DEVELOPMENT SUPPORT COMMUNICATION CENTER

The Development Support Communications Center (DSCC) to be created under this project will implement the project. The DSCC will be established and equipped to develop campaigns dealing with development topics such as agriculture, health, and nutrition. These campaigns will be developed with assistance from a policy committee consisting of members from each GOP development ministry. In conjunction with the DSCC, eight regional offices will be created (corresponding with each of the Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation radio stations) to maintain direct liaison with field workers and provincial government officials. Short-term participant training will be given to the DSCC director in communication planning and management. The director will recruit a staff of subject matter specialists, media selection experts, editors, copy-writers, and supporting personnel. Long-term training will be provided to eight DSCC staff members and one Planning Commission officer in communication research, mass media technology, script preparation, and graphic arts. Following DSCC staff training, field level personnel such as rural health employees and agricultural extension agents will participate in short seminars on DSCC"s functions, how to stimulate listening groups and conduct interviews. Procedures for mounting mass media campaigns will be developed in regard to the following issues: (1) organizing priorities and assessing needs with help from the policy committee and researching areas where vital information is not available; (2) forming campaign teams from DSCC to design campaigns in collaboration with participating ministries; (3) setting objectives, an integrated strategy, and a specific program design; (4) distributing supplementary materials to field workers so the radio messages may be reinforced; and (5) evaluating the message content, delivery, client reaction, and effects of the campaign through interviews and comparisons with areas not hearing the broadcasts.