grassroot com orissa model
TRANSCRIPT
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BACKGROUND
Communication is considered as an effective and powerful tool for social development. Good
communication improves knowledge and information on particular sector/issues thereby increasing
participation in decision making process. Against this backdrop, under CDLG project, a two days
State Level Workshop on Development Communication was conducted at SIRD conference hall on15th & 16th April, 2011.
The Object ives of the Workshop were as fo l lows :
l To build the capacity of District level
NGOs, APDs (training), PRIs and
faculties of SIRD on development
communication and its strategy.
l To enhance the skills and knowledge of
the participants on the concept, approach
and dimensions of communication.
l Use communication as a strategy for
empowerment and development of local
governance.
l Sensitize on the issues and challenges
faced on effective communication.
l Development of Matrix on schemes of
PR and RD for communication.
The Themes for the Work shop w as planned and they are as fo l low s:
l Concept and approach of Development Communication
l Communication approach in Local Governance
l Development Communication for the Tribes
l Access of media in Rural Odisha
l Community radio- A new paradigm
l Issues and emerging challenges in
development communication
As per the ob jec t i ves of the workshop thePar t i c i pan ts were inv i t ed f rom d i f f e ren t
f ie lds. They are as fo l low s:
l Nodal officers from District level NGO
partners
l Faculties of SIRD
l APDs(training), DRDA
l Media Personnel
l PRI members ( sarpanches & Zilla
Parishad member)
Mr. S. N. Tripathi, Prinicpal Secretary, PRD, Speaking about
objectives
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Methodolo gies adopted for the Worksh op are as fo l lows;
l Participatory
l Group Discussion & Presentation
l Lecture
l Experience Sharing
Inaugural Session :
Mr. S.N.Tripathy, I.A.S, Principal Secretary, P.R.
Department inaugurated the workshop and stated
the importance of communication to empower
elected representatives for strengthening local
governance and improving transparency in the
system. Mr S.K.Lohani, Commissioner Special
Project cum Director,SIRD emphasized the need
for development of good communication strategyto create awareness among the PRIs on Gram
Sabha and its functions. Dr.Udaya Moray, Director,
IEC, and Mr. Amlan Majumdar, Deputy Director ,
IEC, MoRD, GOI attended the two days workshop
and shared their experience of developing good
IEC material for the grassroot level stakeholders.
Dr. Ambika Nanda, SPO, UNDP, Odisha urged for
coming up with a design to develop communication strategy based on the changing rural development
needs of the people in the state, after the two days workshop.
DAY ONE: Technical Session 1
De v e l o pm e n t J o u r n a l i s m : C o n c e p t , A p p r o a c h a n d
Sign if ican ce by Dr. Mrin al Chatterjee, Profess or, IIMC
Mr. Mrinal Chatterjee spoke in length about Development
Journalism and defined Development "as a comprehensive,
economic, social, cultural and political process which aims at the
constant improvement of the wellbeing of the entire population
and of all individuals on the basis of their active, free and
meaningful participation in development and in the fair distribution
of benefits resulting there from". Later during his presentation, hedifferentiated Development Journalism from Development
Communication. In his discussion he spoke about the indicators
of Devlopment Journalism (DJ) and mapping of DJ. At the end he
briefly stated how Civil Societies, PR Bodies and Govt. can liason
with media to propogate good work across the state.
