdalla, Ph.D. Noa Davenport, Ph.D. Leslie McTyre Steven A. Smith Research Assistance Provided By: Adri van Aert Tamir Diab Independent Program Evaluation Search for Common Ground in Burundi April 2002 TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION ………………………………………………………………………………..….iv 1. Evaluation Report #1 ………………………………………………………………..……1 I. Background Information on Search for Common Ground ……………………....1 II. Methodology …………………………………………………………………….3 III. Themes, Findings and Recommendations .…..……………………...…………...7 A. Conflict Situation ……………………….……………………………...….7 B. The Role of Search for Common Ground ………………………………..16 C. Potential Arenas ……………………………………………………….….23 D. Recommendations ………………………………………………………..26 IV. Methods, Themes, Findings and Recommendations for the Integration Initiative …………………………………………………………………….…..29 A. Background ………………………………………………………………29 B. Evaluation Methodology …………………………………………………30 C. Themes and Findings …………………….……………………………...31 D. Recommendations ………………………………………………………..36 V. Summary of Methods, Themes, Findings and Recommendations for Studio Ijambo ………………………………………………………………………….37 VI. Summary of Methods, Themes, Findings and Recommendations for the Women’s Peace Center ………………………………………………………...42 VII. Summary of Methods, Themes, Findings and Recommendations for the Youth Project ………………………………………….……………………………….47 2. Evaluation Report #2…………………………………….……………………………...50 I. Background of Studio Ijambo …………………….……………………..……...50 II. Studio Ijambo’s Audience Survey ……………….……………………………..52 A. Survey Methods and Procedures …………………………………………53 B. Results ……………………………………………………………………59 III. Key Informant Interviews ………………………….…………………………...91 IV. Studio Ijambo Staff Focus Group ………………….…………………………...93 Search for Common Ground Burundi Comprehensive Evaluation Report ii V. Interview with a High Ranking Government Official ……….………………….99 VI. Recommendations ………………………………….……..……………….….101 3. Evaluation Report #3 ……………………………………….……………………….…103 I. Background of the Women Peace Center …………..…..…………………….103 II. Sources and Methodology …………………………….……………………….104 III. The Goals and Objectives of the WPC ………………………………………..106 IV. Summary of Current WPC Activities and Assessment of Impact ………….…110 V. Visitors and Clients …………………………………………………………...120 VI. Management of WPC ……………………………………………………….…123 VII. Expansion and Long Term Commitment ………………………………….…..127 VIII. Findings and Recommendations ………………………………………….…...128 4. Evaluation Report #4 …………………………………………………………….……132 I. Background of the Youth Project ……………………………………………..132 II. Methodology ………………………………………………………………….133 III. Themes and Findings ……………………………………………….…………134 IV. Case Studies ……………………………………………………….…………..137 V. Process and Findings from Observations ……………………….……………..144 VI. Summary and Recommendations ……………………………………………..148 Attachments: Newspaper Articles Appendices are available electronically from Search for Common Ground upon request. Search for Common Ground Burundi Comprehensive Evaluation Report iii Introduction Since 1995, Search for Common Ground (SFGC), a US non-profit organization based in Washington, DC, has implemented a program in Burundi with the goal of reducing ethnic conflict and encouraging reconciliation. To this end, SFGC currently runs four in-country programs: - Studio Ijambo, an independent radio production studio in which twenty-one ethnically diverse journalists work together to produce accurate and unbiased radio programming designed to promote reconciliation and eased ethnic tensions, -The Womens’ Peace Center, a forum for unifying and strengthening civil society and promoting democratic processes, -The Youth Project, a cooperative project which brings together ethnically mixed youth leaders from throughout Bujumbura and Bujumbura Rurale, as well as organizes other peace- building projects for youth. -Integration Initiative: This new project maximizes the synergies among and around SFGC projects as they expand both geographically and in scope. SFGC has commissioned an independent evaluation of its work in Burundi, pursuant to its various grant agreements and as a part of it commitment to carry out regular in-depth assessments of its work.. This evaluation was scheduled to take place from 24 October until 15 November 2001. The last evaluation of this magnitude took place in January 1999. Accordingly, an evaluation team consisting of Dr. Amr Abdalla, as a team leader, Dr. Noa Davenport, Mr. Leslie McTyre, and Mr. Steve Smith, was formed. Due to other business commitments, the last member of the team, Mr. Smith, was unable to join his colleagues during their mission in Burundi, which started on October 22, and lasted till November 4. He made his trip to Burundi two weeks later. The