External Evaluation of the project Political and Radio Broadcasting Training School 2012-2014

Background

ARPAS is comprised of 21 community radios in the country. NPA´s cooperation with the Association starting in 2006, addressing in particular the political and journalism education for journalists and volunteers working in the associated radios.

In an assessment carried out in 2011, several challenges were identified, both regarding the ARPAS´s political influence and the pertinence of the political and journalism training school. During the last years, cooperation has also included support to improve the political profile and influence of ARPAS. The training school was restructured in 2012, changing from one to three levels.

Purpose/objective

To evaluate the functioning of the ARPAS´s political and journalism training school, identifying its strengths and weaknesses, with the purpose of make the changes needed for meeting the demands of the radios and to continue increasing ARPAS´s political influence.

Methodology

• Document revision –project proposals, reports, internal evaluations-
• Interviews and workshops with: participants in the school during the last years; directors of the associated radios; members of ARPAS´s board; executive director; and external actors: external facilitators in the school, representative of Salvadorian social organisations.

Key findings

• It was concluded that the focus of the ARPAS-NPA project on political and journalism education, is pertinent and relevant. It was confirmed by the associated radios
• The training school has been a relevant tool for the radios´ personnel, particularly for those young people that are starting or going through their initial periods. However, problems as inadequate requirements for participate and the fact that many of the radio workers are volunteers, cause that many young participants abandon the training or leave the radios after the training, looking for paying jobs. 
• The training processes supported through the project have had impact in the quality of the radio programming.
• It is lacking a more systematic organisation of the training school
• The ARPAS ´ability to influence has increased significantly during the last 2-3 years. ARPAS is today a political actor in the country, an important reference for all the topics related to the democratization of the communication.

Recommendations

• To gradually move to a more institutionalised training school. It will include building a long term perspective, to revise the curriculum and the requirements to participate, follow up of the participants, etc. This system must be built with participation of all the radios and be revised periodically.
• Extend the duration of the workshops. Considering the resources and time restrictions, it is proposed to continue with one-day workshops combined with two-days quarterly workshops 
• The two first present levels of training and exchange (radio directors and Association´s editorial team) are functioning well and shall continue. The wider third level with radio workers shall be decentralised and regionalised. At regional level, the training processes can be led by the more developed and experienced radios 
• Regarding the ARPAS influence strategy it is proposed to appraise the effectiveness of the present focus on national forums and completing them with other communicational strategies.

Comments from the organisation

ARPAS and the associated radios participated actively in the evaluation process, so they agree with most of the conclusions and recommendations. They propose that the evolution to a more institutionalised school is seen as a process and not an one-year change. The process started in 2015 by decentralising the school and adjusting the training curriculum