Technic al Session 2: Communicat ion appro ach in Lo cal Governance by Dr.Uday Moray,
Directo r (IEC), MoRd & M r.Am lan Mazumdar, Dy. Director (Media), MoRD, GOI
Mr.Amlan Mazumdar made a presentation on "Proposed IEC structure for Rural Development
Programmes". He discussed during his presentation that how there is a paradigm shift in the
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outlook of the Govt. All the Govt. programmes
have become demand driven, aims at Universal
Coverage, promotes Participatory model,
emphasis on Transparency & Accountability,
creates greater awareness about entitlements
& processes for end users/ grassrootimplementers. He stated that the objectives of
IEC are to Create awareness on Entitlements
for Target Groups resulting in Higher articulation
of demand through efficient Implementation. He
also focused on the challenges and issues of
developing IEC material at the Govt. Level. As
the objectives & targets for all RD programmes
are not homogeneous hence the IEC
requirement varies. Further, all target groups are
not on level playing ground so have different IEC
needs and lastly receptiveness of target groups too differ hence programme wise / target wise /area wise specific IEC Strategy has to be developed. He presented the "Findings of the Study on the
IEC Campaign on MGNREGA 2009-10 by Society for Social Services". The study came up with
recommendations to improve IEC material for the MGNREGA scheme. They were as follows:
l Preferred timing for TV campaign is after 7 PM (7 PM to 9 PM)
l Family soaps are preferred - messages to be interspaced between breaks.
l Doordarshan should be preferred channel, other (C&S channels) to be avoided
l Money saved may be used for community TV.
l Local dialects and idioms through other forms can be explored.
l Meetings in the village are effective dissemination tools.
l Content of the video should be simple and intelligible for comprehension by villagers.
l Wall paintings and posters are also effective mediums
l Complete information about the scheme should reach the beneficiaries to enable them to
gain from it
l Need to reinvent and reorient IEC methods in accordance with ground realities.
He presented o n the bud get al located for the development of IEC mater ia l at the centra l
level and f inal ly , he stated an elaborate IEC Strategy / act ion Plan drawn u p at the centra l
level . The Act ion Plan was as fo l low s:
l Panchayats made focal points
l SIRDs to supplement/ compliment the Central IEC efforts and to address to micro-level IEC
needs up to Gram Panchyat level
l Replicate /adapt in regional languages central IEC templates & develop local content s
l Develop IEC kits for village level workers, Bharat Nirman IEC volunteers, grassroot PRI
representatives
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Techn i c a l Sess i on 3 : Comm un i t y Rad i o - A new pa rad i gm by M r . N .A .Shah Ansa r i ,
Chai rperson, radio Namaskar & Mr.Abh aya Padhi , Addl .DG (Retd) Prasar B harat i
Mr. Abhaya Padhi,Addl.DG (Retd) Prasar
Bharati, spoke briefly about the technicalities
involved at AIR and how communication
through Radio would be a good medium to
percolate to the grassroot level. Further he
added that Community radio at three stations
located at Puri, Konark and Kheonjhar
districts can be used as good avenues for
passing on the messages by the Govt.
After his brief presentation, Mr N.A.Shah
Ansari, Cha irperso n, radio Namaska r
presented on Radio Namaskar and how his
team of community members has achieved
the target of using the Community Radio to
send messages to the local folk. Radio namaskar is located at Konark, Puri District for connecting
village and villagers to knowledge, experiences and resources. It serves in the areas of Gop,
Nimapara,KakatPur & Astaranga Blocks of Puri district of Orissa. Radio namaskar runs its programs
on thematic areas. They are as follows:
lLocal Self Governance
l Human Rights
l Right to Food/Information/Education.
l Disaster Management
l Gender Equity
l Societal Peace
l Survival of indigenous trade & culture
Radio namaskar is a truly community run Community radio as most of its team members are
volunteers. The staff is trained in the process of being the part of the radio and around 80% programme
comes from the community. They use music/songs from only community singers and all of their
jingles & filler music are based with folk music. Within a short period of less than 2yrs Radio namaskar
has also captured impact at the rural level.
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Technical Session 4: Establ ishing Information Highway for Streaming IEC to Gram Panchayats
& Vil lages
Rural Communication using modern
technology has potential to make
significant inroads in to the traditionalagrarian economy. Innovative
communication technology platform
by Sankalp TV focuses on local
farmer's communication needs and
economic benefits and is poised to
emerge as a landmark in rural
communication tool.
