The Drum Beat 164: Part 2 - Communication for Social Change: Measuring the Process and Its Outcomes
This issue of The Drum Beat is the second to be drawn from the recently published Rockefeller Foundation Working Paper: "Communication for Social Change: An Integrated Model for Measuring the Process and It's Outcomes" by Maria Elena Figueroa, D. Lawrence Kincaid, Manju Rani and Gary Lewis [from Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs] with a Foreword By Denise Gray-Felder.
Click here to access the paper in full on-line.
A PDF version of this paper is available from the Communication for Social Change Consortium (CFSCC).
This Drum Beat is structured around the specific indicators proposed in the working paper. The focus below is on the indicators outlined in the working paper for Measuring the Outcome or Impact of a communication initiative. The text of the paper provides rationales, explanations and examples for each of these. To review these explanations please click on the relevant URLs below.
SOCIAL CHANGE OUTCOME INDICATORS
Introduction
. ...provide[s] a description of indicators for each of the outcomes of social change. Within each outcome, indicators vary by level of difficulty and type of data-collection method. Some are qualitative and others are quantitative measures. As explained before, no one would be expected to use all of the indicators for each outcome. A variety is included so that each evaluator can choose the one that best fits his/her purpose and resources. Click here for more.
INDICATORS
In each section below there are examples of the indicators provided. To review the full range of indicators please access the complete text.
1. Leadership
- Who are the main leaders in this community (probe formal and informal leadership)?
- Who are the leaders in this community with respect to the issue/programme?
- How many people have had the opportunity to lead various aspects of this programme?
- Were people given the opportunity to play a leadership role in the programme?
- Proportion of leaders (people or groups) on the issue/programme that belong to different interest groups in the community?
- How are leaders selected in the community?
- Who in the community decides and elects leaders for the issue/programme (the whole community, other people or groups within the community, etc...)
- Does the leadership of the programme change regularly, such as by annual elections of leaders?
2. Degree and Equity of Participation
- Is there any committee or community organisation/group dedicated to address the issue/programme problem (variable related to constraints/support) (Yes/No)?
- How many of these committees or community groups are there for the issue/programme?
- Do these committee(s) or community organisation(s) offer and encourage opportunities for people (related to the issue) in the community to actively participate (Yes/No)?
- What are the mechanisms used for encouraging participation?
- Do any of the following people/groups participate in any of the following activities related to issue/programme (use - Matrix 5 and check if "yes" for each activity and group identified)?
- How would you rate the general participation of the following people and groups in the community for each one of the listed activities (1, no participation at all, 2, little participation, 3, some participation, 4, high participation, 5, very high participation)?
3. Information Equity
- Percentage of community members having correct knowledge about (different aspects of) the issue or programme.
- Average level of knowledge about the issue or programme in the community.
- Percentage of community members who are aware of community activities related to the issue or programme.
- Proportion of community members/groups having access to varied sources of information, TV, radio, newspapers, telephone, Internet, etc.
- Frequency of use of local media and other information mechanisms by community members to learn about (and/or to provide information about and support) the programme/issue.
- Percentage of media time/space devoted to programme/issue.
- Number of media reports related to community activities/accomplishments (news releases, radio/TV interviews, etc.).
- Percentage of community members/groups who have discussed the issue/programme with other community members/family members/groups in last * months.
4. Collective Self Efficacy
- I believe our community is capable of using innovative approaches to deal with _______ [issue, e.g., HIV, diarrhea epidemic, contaminated water, etc.], even when faced with setbacks.
- As members of this community, we are able to tackle the most difficult situations (or crises) because we are all committed to the same collective goals.
- Our community can come up with creative ways to improve the health status of the community, even without outside support.
- Our community can sustain the project activities once the external support is withdrawn.
- Our community can harness/mobilise resources to change situations that affect the members.
- I am confident that we as community members can develop and carry out different health initiatives in a cooperative manner even when difficulties arise.
- We can deal effectively with even the most critical events because we are able to draw upon the social networks that exist within our community.
- Does your community feel more, the same or less confidence, as you did five years ago in tackling the problem _____ ?
5. Sense Of Ownership
- What would you say are the (10) main problems affecting your community (affecting you and your family well-being)? Rank them in order of importance, or use the list of main problems identified by the community and ask the respondent to rank them.
- How important is the issue/programme for you (for the community) compared to the others affecting you (the community)?
- Who is responsible for solving this problem (making this project successful): outsiders, some members in the community, the affected/beneficiaries or the entire community?
- How much would you say you (the community) have (has) contributed to the programme as a whole: very much, slightly, not much, not at all?
- Who in the community benefits from the programme (solving the problem)?
- What are the reasons why you (the community) participated in the programme: for monetary incentive, voluntarily/feels programme is important, coercion, asked by local community leaders to participate, for the sake of curiosity?
- What are the reasons why you (members of the community) did not participate in the programme: not aware about the issue/programme, did not know how to participate, not allowed to participate, did not see any benefits from participation?
- Whose project (problem) is this: outsiders, some members in the community, the affected/beneficiaries, the community as a whole, others?
6. Social Cohesion
Sense of Belonging:
- I feel that I belong to this community.
- I would rather live in a different community/village.
Feelings of Morale:
- This community is one of the best anywhere.
- There are too many people in this community who think they should share in the benefits without contributing their share of the work.
Social Trust:
- I do not trust others to have any influence over issues that are important to our projects.
- I am comfortable giving other people responsibility for project tasks even when I cannot monitor what they do.
Social Reciprocity:
- People behave in an opportunistic way and disregard their obligations to others.
- People try to fulfill their obligations to others.
Network Cohesion:
- [How many people have members of the community talked to] to most often in the last ___ (months/days) [General Interpersonal Network].
- [With how many people have members of the community] discussed [health problem x, y, or z ] in the last ___ months/days [Content Specific Network].
- [From how many people have members of the community] sought (or given) advice to about [health problem x, y, or z] in the last ___ months/days [Opinion].
7. Social Norms
- From the following list of people, who would you say should participate in the following activities?
- Under which circumstances do you think members of the community should/can participate in the solution of the problem (programme): every time they are asked/voluntarily, if the community gets outside resources/money, if they think they will have negative sanctions; only if they are paid?
- Can becoming involved in the issue/problem (programme) result in personal risk: none; some economic risk, physical, social, other?
- What is the role of community leaders? What is the role of community leaders in the issue/programme?
- Who in this community are the people who should act or not act to solve the problem (programme) in the community: only men, only women, all the community,...?
- Who are the people you would talk to about the problem (programme): nobody, immediate family members/household, other relatives, same sex friends, all friends, other acquaintances, other people in the community, others outside the community, anybody?
- For each person/people that you mentioned, do you think they will approve advocating the solution of the problem (programme)? (Yes/No)
- Do you think it is acceptable for this issue/problem (programme) to appear in the media (popular and other)? (Yes/No)
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