Mozambique Media Strengthening Program - Final Report

"Through a holistic approach, IREX laid the groundwork for positive change in Mozambican media."

This report offers an overview of IREX's implementation of the Mozambique Media Strengthening Program (MSP), covering a 7-year period from June 2012 to June 2019. The programme involved a wide range of assistance activities, funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), designed to strengthen the media and health-related communications sectors in Mozambique. The report summarises MSP's objective-related activities, results, and impact, as well as the MSP transformation to sustainable localisation efforts.

To give a brief overview of the project (see also Related Summaries, below), it was implemented throughout Mozambique with a focus on Maputo and Nampula and had as its overall programme objective "to contribute to: a free, open, diverse and self-sustaining Mozambican media sector providing high quality information to citizens that promote debate, accountability and development." Programming covered the following areas: (i) health and nutrition (HN), (ii) gender, (iii) human trafficking, (iv) environment (umbrella term for biodiversity/wildlife trafficking/conservation/climate change), and (v) accountability and transparency, as well as investigative journalism as a cross-cutting theme. While all themes were addressed at different times and in different contexts, in 2017, HN became a predominant theme. The overall strategy involved combining the development of strong community-based communication and media skills in the programme beneficiaries with the knowledge and use of simple, but effective messages.

The contents of the report are presented based on the programme's 7 components or objectives, which are: (i) capacity building of journalists; (ii) media business operations; (iii) journalism education; (iv) community radios; (v) media advocacy; (vi) gender and media, and (vii) inclusive media for people with disabilities (PWD) (the latter 2 were added to the programme at a later stage). The report looks at strategies and activities, impact, lessons learned, and key partnerships, as well as the phase II initiative, which put more emphasis and resources towards decentralisation, localisation, and sustainability of activities and institutions. It also includes a review of those areas which, through a continued analysis of activities, were eliminated or modified extensively through continuous learning and adaptation.

The report explains how the objectives were achieved by applying some of the following key programme strategies: adopting a learning orientation; taking advantage of windows of opportunity; being localised, accessible, and adaptable; supporting new talent, re-energising veterans, and identifying leaders; utilising mentoring, coaching, quality control, and follow-up; bringing citizens' voices forward; pushing innovation with new technologies; coordinating creatively with other implementers; and establishing structures, mechanisms, and durable skillsets for sustainability. "As a result of these strategies, MSP helped 45 media partners improve the quality of content they produce. At least 18 institutions demonstrated improved capacity, among the 30+ institutions that cooperated with the program. No fewer than 107 leaders directly benefitted from MSP. At least 179 youth were direct beneficiaries of MSP. Cumulatively, MSP reached over 6 million people in Mozambique through institutions and leaders directly assisted by IREX." Overall, according to the report, "These activities have significantly contributed to a free, open, diverse Mozambican media sector providing high quality information to citizens that promotes debate, accountability and development."

Most notable for the project was the sustainability strategy, which became the focus in the second phase of the project beginning in 2017. Through a systematic 3-stage process, IREX incubated and launched 3 local organisations: TV Surdo, h2n, and Midia Lab. This was done by transferring more and more of the original MSP programme activities and administrative responsibilities to these 3 affiliates, who increasingly managed their own affairs and assumed direct programme responsibility, including producing their own programme reporting. However, despite these successes, the report also makes the point that "there is much still to accomplish in supporting the media and communications actors and enacting a reorientation towards a true selfreliance of the sector led by local organizations through local strategy, local decision making and harnessing local revenue streams."

The report concludes by highlighting some of the adaptations that were implemented based on lessons learned. For example, MSP had to adapt to low levels of theoretical and practical preparation in programme beneficiaries by focusing more on the development of foundational skills, such as language, computer literacy, and photography. Also, when working with media outlets and community radios, MSP adopted a surgical approach by focusing on areas of improvement where the largest gains could be made in the shortest period of time, as opposed to trying to reform or restructure an entire operation. Typically, this involved investments in digital technology, management training, and journalism skills, among others.

Finally, some insights for future programming are shared. For example, the report recommends that partners have more ownership in the evaluation and planning process. A stronger commitment to collaboration, learning, and adaptation from the top-down, empowering partners and staff at all levels, is critical. It also recommends that future programming consider creating a more robust gender strategy that goes beyond simply trying to reach equal numbers of men and women participants and one that analyses and strategises about how to reduce far-reaching structural inequalities.