Present Status of Rural
Communication
l Majority of IEC activities are
being undertaken through print
media, which is generally not
understood by rural illiterates.
l Printed IEC materials remains
stacked in GP offices, not
shared and explained to the
community.
l Lot of Audio Visual IEC materials are also developed by different departments, but not exhibited
in all the GPs/Villages due to lack of communication channels and hence coverage remainsminimal.
l No provision for storing of AV IEC contents for exhibiting it conveniently with consideration of
time constraints of villagers.
l Coverage and communication of good practices for replication in other areas also remains
unfulfilled due to lack of robust communication facilities.
l Communication of critical
information relating to health
emergencies / disaster
preparedness do not reach on time
upto village level.
The Proposed Model
The Bharat Nirman Rajiv Gandhi Sewa
Kendras which will function as Knowledge
Resource Centre (KRC) would be
provided with adequate telecommu-
nications infrastructure that would enable
the dissemination of appropriate
information regarding farming, education,
health, weather, governmental news, job,
loans and aid opportunities. The objectives
Ashok Das,
Chief Executive, Sankalp TV
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were to reduce the digital gap and gender divide in rural Odisha using technology - especially
telecommunications technology. Each Rajiv Gandhi Seva Ghar located at GP level would be the
Knowledge Center (KC) and would serve the villages of the Gram Panchayat and would act as the
knowledge repository for the villages it served. Pertinent information will be stored in databases in
these sites, with appropriate technology for easy access and dissemination of this knowledge to
persons seeking them.
The Financial Model
The average developmental spending in a Gram Panchayat per year is approximately Rs. 50 Lakh.
The average expenditure towards IEC / program communication is 2% of the project outlay i.e. 2% of
Rs. 50 Lakh = Rs. 1 Lakh / GP/ Year
Suggested Cost Model
l Monthly subscription for DTH : Rs. 200
l Service Provider i.e. Sankalp charges : Rs. 50/day/panchayat*
(i.e. Rs. 1500/panchayat/month)
l Total per month : Rs. 1700/-
l Total per year 1700 x 12 = Rs. 20400 / panchayat / year
The role of communication technology as proposed in the model is many fold as can be seen below.
l Setting of Farm Schools/e-Hub for livelihood skills. to promote activities in Agriculture, Horticulture,
Fisheries, Animal-Resources, Handicrafts and SHGs.
l Effectively address "communication gap (information loss)" in the dissemination of information
from Lab-2-Land.
l Development of effective Teaching/Training Modules with the help of subject matter specialists/
experts.
l
Real life case studies to inspire the beneficiaries.
l Viewers can also watch different infotainment programmes and movies from other channels,
which will enhance peoples' interest and increase viewer ship. This will help increase in footfalls
in the BNRGSKs.
l To create digital content for the entire life cycle management of major crops, livestock, fishery
types, thus building Agri- knowledge management digital library in local language for any time
any where use of farmers.
l To promote traditional knowledge system available with farming community.
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A detailed presentation of the infotainment model was presented in the workshop to the participants
comprising officials from Govt. of India, Civil Society Organizations, Experts of Development
Communication and Officials from DRDAs. After a meticulous discussion on the pros and cons
of the proposed initiative the house arrived at the following conclusions
l As poor people are often unaware of their rights, entitlements and the availability of variousgovernment schemes and extension services, this model will improve their access to the
information they need.
l It will provide cheap and efficient tools for access to information and exchange of ideas and
knowledge as an enabling tool for wider socioeconomic development. The model should be
piloted in coastal and tribal areas before being scaled-up.
l This will strengthen rural livelihoods, providing market information and lowering transaction
costs of poor farmers and traders
l It should, that this cannot act as a substitute for reforms but will be required to support
information needs of poverty reduction programs.
l Care should be taken so that this approach not just technology-driven but respond to the
needs of the poor.
Technical Session 5: Access o f Media in Rural Odisha by Dr Pradeep Mahapatra, Berhampur
Universi ty
Dr. Pradeep Mahapatra, highlighted the Access to media in Odisha in his presentation. According
to him Development Communication should be promoted through mainstream and alternative media
platforms and for doing this he gave the Case study on GRAM VIKAS SAMACHAR. He also depicted
the picture of India and compared with the state of Odisha with regards to access to media and at
the end he gave Tips for effective communication for development. The tips were as follows;
l Documenting
l Contributing to alternative media
l Interacting with local journalists
l Circulating story proposals among mainstream media
l Documenting hard facts
l Collecting background information
l Extensive interviewing
l Recording others impressionsl Seeking human interest angle
With this session the day came to an end.
