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Development action with informed and engaged societies
The Communication Initiative
After nearly 28 years, The Communication Initiative (The CI) Global is entering a new chapter. Following a period of transition, the global website has been transferred to the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) in South Africa, where it will be administered by the Social and Behaviour Change Communication Division. Wits' commitment to social change and justice makes it a trusted steward for The CI's legacy and future.
 
Co-founder Victoria Martin is pleased to see this work continue under Wits' leadership. Victoria knows that co-founder Warren Feek (1953–2024) would have felt deep pride in The CI Global's Africa-led direction.
 
We honour the team and partners who sustained The CI for decades. Meanwhile, La Iniciativa de Comunicación (CILA) continues independently at cila.comminitcila.com and is linked with The CI Global site.
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Institutional Review of Educational Radio Dramas: Replicable Features

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Summary

Replicable Features

This analysis of 14 radio serial dramas from around the world suggests that many organizational aspects are not replicable in other contexts. Pro-social media projects depend greatly on the personal contacts of the producers, and the specific needs and tastes of the target audience. A successful model for one country may well not work in another, simply because there are so many variables.


With this caveat, the following is a list of possibly replicable features gleaned from the 14 projects studied. More detail about how these features work in practice can be found in each case study. The features have been selected because they either show up strongly across all projects, have been singled out by project holders as the key to their success, or because they seem to have the potential for translating across countries and sectors. (They are not in any particular order of priority.)

  1. Having an integral and ongoing audience research component is vital so the project can stay in touch with and retain its audience. The more that writers themselves can get out into the field and interact with listeners, the more true-to-life the drama will be (for example, Rwanda, Kenya and Malawi case studies).
  2. Incorporating audience feedback at every stage by reading letters on the air, adapting storylines in response to research, running competitions etc., will help to keep and increase audience.
  3. Adhering strictly to the production cycle will help overstretched staff cope with all the demands of their work, and will keep relations with broadcasters smooth.
  4. Paying constant attention to entertainment quality, realism and production values will keep audience, radio stations and donors/funders happy. Realism refers to plausible and character-consistent events or behaviors - not necessarily events that actually happened. Music and humor seem to have had special success with audiences.
  5. Giving strong attention to initial and in-service staff training is something that is sometimes overlooked, but pays off in the end.
  6. Demonstrating political astuteness is vital if the project is conveying anything at all controversial.
  7. Acquiring local commercial sponsorship without compromising content is something to which many projects aspire, but is only possible where there is a solid consumer base, and thus an attractive market for would-be advertisers.
  8. Collaborating closely with existing social/health/agriculture services is vital if the media intervention is advocating the use of specific services/technologies, and can be extremely damaging to the project, if overlooked.
  9. Maintaining and encouraging the stakeholder network is important because entertainment-education projects all need expert advice, and all need to keep the funders/political supporters/audience supportive.
  10. Paying strong attention to back-up materials in print and in person, and/or to accompanying factual/documentary/Q&A programs.
  11. Addressing both the supply and the demand side, e.g., providing education and support for suppliers of health services as well as encouraging demand for health services from the general public. For example, the Nepal project has a drama designed especially for rural health workers as well as one for health seekers. In Vanuatu, the project is backing up its on-air health advice with actually running a local clinic. In Tanzania, radio staff members give out condoms during village feedback sessions.
  12. Incorporating either a pre-test or a pilot stage before full production allows a project to learn from mistakes without incurring too many costs in terms of time and money.
  13. Promoting the show by running on-air spots/trailers and/or by advertisements in the local press seems to increase the audience.
  14. Paying constant attention to the broadcast channel to be sure the show is on the air at or as near to prime time as possible. It is important to remember that the popularity and quality of radio stations and slots can fluctuate.
  15. Checking the actual services and availability of technologies on the ground against those recommended on the air (e.g., are condoms really available and affordable where your target audience lives?).