15 May2012 - CI/FEM/MAS/2012/118| 1
Project 503RAF5000: Empowering Local Radio with ICTs
Activity I.1.2 – Baseline Survey on b) listening habits
Background
UNESCO, with support from the Swedish International Development Agency (SIDA), a three-year project entitled “Empowering local radios with ICTs” in a radio station in Lesotho.
The project intends to increase the quality of local radio programming and broadcasting by fully integrating the use of ICTs,strengthening local reporting on development issues and engaging poor people’s participation in debates related to their livelihood and development.
Prior to carrying out project interventions, a baseline survey will be conducted to make a comprehensive assessment of the listening habits of the audiences for the Mafeteng Community Radio before project implementation.
Objectives of the baseline survey
-Better know the audience that Mafeteng Community Radio, particularly poor women and girls
-Collect and analyze data on listening habits
-Refine weekly progress monitoring indicators
-Identify benchmarks to achieve at the end of the project
-Capture data elements into a database programme or Excel sheet
Scope and focus
The Contractor will:
-design survey methodology using focus groups, to be triangulated with other methods
-adapt and translate the questionnaire attached as Annex I
-test the questionnaire in one pilot focus group
-assemble the survey team(s) in collaboration with the stations
-collect information from secondary sources
-carry out the survey:
* in collaboration with the radio stations, identify 20 key informants that may form a representative sample(s) of the radio stations’ listeners to participate in the listenership research
* supervise the implementation of the methodology in Mafeteng Community Radio in Lesotho in collaboration with radio staff and the Advisor for Communication and Information of UNESCO Office Windhoek
* apply the questionnaire to two or three focus groups
* clearly articulate guidelines for the radio staff and UNESCO explaining the implementation strategy of the listenershipresearch and providing flexible options that ensure implementation of the methodology can be carried out under differing local contexts
* deliver technical advice and guidance to all survey teams and radio staff
-design and set up the data processing environment:
* set up relevant database programme or prepare Excel data sheet
* check data gathering procedures are implemented smoothly
* cross-examine data using combined methods
-enter data
* compile and prepare results for data capture
* enter data per radio per country
-validate, process data
-prepare a technical report (details below)
* discuss the findings with the radio stations’ leadership and write up responses
* provide recommendations for future research by the station itself once a year
* provide recommendations for the radio station’s work, e.g. advertising niche, programming schedule, genres and the like
* describe lessons learnt from the conduction of this research for UNESCO to consider
* recommend minimum 5 benchmarks regarding audience (details below)
As far as possible the listenership survey will take into accountthe following information, if it already exists for the targeted signal coverage areas:
- demographic information in signal coverage area, such as: gender disaggregated population size, composition and density, urban/semi-urban/rural ratio, average household income, nomadic settlement patterns, migration flows – e.g. in-out, seasonal labour, etc.;
- social organization in signal coverage area, such as: language (in terms of mother tongue speakers and lingua franca), type of community – urban/rural or both, small/large, ethnically homogenous/heterogenous, settled/nomadic/both, gender disaggregated organization of community, traditional/state leadership type, power structure and hierarchies within the community, formal/informal groups, local organizations, extension services;
- economic organization in signal coverage area, such as: gender disaggregated labour, livelihood systems, sources and levels of income, subsistence strategies and occupations, small/large scale enterprises, availability of gender aggregated skilled/unskilled labor force data, literacy levels, number of years of schooling, etc.;
- infrastructure and available services in signal coverage area, such as: animal/vehicle transportation, quality/seasonal access roads, quality and access to water, resources, types of and frequency of markets, health and educational facilities, extension services, access to radio, TV, telephone (including mobile phones) and Internet connectivity, access to credit, susceptibility of area to natural or human-made disasters, etc..
Methodology
The study will be conducted by means of focus groups. There will be one pilot group (to test the questionnaire) and two or three focus groups (to carry out the survey) per radio station (since they have different audience). Each focus group will have 6 to 10 participants.
The way to obtain feedback from a combination of both random radio programmes and fixed scheduled ones should be discussed with the radio stations and the external expert.
Those structured questions in the Annex can be presented to the focus groups as a questionnaire to fill in before discussions begin. This would free up time for open questions requiring more lengthy discussions.
The findings of the two or three focus groups should be triangulated with other methods, which can include the following:
-phone-in assessment
-on-line assessment
-in-depth interviews
-analysis of available documents and material
-direct observation
-participant observation
-key informant interviews
Gender disaggregation will be important in all cases.
Radio stations should participate in the focus groups as observers. ACI’s presence, in at least some of the focus groups, would be desirable.
ACIs will discuss with the radio stations and the contractor acceptable incentives for people to participate in the focus groups, for ex. transportation expenses, riffle, meal served, etc.
Target group
Listeners of the radio stations
Respondents integrating the focus groups should be dedicated listeners, e.g. members of listeners’ clubs (when they exist), but also casual listeners such as anonymous individuals, members of local associations, community groups, non-governmental organizations, inhabitants in the area of signal coverage and so forth.
The focus groups can be composed with a sample that radio stations feel is representative of their audience. Radios could also help identify the dedicated listeners by announcing the research rounds on the antenna.
Reporting
A report explaining the methodology to be used and the composition of the survey team(s) will be submitted to UNESCO Windhoek Office on or before [date to be determined] 2012. The final report will be submitted on or before [date to be determined]. It will include the results of the survey and its analysis in a document structured by radio and by indicator.
The report will be 50 or more A-4 pages, structured by radio and by variable, and formatted in English.