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DAY TWO: GROUP WORK
Before the technical session began the partciapnts were divided into five groups and they were
asked to think about the Gaps in the Commun icat ion strategy in the implementat ion of the
Govt schemes and to work out an ac t ionab le f ramework for SIRD to car ry forward the
commun icat ion strategy for implement ing d i f ferent govt . schemes. The groups worked onthe gaps and presented.
Techn ica l sess ion 1: Deve lopment Communica t ion for the Tr iba l by Dr. Nabor Soreng,
Princ ipal, NISWASS
Dr. Nabor Soreng, Principal, NISWASS, narrated his rich experience of working with the tribals in
different districts of Odisha. He stated many case studies of communicating with the Primitive
Tribal groups in Odisha and the challenges
that he came across while working with
them. He described briefly the objectives
of Communication as Perceived by the
Tribes. To develop and equip themselvesto fight against destructive forces, they try
to keep intact their social as well moral
norms, maintain inter-personal and group
harmony and finally inter-tribe. Further he
gave a list of ethnic characteristics of
tr ibes as i t becomes necessary to
understand in order to develop a
communication strategy for the tribes.
Finally he discussed various
communication strategies utilized at
various levels (at the Inter-personal level;
at the Basic Group level; at the Community
level; at the Society level).
Technic al Session 2: Socia l Market ing Thread in Development Communic at ion by Mr.Saroj
Ku .Dash, Dy.Directo r, SIRD
Mr.Saroj Ku.Dash started his session with a participatory mode and gave a background of
Development Communication. He wanted communication strategy should be able to capture the
minds of the rural people the way corporates have tried to get their products sell in the rural areas.
Communication should become important in informing, persuading, listening, data gathering,
educating, training and managing change. Social marketing has greatly influenced the way
communication and information is incorporated in development programme, for example, it has
increased our sensitivity to the needs for research prior to developing and sending messages and
it has shifted emphasis from the needs of the social change agent to the needs and perspectives of
the beneficiary groups. He focused on the challenges that should be taken into consideration keeping
in mind the dynamics of Development Communication.
They are;
l Sustained behaviour change
l Improved consumer research
l Media selection
l Community focus
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l Narrowing communication gaps
l Structured intervention
l Prevention messages
l Institutional capacity
l Long term planning
Technic al Session 3: Issues & Chal lenges
o f D ev e l o pm e n t C ommu n i c a t i o n b y
Ms.Amita Bose, Developm ent Consul tant
Ms. Amita Bose, adopted the brainstorming
methodology and tried to zero down on the
Issues and Challenges of Development
Communication. As many resource persons
discussed about the issues and challenges ofDevelopment Communication the Groups
presented the Gaps identified in the implementing the Govt. Schemes. The gaps were as follows;
l Language barrier
l No direct communication
l Universal pattern of communication
l Improper/no function of local panchayat system.
l Low awareness level.
l Low literacy
l Ignorance of local government officials in particular schemes.
l Lack of involvement of local community, lack of liasioning with media.
Later, the groups worked on the matrix which was shared by SIRD and each of the group had to
work on different schemes like, MGNREGA, IAY, Social Security
Deve lopmen t Comm un ica t i on St ra tegy fo r p rog rams im p lemen ted by Panchaya t i Raj
Depar tment
The development communication strategy for programs implemented by PR department will be a
departure from the traditionally practiced communication effort, where the focus will not be oninformation to be disseminated by experts to end-users. Rather, it will be a horizontal communication
processes which will enable the people to participate in the development programs. The main
objective is to ensure that the end-users gather enough information and knowledge to carry out their
own development initiatives evaluate their actions and recognize the resulting benefits. Participatory
communication will reinforce this process.
Suggested Specific Strategies
These overall objectives will be achieved through the use of the following specific strategies:
i. Capacity building of DPNGOS, village volunteer, Govt. functionaries and partner institutions /
organizations.
