Evaluation of the population field information services project

Special evaluation covers the period 10/76-3/79 and is based on review of project documents and IEC materials; interviews with A.I.D., project, and LDC personnel; and visits to Brazil, Mexico, Peru, Tunisia, Kenya, Indonesia, and Thailand. Although the project has had some positive effects, the contractor - George Washington University (GWU) - has failed to meet basic objectives, largely because GWU defined project objectives in terms of material output rather than audience effects. In addition, GWU was constrained by budget cuts, short-term funding, and authorization delays. While GWU distributed prototype IEC materials to 60 LDC's, production of materials was heavily skewed toward 16mm sound films, only one of several media intended to be included. The films were of high quality and often met with enthusiastic response, but they focused on elite policymaking audiences to the neglect of contraception acceptors and village-level and other FP workers. The project had negligible effects on LDC and Mission FP policies and programs. Materials were provided to LDC's without supporting explanation or technical assistance. Field teams were not deployed as planned, materials were rarely adapted for specific audiences, and dissemination of materials to mass media was virtually non-existent. Moreover, GWU failed to systematically assess country needs, inform Mission and LDC officials of the project's objectives or field services, and to keep records on distribution of project materials or in-country users. It is concluded that the prototype materials are superfluous to LDC's priority problems, populations, and communications system and should be replaced by locally produced, culture-specific materials directed toward village-level workers, FP staff, and contraceptive users/animators. A.I.D. should provide a range of IEC-related services adapted to each LDC's FP program and should support IEC research, reporting, training, and management. Social marketing should be considered as only one of many alternative strategies.