Community Media/Isabel/Mentoring 1

= Report of Mentoring Mission to Isabel (draft – not inc Buala) = Sunday 7th March – Friday 19th March 2010

David Leeming and Walter Turasi, SIDT

= Summary = A mentoring visit was made by Walter and David to Susubona, Sigana, Tataba and Buala at the dates shown. The Itinerary and TOR and training check list are attached as annexes.

= Susubona = The time was spent training the operators in emailing, digital editing and ad-hoc technical training. In addition, committee and community representatives from the catchment area were invited for a half-day meeting to discuss progress and the issues in the TOR, namely:


 * 1) Recap and review of progress, including the latest programme (episode 4)
 * 2) To encourage wider participation in the making of programmes, including the RTC
 * 3) To strengthen the perception of ownership
 * 4) To discuss a draft constitution including all the FM communities and IPG

Participants in the one day workshop included the below.

Review of Progress
The core team of the FM and email operators, including the Chairman and Nurse, have followed the Operational Plan closely in designing and completing four programmes. The fourth programme “What is Rubbish” includes a wide variety of imaginative formats. Susubona have started on Programme 5. Some constructive criticism was given by community members that the production team should include more people in the programmes, as it was perceived by some as a “family production”. As reported below, this is accepted. One issue has been that there are few young people in Susubona immediate vicinity to sustain a “youth drama group”.

The programmes are very well recorded with good quality. The station output is good and clear, and feedback from the workshop participants is that most (more than half) of households listen to it. One participant Jackson volunteered to verify this with a straw pole in his village, results to be emailed to the Google Group soon.

The digital editing skills of the email operator and Nurse are very good and only some basic housekeeping training was needed. However, the station relies too heavily on only one email operator and it was emphasised that at least one assistant should be trained up.

The perception is that this station has sustainable capacity to complete the 10-12 programmes of Nha Au Fa Keli and that there is sufficient support in the community for further growth, with self-driven programming in health and other priority topics.

Outcomes - Susubona

 * Programme 4 polished up with some additional editing with assistance from the mentors. The programme is distributed around Isabel and will be uploaded to the Ning.
 * Programme 5 planning in progress involving the wider catchment communities and RTC
 * Programme 4 outline shared with the Isabel Google Group, using the template
 * Training given as shown in the training guide attached as annex
 * Ownership by the whole catchment area's communities clarified and appeal given for support
 * Agriculture and Life Skills identified as priority topics for new series of radio programmes. The RTC participants were willing to take a leading role in designing these programmes. The operational plan to be printed and RTC given a copy.
 * RTC students can be involved in doing surveys of how many households are listening to the programmes, and in health / behaviour change indicators
 * Production team will try to involve a wider group and more varied voices in making future programmes. Planning for programme 5 was started by the committee immediately after the workshop, whilst people from the catchment were available
 * The Nurse will report on programmes via the two way health radio “tutorial” that is run involving all Isabel clinics once a week. This is a great opportunity to raise awareness over the whole province at the same time as completing the review process with IPHS.
 * Recording of whole broadcasts using a cassette tape recorder and FM radio was tested. Each broadcast featuring a new Nha Au Fa Keli programme will now be saved on cassette for future digital archiving. The actual programmes will be shared with other stations and Buala as Mp3 files on CD. Operators must be pro-active in enquiring of other stations when they have completed new programmes.
 * Constitution discussed and ideas contributed to the draft (as below)
 * The Committee noted that an assistant email operator should be trained to ensure daily connectivity.
 * Broadcast training and mentoring given by Walter

= Sigana and Tataba = The time was spent training the operators in emailing, digital editing and ad-hoc technical training. Programme 3 “What is Diabetes” was used as a creative objective for the training. Thus, the participants divided into groups to receive specific trainings and to work on various components of the programme.

The three Sigana operators Judy, Rickson and Ernest attended the training. Only a few members of Tataba Committee were available. Due to poor communications the Chairman was unaware of the training and departed for Honiara on the day the training started. A meeting of the remaining committee and the operators and broadcasters held a half-day meeting to discuss progress and the issues, namely:


 * 1) Recap and review of progress, and the problems that had been experienced
 * 2) To agree on where to pick up the productions
 * 3) To encourage wider participation in the making of programmes, including the youth members
 * 4) To plan the training using a remake of programme 3 as the goal.

