Activity Monitoring, Learning and Evaluation Plan | SIMA

The project aims to strengthen the capacity of independent media in South Sudan to provide quality, fact-based information to citizens, particularly in remote, marginalized, and transient communities. South Sudan's independent media have struggled to establish themselves as credible and reliable entities ahead of the first democratic elections. The country continues to grapple with intercommunal conflict, ethnic differences, leadership failures, and rampant corruption since signing the 2018 peace agreement. The extension of the transitional period established under the Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan (R-ARCSS) will delay national elections from 2023 until at least late 2024. At this critical moment in the peace process, the media have a crucial role to play in South Sudan becoming a viable democracy. The SIMA project is guided by a Theory of Change, Results Framework, and Logic Model that outline the building blocks required to bring change. The project includes a series of 13 output and outcome indicators that will enable the team to assess the achievement of each of the intermediate change results. The plan also provides a learning agenda that will deepen local understanding, while feeding into both Associate Award (AA) and LWA learning processes across regions and globally. The project's Theory of Change recognizes the complexity of the media environment in South Sudan and the need for a multifaceted approach to address the challenges faced by independent media. The project aims to improve the financial sustainability of media outlets, enhance their capacity to provide quality, fact-based information, and promote social cohesion and financial resilience. The SIMA project will focus on three key areas: (1) improving the financial sustainability of media outlets, (2) enhancing their capacity to provide quality, fact-based information, and (3) promoting social cohesion and financial resilience. The project will achieve these objectives through a range of activities, including training and capacity-building programs for media professionals, provision of technical assistance to media outlets, and support for the development of business plans and financial management systems. The project's Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) plan will provide a framework for tracking progress, identifying areas for improvement, and making adjustments to the project's implementation as needed. The plan will include a range of indicators and metrics to measure the project's impact and effectiveness, including output and outcome indicators, as well as a learning agenda to deepen local understanding and inform future programming. The SIMA project will be implemented in partnership with a range of stakeholders, including local media outlets, civil society organizations, and government agencies. The project will also engage with a range of external evaluators and advisors to provide technical assistance and support to the project team. The project's MEL plan will be reviewed and updated annually, with the first revision taking place at the end of Year 1, in September 2023, at the second 6-month work plan review. The plan will be reviewed annually as needed, in response to learnings acquired by the SIMA team and partners throughout the life of the project.