United Nations Inter-agency Resource Pack on Research, Monitoring and Evaluation in Communication for Development

iii Contents Acknowledgements iv List of acronyms v Executive summary vi 1. 1. Introduction and methodology 1 2. 2. Principles for effective, appropriate and sustainable research, monitoring and evaluation of Communication for Development 3. 8 4. 3. Approaches to Communication for Development 14 5. 4. New thinking and trends in R, M&E and impact assessment 24 6. 5. Challenges, issues and strategies 37 7. 6. Evaluation capacity development in C4D 56 8. 7. Key approaches, methodologies and methods for R, M&E of C4D 73 9. 8. Indicators of C4D impacts 100 9. Conclusion and ways forward 113 References 122 Appendix 1: List of Expert Panel members, C4D Focal Points and other participants 133 List of tables Table 1: General and specific principles for effective, appropriate and sustainable R, M&E of C4D vi Table 2: Approaches to Communication for Development ix Table 3: Approaches to R, M&E of C4D x Table 4: Approaches to assessing the impacts of C4D xi Table 5: Approaches, methodologies and methods for R, M&E of C4D xiii Table 6: Approaches to evaluation capacity development xix Table 7: Strengths and limitations of key M&E methodologies 88 Table 8: Strengths and limitations of key impact evaluation planning 93 iv approaches Table 9: Ratings for methods considered effective for assessing C4D impacts 94 Table 10: Strengths and limitations of key evaluation methods 95 v About the authors Acknowledgements The research upon which this report was based was conducted in close collaboration with Dr Teresa Stuart and Paula Claycomb in UNICEF's Communication for Development Unit in New York. Paavani Reddy at UNDP's Oslo Governance Centre also provided some input. We would like to thank Teresa and Paula very much for providing constant support and encouragement, useful resources and information, and valuable feedback and advice. This report was prepared with the assistance of Dr Kirsty Martin, who undertook an extensive literature search, developed and maintained a large electronic bibliography of publications and resources and assisted in compiling the reference list in this report and some of the feedback from those we consulted. A 15 member Expert Panel and 11 C4D Focal Points in seven UN agencies, funds or other bodies contributed relevant resources and suggestions and provided valuable comments on an earlier draft of this report. They also provided extensive feedback on drafts of the Principles that are set out in Section 2 of this report. Their names are listed in …