Participants in the one day workshop included the below.

Review of Progress
Tataba produced programme 2 “Overview of Diabetes” according to the Operational Plan. However, problems resulted thereafter, such that only limited capacities were available to develop further programmes. Programmes 3-5 were recorded but featured only Nurse Georgina relating information in a monologue. Georgina has been holding things together but really needs support from the others. The issues included:


 * Tataba transmitter out of order for a period of several weeks over Christmas/New Year
 * Tataba email and FM operators were absent due to commitments and Honiara and relocating to get married.
 * Youth members live 2 hours walk from Tataba and it was difficult for Georgina to coordinate and have people turn up to take part
 * Due to inactivity of the FM station, there appears to be a lower level of community support/awareness although there is very sign that this can be raised.
 * Sigana operators have been keen to be involved in production but had (until this training visit) insufficient skills to record and edit programmes.
 * Poor coordination due to communications (Tataba email closed, etc).

However, John Duran is now back in office and four new trainee FM operators have been put forward by the Committee. Some of these will also be trained as email assistants. To solve the issue of Youth member participation, it is proposed to discuss support from IPG as well as to coordinate with more inputs by Sigana.

The conclusions are that the technical skills, awareness and planning have all been boosted by the training and the additional operators coming forward. Sigana team appear very committed and with close mentoring by email, 2-way health radio and further mentoring visits these stations can build sustainable capacity for routine programming in the desired cultural/education content areas. That is provisional on the support of IPG and follow up funding to seed the next series of programmes.

Outcomes – Sigana and Tataba

 * Programme 3 was re-edited and additional components according to the planned format were recorded, or allocated for recording. The tasks were divided between Sigana and Tataba (see programme 3 outline)
 * The Talk Session used Georgina's interviews with four community members. Sigana team edited the production completed earlier, and extracted the interviews, and edited them to improve clarity and add bridges.
 * Drama conceived in two parts, to be recorded by Tataba and Sigana respectively. Part one recorded by the six new broadcasters.
 * Detailed plan for the programme agreed with allocated tasks for Sigana involving the primary school members.
 * Target broadcast date for Tuesday 23rd March.
 * Agreement on the next programmes. As Georgina has already covered 4 and 5 it was felt best to move on to 6, to be produced by Sigana. The remaining programmes will be produced alternately by the two communities.
 * The revised Programme 3 outline was completed using the template and shared with the Isabel Google Group
 * Sigana email and FM operators given sufficient training as per the attached training check list, to allow them to start on making programmes in Sigana unaided (albeit with close mentoring)
 * Top up training given to John Duran to fill in gaps due to absence from workshops
 * Broadcast training and mentoring given by Walter
 * It was agreed that when Sigana produces a programme they have to work with their health worker, and in close collaboration with Georgina via the 2-way radio (and face to face when possible)
 * It was agreed that the 2-way health radios were important for reporting back to and the weekly “tutorial” by Sister Melody would be a good time. Stations can play their new programmes over the radio so that all health clinics can hear and provide feedback.
 * The Committee will meet on the return of the Chairman and agree on these outcomes and budget planning. Sigana will receive most of the next tranche following the retirement of the first tranche used by Tataba.
 * The Committees should consider ways to support the involvement of the Youth memebers of Tataba (i.e. with pick up by canoe etc)
 * IPG will be consulted on supporting training, for instance to send an experienced operator (George, John, Selwyn etc) to work with the new operators (Sigana, Lelegia)
 * IPG will be consulted on how the MCA can further support the involvement of the Youth members.

