Community Media/MARAA/Community Radio/Management/Impact

Evaluating and management of overall impact through CR

This is the most important area. The committee should evaluate frequently whether the radio station is relevant and catering to needs of local community members. This means that research mechanisms should be in place to give the committee insights in to emerging issues, ways in how radio station is dealing with existing issues, and looking at ways of dealing with unexpressed needs. After analyzing impact, the committee can take key decisions related to programming, finances, personnel and so on.

Gender Critique

Give five sample programs from a week's schedule to the management committee. Give them listenership data which was most recently conducted, and any other research data which has been collated by the team. Ask them to gauge social impact from a viewpoint of gender. Suggest following criteria:

• Participation of women in the program
• Programs about women
• Listenership and feedback by women listeners

Divide the committee into sub groups and ask each group to come up with a five minute presentation evaluating the radio station through a gender lens. Facilitate a discussion summarising gaps and positives, and chart out a future plan.

Personal and Community

Simulate a management committee meeting wherein some one presents financials, reporters present their monthly reports, schedule is presented, listenership data is presented. At the end of this "meeting", ask each committee member to try and give two presentations back to back. Each presentation can be no longer than 3 minutes. The first presentation has to be a purely personal opinion on the performance of the station. The second presentation has to be an official opinion on the performance of the station, as he or she is attending this on behalf of a larger community.

At the end of the exercise, compare personals and official presentations. Facilitate a discussion on how the committee members assume a larger responsibility when they are a part of a "management" committee. They need to represent a larger section of the community and safeguard interests of all sections, regardless of how they feel personally. Another possible discussion is how some points on the personal and official overlap, and where they diverge completely. This will give the participants a greater understanding of the management process and a holistic understanding of various kinds of impact the station might have had.