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ii. Setting up Community participation mechanisms
iii. A multi-media communication program to increase knowledge and participation in the
developmental programs of PR department.
Capacity strengthening to implement the Communication Strategy
The main objective of the capacity building strategy, in line with the principles of the PR deptt. would
be to equip the community members with necessary skills and knowledge base to enable them to
participate in the development programs. The other objective is to develop skills and attitudes in the
project personnel.
The multi-media communication program campaign will be carried out in two phases:
Phase 1
Phase I will be a public information campaign providing general information on the development
programs. This phase will aim at building a critical mass of people within the general population
who are knowledgeable about the programs to provide a conducive environment for their
implementation. The campaign will be delivered through mutually reinforcing mass media to buildawareness and increase knowledge on the ongoing programs and their benefits throughout the
state. The mass media campaign will be complemented by public participation mechanisms that
engage opinion leaders to reinforce the key messages at the local level through various community
forums.
Phase 2
The thematic communication programs of the second phase will be selected based on progress of
program identified over the first year. A participatory communication approach will be followed that
is integrated with all communication efforts. Rather than focus on the use of mass media as a
vehicle, this phase should focus on making use of community based social, religious, civic and
political organizations, individuals and networks in tribal society of Orissa as channels and influencersto communicate with people 'face-to-face'. Examples would be speaking through women's groups.
A radio entertainment-educational serial drama linked to community level activit ies is also
recommended as a central activity for this phase.
Communication Assessment
It is suggested to undertake a participatory communication need assessment study. However,
empirical experiences indicate that regardless of the initiatives under way, people rely on direct
interpersonal communication for their information needs in the sense that people talk to each other
to convey information. People see radio and meetings as the potentially best way of communicating
within their communities. Illustrated posters have a potential; but the lack of permanent structures
and the harsh climatic conditions pose a challenge as to when they are to be produced and posted.Illustrated handouts or leaflets have been identified and used by the project as a means of
communicating; but again, only limited information can be transferred in the form of pictures. However,
when text is used, the understanding is generally quite low.
Communication Approach
The basic communication approach for developmental programs of PR Deptt. Will be mix of mass
communication and participatory communication methods wherein the field facilitator in this the
DPNGO will be adequately trained in participatory tools so that for each community a specific
communication strategy emerges. Instead of prescribing a general strategy for all the stakeholders
through participatory communication it will emerge. The approach of this document will to suggest
generic strategy and approaches for entry kevel activities into the community.
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Different kinds of communication interventions will be utilized to cater to primary and secondary
audiences. In terms of a communication strategy, five basic types of strategic communication
components will be adopted.
Communication Situation Analysis of programs implemented by PR deptt.
The situational analysis / issues and challenges in development communication pertaining to
programs implemented by PR deptt the basis for this suggested communication strategy. The
analysis was carried out through groups discussions only. The key findings of this analysis are
summarized below.
Average levels of awareness and misconceptions on various developmental programs
among most stakeholders
People in general do not have complete information about the programs. This is more acute in tribal
areas. There is no formal system of communicating people in general. Mostly it is through inter
personal communication, discussion in Baazar area / barber shop / common sitting area or may besome places where there is presence of NGO/ CSO it is through some form of village meeting.
Since programs in detail are not discussed in a proper forum, misconception also prevail among
the beneficiaries about program benefits.
Dissatisfaction among beneficiaries
May be due to ignorance or non availability of proper information mechanism people do not get their
complete entitlements or some times under go the drudgery of moving form pillar to post for securing
their entitlements.
Negative Media Coverage
Sometimes negative media coverage of the programs also builds up the perception of the people
thereby undermining the program benefits or people making demand for the services.
Low current communication capacity
Participatory Communication in general is not the domain area of Govt functionaries. Participatory
communication if any is largely practiced by functionaries from NGO / development sector. So their
exist a large capacity gap as far as building development communication into the development
programs.
Need to strengthen public participation mechanisms
It is clear that two-way information dissemination is important and participation structures such
before and during program implementation through as stakeholder forums, networks and committees.
