Quarterly Performance Report: Open Spaces Project, July 1 – September 30, 2021

The project, led by FHI 360, seeks to build independent and new media, safeguard a space for activists, human rights defenders, and oppositional voices, and protect the democratic space in Zambia. The project's in-country leadership is provided by Internews, with support from Zambian partners Media Institute for Southern Africa – Zambia Chapter (MISA-Zambia), Panos Institute Southern Africa (Panos), and Bloggers of Zambia. The project's objectives are threefold. Firstly, it aims to strengthen and promote a viable, independent media. This is achieved through various activities, including the development of a journalism training program for media professionals, public interest story production stipends for participating journalists, and training programs for women in media. The project also focuses on institutional management and business-development capacity building, as well as the development of alternative revenue schemes. Secondly, the project aims to promote digitally literate and cybersecure users and inclusive, online spaces of engagement. This is achieved through activities such as needs assessments for identified communities, digital literacy and digital safety trainings for Zambian CSOs, and advancing safe usage of platforms in Zambia. The project also seeks to increase access and safety of the non-online community to the digital space, and to sponsor marginalized and offline community members to attend regional and international multi-stakeholder events. Thirdly, the project aims to strengthen the enabling environment for independent and new media. This is achieved through activities such as the production of knowledge documents, media laws/policy and media freedom information sessions, and public information on the state of freedom of information and expression. The project also focuses on advocacy capacity building, training and revamping of a network of media law and digital rights specialists, and the registration of media freedom and digital rights violations. During the reporting period of July 1 to September 30, 2021, the project made significant progress in achieving its objectives. The project's staff and partners conducted various activities, including training programs for media professionals, digital literacy and digital safety trainings for Zambian CSOs, and advocacy capacity building. The project also produced knowledge documents and media laws/policy and media freedom information sessions. The project's performance indicators, as tracked in the Performance Indicator Tracking Table (Annex 2), show that the project has made significant progress in achieving its objectives. The project's results framework (Annex 3) outlines the project's expected outcomes and indicators, and provides a clear direction for the project's implementation. The project's organizational charts (Annex 4) provide an overview of the project's structure and leadership. The project's USAID fact sheet (Annex 5) provides additional information on the project's background, objectives, and expected outcomes. Overall, the USAID Open Spaces project is making significant progress in strengthening the democratic foundations of freedom of speech and assembly in Zambia. The project's activities and achievements demonstrate its commitment to building independent and new media, safeguarding a space for activists, human rights defenders, and oppositional voices, and protecting the democratic space in Zambia.