experience of conducting evaluation for Search for Common Ground (SFCG) projects in Burundi has been an enriching one to all evaluation members in terms of their knowledge of the various activities conducted by SFCG, their impact on the society, and the potential for continuing to help the Burundian society move towards peace and reconciliation. More significantly, this experience, which involved interactions with SFCG staff, key officials, ordinary people, observations of people in their pursuit of normalcy with minimum resources, and making new colleagues and friends from all walks of life, added to this evaluation mission the human dimension which can hardly be captured by report words and numbers. The spirit of people struggling to put behind horrific events, extending a hand to an old enemy, helping a neighbor re-build her destroyed home with the help of the Women Peace Center (WPC), sharing a voice on Studio Ijambo (SI) programs about the hopes with the inauguration of the transitional government on November 1st, 2001, and singing with children in a Youth Project (YP) musical festival- that spirit, touched us as persons and as evaluators. On one hand it signified, for Search for Common Ground Burundi Comprehensive Evaluation Report iv evaluation purposes, the tremendous impact that SFCG projects have been having on the lives of the Burundian people. On another, it made us more confident in what people could accomplish in terms of building peace and reconciliation, if provided with the proper support. That entire mission, coming in the aftermath of the September 11 events, was a soothing and a healing experience to us; it reassured us about the potential of the positive peaceful human spirit. As will be explained in the Methodology Section, our work entailed conducting numerous formal and informal interviews with people from all walks of life in Burundi, conducting focus groups with SFCG staff and their affiliates, observing events conducted by SFCG, accompanying SFCG staff to antenna sites and survey staff conducting interviews with citizens in Bujumbura and in the interior, and conducting case studies. All these activities resulted in accumulating a large set of data focused on the process and impact of SFCG work in Burundi. Plan of the Evaluation Reports Capturing all this information in one concise, organized evaluation document is no less a momentous task than collecting the data itself. Bearing in mind that this document is intended to provide information and guidance to SFCG staff, their donors, and their affiliates, required that we focus the reports on the aspects that would be of benefit to them. At the same time, as evaluators, we were careful to ensure that all findings and recommendations were presented in ways that would assure a reader that these findings and recommendations were well supported with evaluation data. Therefore, throughout the reports we supported themes, findings, and recommendations with the proper data gathered from one or more of the evaluation methods employed in this mission. However, in order to make the concepts in the reports flow easier, we were careful not to crowd them with too much detailed data. Consequently, we organized data in two ways. First, data that was needed to support the themes, findings and recommendations was folded into the text of the reports. Second, the rest of the large body of the data collected from interviews, observations, surveys, focus groups, etc., is available electronically with SFCG permission. Further, this document was intended to provide information on SFCG in general, and on each of its projects. Therefore, this document consists of four reports: 1. Evaluation Report #1. This report will discuss the evaluation for SFCG in general, and for the Integration Initiative. It will also include summaries of evaluation for Studio Ijambo, the Women Peace Center, and the Youth Project. I. Background Information on Search for Common Ground II. Methodology III. Themes, Findings and Recommendations A. Conflict Situation B. The Role of Search for Common Ground C. Potential Arenas Search for Common Ground Burundi Comprehensive Evaluation Report v D. Recommendations IV. Methods, Themes, Findings and Recommendations for the Integration Initiative E. Background F. Evaluation Methodology G. Themes and Findings H. Recommendations V. Summary of Methods, Themes, Findings and Recommendations for Studio Ijambo VI. Summary of Methods, Themes, Findings and Recommendations for the Women’s Peace Center VII. Summary of Methods, Themes, Findings and Recommendations for the Youth Project 2. Evaluation Report #2. This report will discuss the evaluation for Studio Ijambo I. Background of Studio Ijambo II. Studio Ijambo’s