Short versus long?term communication requirements
The communications program should be broken into two phases. Initially a shortterm phase of
communications should be used to build awareness and understanding on the program and WSS
issues. A second longer term phase should focus on participatory & demand driven communications
that promote positive attitudes and practices.
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Communication Strategy Matrix
The Communication Strategy matrix summarizes the key aspects of each specific strategy. It
integrates all aspects of the strategy indicating the logical link between the audience, key message
themes, methodology, channels and tools, expected outcome and implementing partners. Key
message themes are based on the objective for communication to each audience and the findingsfrom the situation analysis. The channels recommended are based on the empirical data covering
media usage in Orissa.
Group 1: Scheme : MGNREGS
Communicat ion Strategic Issue Target Audience Message Channel of
Object ive Communicat ion
Make people People not aware Registered Job 100 days of work Village Meeting
aware about of job card receipt Seekers is assured Radio Spot
salient featuresof Crche facility is Miking
MGNREGS FGD
Make job card Filling of C1 form PRIs & NGOs Seven hours of Street Play
holder aware Filling up of muster work Exposure Visit
about worksite rolls Equal wage for Using knowledge
facilities men & women and information
centres
Unemployment Reservation for Facility of
Allowance women unemployment
allowance
Need for Social Worksite facilities
Audit
Benefits of Getting
completion of 100 unemploymentdays allowance
Group 2: Scheme : PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM
Communicat ion Strategic Issue Target Audience Message Channel of
Object ive Communicat ion
Awareness about People not aware All PDS Entitlement Miking
PDS program about their beneficiaries messages Wall Painting
Awareness on entitlements BPL Cards: IPC at dealer
quantity / quality under Rs. 2/kg for location
and variety of PDS scheme 30kgs/month Village Meeting.products Antodaya Card:
To sensitize the Rs. 2/kg, 35 kgs /
card holders month
about their Annapurna free
entitlements 10 kgs/month
Sugar: 1.5 kg per
BPL & Antodaya
card/month
Kerosen @ 4 lts/card
per month
Wheat @ 7 kgs/monthper APL card
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WAY FORWARD
Suggest ion 1: Appropr ia te documenta t ion of the program needs to be deve loped and
made access ib le so that repl icat ion can b e bet ter achieved
Why
Appropriate documentation of the lessons
learned needs to be captured in a format
suitable for cross-learning. The
documentation needs to capture the distinctive
aspects of the various PR developmentalprogram
How
Documents developed should be made easily
accessible in the communications hub
(www.sirdorissa.org)on the project website
and at DRDA. The case studies are more than
success stories as they document themistakes. The case studies are in non-
technical language but aimed at educating
readers.
Group 3: Scheme : Rural Housing (Mo kudia & IAY)
Communicat ion Strategic Issue Target Audience Message Channel of
Object ive Communicat ion
To make people People are not BPL, Fire Victim Every BPL family is Palli Sabha / Gramaware about the aware about how to Homeless, Homes assured a house Sabha
process & get benefit by Mo affected by natural under Mo Kudia/ Village Meeting
entitlement of Kudia / IAY calamities IAY Information board
houseing schemes (Process) Households
completed 100
days of MGNREGS
Group 4: Scheme : Social Security Schemes
Communicat ion Strategic Issue Target Audience Message Channel of
Object ive Communicat ion
Create awareness Beneficiaries does Old Age people Pension of Rs. Village Meeting
among the not about HIV / AIDS infected 200/- per month Palli Sabha
stakeholders for entitlements of Physically ASHA / AWW
social security different schemes Challenged Panchayat Meeting
schemes / Central Miking
Govt. / State Govt.
Time
Place & procedure
of availability.
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Suggest ion 4: Information shou ld be readi ly avai lable at vi l lage level through in formation
centres.
Why
PR deptt. Has established Resource Centres
in Blocks. There is potential for making these
Centres more widely available and improving
their functionality. Information centres have an
important role to play in providing a localphysical focus. Multi-purpose resource centres
can encourage local convergence.