= Buala Meeting 18th March 2010 = This was attended by Lyndon Bako, CAO, Ellison Mane, Director of Education, Ellison Gito, Youth Coordinator, Mark Anthony, Chairman of Buala FM and Director, MCA, Jack Hou, Principal HPO, Sister Melody, Chief Clinical Nurse, David leeming and Walter Turasi of SIDT. The outcomes of the meeting were:


 * 1) * The Premier of Isabel Province would like the ownership of the FM stations clarified. IPG suggests that as they were established under the IPG/UNDP programme and currently licensing is with IPG, that the stations remain under their ownership, but to be operated as community stations without direct control by IPG, but rather by the communities as “custodians” of the stations. He also suggests that their names be changed with “FM” replaced by “Community Radio” to emphasise that point.
 * 2) * IPG also suggested that if the issue of sustainability were addressed, they might consider more direct support such as salary support for Operators. David passed on Tony Matelaomao’s views on this subject, that such an arrangement would bypass the community-based governance system and that it might be more appropriate to provide that support via a community-controlled mechanism (Committee, Chiefs, etc).
 * 3) * The idea of a “Constitution” was discussed (see next section below), which would provide a framework to address such issues. It was agreed this would be the right way forward. It was agreed that the implementing partners (DL, PFnet, SIDT) would draft the constitution and circulate with IPG.
 * 4) * Licensing is a worry to IPG. It is still unclear to them how and by whom the annual fees will be paid. However, David and Walter explained that the new Telecom Act gives us an opportunity to renegotiate the licensing costs.
 * 1) * Licensing is a worry to IPG. It is still unclear to them how and by whom the annual fees will be paid. However, David and Walter explained that the new Telecom Act gives us an opportunity to renegotiate the licensing costs.

= Inputs suggested for the Draft Constitution =
 * Community Radio name
 * Preamble
 * Aims and Objectives
 * Roles and responsibilities of
 * Committees
 * operators and broadcasters
 * Volunteers inc drama groups
 * IPG (MCA, IPHS, other)
 * Targets with commitment from the communities regarding broadcasts; ie. How much culturally and educationally oriented programming per week
 * Basic procedures
 * Licensing arrangements
 * Training
 * Guidelines including language, content, good practices, things to avoid
 * Frameworks for sponsorship and funding / business models

= Annex 1 = = Agenda and TOR for Mentoring Mission to Isabel = Sunday 7th March – Friday 19th March 2010

David Leeming and Walter Turasi, SIDT

Itinerary
Sunday 7th         Travel MV Estrella to Kaevanga

Monday 8th             Picked up from Kaevanga or drop off at Susubona, morning

Monday – Wednesday Technical Training and Mentoring as per TOR below

Thursday 11th        MV Estrella to Tataba. Sigana participants to join

Friday – Tuesday      Technical Training and Mentoring as per TOR below

Sunday 16th            Workshop meeting with operators and Tataba Committee

Tuesday 15th, evening  Travel to Buala

Wednesday 17th         Travel to Buala by canoe

Wednesday-Thursday Stakeholder meetings and technical training/mentoring

Friday 19th            Return to Honiara by air

TOR

 * Audacity editing nd recording training
 * Collaboration training using the email, Isabel list, template, sharing ideas etc
 * Recording and sharing completed programmes training
 * Broadcast training (Walter)
 * Start communities thinking about wider content (agriculture, customs etc)
 * Encourage wide range of formats (story telling, feedback)
 * Widening the production to include more participation
 * Clarifying the role of the production team: i.e. to mobilise community volunteers
 * Monitoring and learner support
 * The review system – linking to Isabel Health Services
 * Drama training
 * Reviewing most recent programmes and help with planning next programmes
 * Identifying resource persons who could be used, i.e. by IPG
 * Antivirus procedures and security, using Knoppix LiveCD to copy from USB drives
 * Assessing future training needs
 * Re-negotiating production arrangements between Sigana and Tababa
 * Developing broadcast and production capacity at Tataba
 * Strengthening the committee, budgeting etc
 * Review retirement of first tranche Tataba and Sigana
 * Meet with IPG to discuss the local partnerships, ensure all stakeholders involved
 * Identify ways IPG can support the FM stations/communities
 * Integrating role of DLC
 * Discussing the involvement of an AYAD volunteer
 * Role of MoHMS in supporting and contributing
 * Sustainability of the programme
 * Drafting a constitution for the network (discuss with each community and IPG)
 * New funding applications ISOC etc, linking to UNICEF, CROP programmes, etc
 * Sort out equipment issues

= Annex 2 =

Training Check List
Please look through and practice, and ask David/Tony for help if you need.