The report should contain a table of contents, summary of key findings and narrative description of the methodology implementation, including names of focus group participants as well as justification on how the focus groups composition reflected the community targeted by each radio station.
The report will contain – per radio station:
* comprehensive summaries of the points made by participants in the focus groups for each radio station
* the radio station’s comments on those points
* the key conclusions / findings
* the recommendations for each radio station on their own future listenership research
* the recommendations for each radio station regarding their programming and editorial work
* lessons learnt from carrying out this research to be considered by UNESCO for future research
All data, where relevant, is to be disaggregated by gender.
Full transcripts of the focus groups may be included[1]. Raw data/material gathered during the research (such as audio and video recordings, data non-structured, drawings, etc) will be submitted to the radio stations[2].
Methods used to gather the information and sampling procedures will be clearly described and a copy of the questionnaire/swill be presented[3].
The report will recommend minimum 5 benchmarks regarding audience. These are benchmarks to reach upon project termination in December 2014and they will be set for the country as a whole (all radios).
The report will be submitted in both paper and electronic form, including visual material.
Deadlines for deliverables
-Methodology report and database structure submitted to UNESCO Windhoek Office on or before 15 August 2012
-Comprehensive summaries of points made in focus groups, appending comments from the radios submitted to UNESCO Windhoek Office on or before 15 September 2012
-Final report submitted to UNESCO Windhoek Office on or before 15 September 2012
Time Frame
The contractual period will start on 15 July 2012 and will end on 15 September 2012.
ANNEX I
b) Listening habits
The following indicators should be measured:
1.Gender and youth disaggregated radio listening among the local population
2.Gender and youth disaggregated mobile phone use among the local population
3.Membership in a union, community organization, political organization, religious organization
4.Gender, occupation and age group[4] of voices[5]
5.Language
* language used to interact with the radio stations
* preferred language for radio programmes. Vernacular? Other?[6]
6.Frequency of radio listening. Number of times per day, number of times per week
7.Presence of TV and frequency of use
8.Frequency of newspaper reading
9.Medium used to learn about the local social situation .Radio, TV, newspaper
10.Parallel activity to radio listening, like commuting, cooking, harvesting, etc.
11.Preferred broadcast times in the morning, afternoon, evening and night
12.How many radio and audio channels they have access to
13.Why they listen to certain radios / why they don´t listen[7](in general).Utility, intentionality, influence, entertainment, social utility, personal needs, cognitive needs and affective needs
14.What they like to listen to most / least
* specific programmes, which ones?
* genres. News, drama, comedy/humour, talk shows, music, opinion/comments, sports, documentaries and other[8]
15.Examples of information received from the radio station(specific) that listeners feel contributed to achange in their thinking, practice, life, livelihood
* type of information they hear and remember from the radio
* why they remember, how the information they remember is useful
* for what purpose or possible action is the information they remember useful
* type of content sought from the radio
16.Degree of credibility of radio station (can they believe the station?) Always credible, sometimes credible, seldom credible, never credible
17.Degree of perceived diversity of community voices in the radio (formal and informal) local news. Exceptionally diverse, very diverse, fairly diverse, not diverse
18.Degree of perceived representativeness of community voices in the radio (formal and informal) local news. Exceptionally representative, very representative, fairly representative, not representative
19.Type of radio programme[9] the local public would like to listen to
20.Radio programmes for women
* are there any? What do these programmes cover?
* type of issues such programmes should address
* week days it should be broadcast
* preferred broadcast time
* desired duration of programme
21.Issues[10] of local concern within the three areas considered important by listeners:
* in health
* in agriculture
* in the third area
22.Degree of understanding of the news on issues of local concern[11]
23.How does the audience communicate with the radio station?
* By e-mail? Mobile texting? Phone calls? Other? How?
24.Listeners’ access to:
* Internet(modality)
* Radio Broadcasts. Public, private, other – which one?
* Use of in-built camera in mobile phones for sending reports, videos and pictures to the radios. Frequently, rarely, never
* Use of mobile FM vs. use of radio set to listen to radio. Frequently, rarely, never
* Listens in car/taxi, public space, other – where?
* What are the charges the audience affords for using mobile FM compared to battery price for a transistor?
* Is their listening controlled?To which extent?
1[1]If transcripts raise the expenses, you may negotiate them out. However, the comprehensive summary of the points made in each focus group is not negotiable.
[2]This is important to collect. If we further want to make an analysis in a different approach, or have evidence to support additional conclusions, we wouldn’t be limited by the report and the structured database
[3]Please remember you may wish to upload and share these outputs in the project platform. It is essential that they are shared formally with the station leadership. The comments from the latter are to be appended to the report.
[4]Split “age group” into child (up to 13 years-old), youth (up to 25 years-old), adult (up to 65 years-old) andelderly (over 65 years’ old)
[5]Only these three categories were retained since the more breakdowns we request, the larger the sample size needs to obtain reliable results
[6] Here, mention the languages each radio broadcasts on
[7]Please follow “Uses and Gratification” theory to convert these types of activities into empirical questions
[8]“other” refers to genres that reflect unique features in the country, for example “tango programmes” are per se a genre in Argentina
[9] News, drama, comedy/humour, talk shows, music, opinion/comments, sports, documentaries and other
[10] It’s better if the stations can prompt some options in the answer, e.g. what radios feel is an issue of local concern, for the sake of final codification
[11]Assessment has to be conceived together with the radios and the contractor, e.g. a news item on a specific topic may be chosen and special questions conceived to measure understanding of the topic or message