How
Establish Village Information Centres
clusters of micro-watersheds.
l project related print and media (posters,
leaflets, newsletters, VCDs)l village notice board of events, meetings
l information on and application forms for
other government schemes
l rental of agricultural equipment
l TV viewing
Suggest ion 2: Needs to prov ide m ore oppor tun i ty for o pen d iscuss ion and debate of
developm ent issues that fo l low from d i f ferent prog rams of PR dept t.
Why
PR deptt. needs to create more opportunitiesfor critical reflection on the direction the project
is taking. Pressing concerns from targets and
reporting procedures mean that concerns about
the project cannot be aired. Platforms for
reflection need to be developed.
How
An Annual Participatory Review Meeting. Thisevent provides a space to test out new ideas
and review progress from a selection of all
Program staff at all levels up to district and
NGOs partners are also invited to promote
further convergence. This is a two day event held
in a venue away from Bhubaneswar. Key note
speakers are asked to make short presentations
on selected themes.
Suggest ion 3 :Improved transparency is needed at communi ty l evel to enhance part ic ipat ion
Why
The extent to which GPs / DPNGOs information
available to communities differs. Strategy is to
publicly display funds that have been allocated
to each village / household by using wall
paintings. All these initiatives have value; the key
point is that the community knows how and
where funds have been spent.
How
All GPs / DPNGOs adhere to min imu m
standards of transparency publicly displayed on
village notice boards. Financial information is
presented in a form most likely to be easily
understandable at community level.
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Sugges t ion 5 : Use of tradi t ional performanc e art is ts to communic ate sensi t isat ion and
inform at ion messages
Why
Traditional performance has already been usedin villages. Traditional performers are already a
significant local source of knowledge on various
PR developmental schemes they are literate,
intelligent interpreters of information to the
community. Shows are popular and hold the
attention
How
Key moments in project implementation that
would benefit from traditional performance are
identified by DPNGO. A recommended schedule
for incorporation into the field implementation
manual is devised. Simple briefing sheets for
Communication Point persons at District level
are devised. Relevant improved communication
materials are made available to performance
groups according to the project phase and the
time of year.
Suggest ion 6: Enco urage wide adopt ion of good pract ic e developed in PR department
prog rams at secondary stakeholder level and upwards
Why
Lessons learnt in one district or block are not
necessarily shared with other districts. Some
districts and communities have made more
progress than others in certain areas. Sharing
information about why some districts activities
are more successful in some places than in
others will contribute to improving performanceacross the board.
How
Panchayat Samachar, the PR deptt. Odiya
language newsletter, focuses on promoting good
practice across the districts and elsewhere. It
becomes a major advocacy tool amongst
secondary stakeholders in the project. To do this,
content will include:
l success stories about how individuals,
communities or administrations made good
progress
l The newsletter should be bi-monthly and
reach each of the Gram Panchayat
Suggest ion 7: Communicat ions mater ia ls to be c onsis tent ly avai lable to al l DPNGOs /BRCs for use wi th communi t ies
Why
PRI CB & R is implemented at field level with
support from a range of communication
materials.
How
Ensuring consistent supply of communication
materials / tools available to al l f ield
implementers.
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Suggest ion s 8: Using Radio / Commu ni ty Radio to empower poor stakeholders to make
more demands
Why
The potential to use radio to pursue PRdepartment schemes objectives has not yet
been explored fully. It is learnt that in communities
radio ownership is more widespread than TV
ownership. But that watching TV is more popular
than radio if the choice is there. This suggests
that radio programmes need to have a special
interest and relevance to the target audience if
they are to have impact.
How
Interactive weekly one hour phone-inprogramme on AIR for 13 weeks. The
programme will be a mix of discussion in Oriya
and music. Music requests and announcements
from communities will be encouraged. The style
of the programme wil l be informal and
conversational but the guests will need to be
prepared to answer difficult questions from
listeners.
Similarly community radio should be piloted in
the available areas.
