Farm radio sharing knowledge, giving voice: Opportunities to scale research

farmradio.org@farmradio

Farm radio sharing knowledge, giving voice: opportunities to scale research

Karen HampsonAfrica RISING Science for Impact Workshop

17-19 January 2017, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

Ian Pringle

Enabling...?


“We support African broadcasters

to provide radio services that share knowledge and amplify

the voices of small scale farmers, their families and their

communities.

OUR MISSION


20 million listeners provided with radio-based extension services since 2010

8 offices in African countries

40+ development partnerships since 2010


ACHIEVING SCALE○FRI uses interactive radio strategies & ICT tools○to link researchers, broadcasters and farmers to

achieve impact at scale.

○Radio can impact millions with actionable and relevant information on innovations that have

been proven to work for farmers.


1. Preferred language

2. Accessibility

3. Scale

4. Overcomes literacy

5. Oral tradition

6. Cost-effective

7. Interactive = results

Why Radio?


-FRI has tested its Participatory Radio Campaign methodology over 100 times across 8 countries.

-Key project elements: multi-stakeholder approach, emphasis on broadcaster coaching and mentoring, in-house and external monitoring for quality and accuracy.

-All projects include pre-audience research and outcome evaluations.

PROVEN RESULTS


OUR RADIO APPROACHESPARTICIPATORY RADIO CAMPAIGN (PRC)A PRC is a focused series of up to 16 programs, tailored to promoting uptake of a specific practice . It does this through four stages of episodes: introduction, discussion, decision and implementation.

PARTICIPATORY RADIO SERIES (PRS)A PRS is aimed at increasing knowledge around a particular topic, agricultural improvement or health issue. It includes the voices of farmers to ensure the program is relevant to the knowledge and attitudes of listeners.

REGULAR FARMER PROGRAMA regular farmer program is an ongoing radio program geared to meet the information needs of the listening audience. It builds a relationship between and among farmers, broadcasters and extension services to share knowledge and amplify the voices of farmers.

RADIO MARKETPLACE (RMP)An RMP is an ongoing radio program aimed at supporting farmers to secure the maximum value from their harvest. These participatory programs address market barriers farmers may face and discuss the basics of marketing: place, price, product and profit.

Ian Pringle

We should work on these descriptions

Ian Pringle

RFP text is repeated under PRC


OUR RADIO APPROACHESREALITY RADIOReality radio is a ground-breaking radio program aimed at shifting attitudes and perspectives on an issue. This format maximizes on entertainment value and often appeals to the younger generation of listeners.

RADIO DRAMAThis entertaining radio feature can increase awareness of and shift attitudes towards a particular issue. FRI has extensive experience in working with local African writers and production houses to create entertaining dramas with high production value, while still targeting the content towards local circumstances and cultural dynamics.

LISTENING POSTThis short radio series serves to measure attitudes and opinions on specific questions in real-time, allowing project stakeholders to plan mid-course corrections to development projects or solicit unfiltered opinions from rural audiences.


New Alliance ICT Extension Challenge Fund Tanzania (USAID/IFAD)

Approach: Partnership with CABI to provide ICT-based extension services to promote uptake of SSTP technologies – mostly improved seed varieties including maize, common bean, cassava, Irish potato. Radio combined with voice and SMS services by mobile phone.


Aim: ICT-based extension services will reach one million users by project end (three years). 150,000 farmers (of whom 40% are female) will report increased and consistent use of one or more of the target technologies.

Outcome evaluation after one year implementation showed:-Uhuru FM has potential rural audience of working age of over half a million (mapping exercise).-Over 100,000 SMS on cassava production disseminated to over 6500 farmers -Nearly half of 240,000 listeners who heard one or more episodes have started to use one of the promoted practices -Approximately 71,000 farmers - who listened to one or more episodes - have started to use two practices promoted through Uhuru FM radio programs (estimated at)-Nearly 10,000 farmers registered in the Esoko system (34% of whom are women)




ICT INNOVATION○-FRI integrates interactive mobile technologies

into all of its projects which enable two-way communication and leads to a better impact on audiences at little to no cost for the end user.

○-The ICT innovations used in all of FRI’s projects enable real-time feedback by listeners which can provide valuable M&E data.

○-Using radio and integrated ICTs to solicit real-time, large-scale feedback on various topics. This can be used to hold decision makers to account and can aid in mid-term corrections for projects.


ICT INNOVATIONFRI’s Uliza Platform: Through use of mobile phones, SMS,

voice messages, broadcasters and researchers can reach and get feedback from listeners.


COST-EFFECTIVE SCALINGFRI’s impact projects can reach a farmer with vital extension information for pennies per listener.

FRI’s Participatory Radio Campaigns can encourage listeners to adopt agricultural practices for less than $1 USD per farmer.



THANK YOU

www.farmradio.org

[email protected]

http://www.farmradio.org/