Suggest ion 9:Ensur ing deve lopment c ommunica t ion suppor t m ater ia ls more ef fec t i ve
Why
A range of communication materials are already
being used by field-level staff when working in
the villages, these can be made more varied and
more suitable for working with a partially literate
target group. Any print materials that are intended
for general use should be in Oriya, use the bareminimum of text and make extensive use of
photographs and/or drawings.
How
The response to this by making pre-testing print
and AV materials consistently available to
DPNGOs for onward distribution for use directly
by communities. This intervention stresses the
need to use the print materials in a strategic
manner Any existing print materials that are textheavy should be distributed only to literate
villagers..
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COMMUNICATION TOOLS IDENTIFIED
No. Tools Usage Rationale
Mass Media
1 Program anthem An anthem in simple, colloquial language is to be producedto be popularized by singing at the beginning of all meetings
by village communities / mass media. This anthem will
focus on key aspects of the program and the role the
communities will play in enhancing their quality of life through
this program.
2 Radio Spots / Discussion Entertaining yet informative and motivational radio spots
(60 seconds) should be aimed at both rural men and
women. Such radio broadcast should reinforce the
messages of the leaflets, flipcharts and posters. A
sponsored weekly half-hour radio program produced and
broadcast exclusively on MGNREGS / IAY /. It would beimportant to include the voice and views of local
communities and GPs in the content of such a program
such that the design and content are highly participatory in
nature, and it gives the look and feel of a people's radio
program: in their language or very simple Oriya / local
dialect, contains what they want to say and hear, and at a
time most convenient to them.
3 Community Radio Community radio facility is available in Konark, Keonjhar &
Koraput. These options should be generously utilized as
they reflect the local ethos.
4 Documentary Films In villages where avenues for entertainment are few and
audio-visuals would transcend problems related to literacy.
A variety of films and documentaries could be procured for
projection among village communities. These could be
commercial film such as Manthan and Lagaan, as well as
films on issues of MGNREGS / Role of Gram Panchayat /
success stories of other villages / GPs etc. Several films
that highlight the importance of self-determination by the
communities, on SHGs, and community working are also
available. Efforts should be made to screen a maximum
number of such films in each project village. The VCR andTV could be hired or borrowed locally for such screenings.
5 Poster Short messages summarizing the salient points of
MGNREGS / IAY/ 13th Finance Commission be included in
the posters aimed at rural men. Such posters should be
placed at the markets and seed dealers' shops which most
rural men visit frequently. The creative of such poster should
adhere to all the fundamentals of making communication
materials for low literate audience.
6 Folk Media Folk art and performances are a projection of community's
aspirations and culture. Folk performances should be used
liberally at all stages of the program to inform and mobilize
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the village communities. The folk media will catalyze higher
involvement of women and vulnerable groups. Folk groups
could be trained by DPNGOS to carry out communication
activities.
Group Media7 Participatory theatre Theatre debate, in which a discussion follows the play and
some parts of the theatre are played repeatedly following
comments, may be used to tackle soil fertility problems
and was employed by women as a form of empowerment.
The idea, at is to use this tool to help women voice their
concerns and to illustrate causes and potential solutions
associated with the problems.
8 Video photography Short video documentaries will be produced to be used
during community meetings. Video will be used as an
experimental effort to involve the community in dialogue
and conflict resolution. Marginal groups could express their
points of view and the images will help to shed light on
some aspects of conflict and dissent. The videos will be
shown in the presence of all parties, and the showings will
be followed by discussions that were also filmed and
documented.
This will help marginal groups, who were usually shy in
formal meetings, to express themselves. Videos were also
found to be useful in generating discussions and awareness
among and between different people and factions.
9 Creating a local users network A federation of all users groups will be formed which will
be kind of a medium to facilitate interaction among the
various local beneficiaries and non-governmental
organizations (NGOs) and Government. The presence of
such a medium would provide a platform for different
stakeholders to assess and develop a common
understanding of development needs and possible
solutions.
10 Exposure Visit Exposure visits by community to other villages are useful
to demonstrate some solutions, which have been used in
other settings, and also to raise the motivation to try themout and experiment with them.