Evaluation & Analytical Services (EAS) Project for the Regional Peace and Governance Programs
This report presents the results of for the evaluation of the radio component of USAID’s Peace through Development II (P-DEV II) Program. P-DEV II is a five year program that began in October 2012 and is operating in Chad, Niger, and Burkina Faso in a diverse range of sectors, including media, dialogue, community development, and youth engagement, all with the main objective of countering violent extremism. This report represents an assessment of the youth and governance radio broadcasts in Chad and Niger in relation to the program’s strategic objectives and stated goals.
To evaluate the impact of P-DEV II radio programming, the EAS Team conducted a longitudinal study using panel data in selected non-core zones (radio-only) and embedded experiments in the survey instrument to capture the dynamics of social cohesion, resilience to violent extremism, and youth outlook as they relate to radio listenership. The report also provides an assessment
for targeted demographics such as female vs. male. We found important discrepancies in P-DEV II radio program effects between countries. Most of the positive and negative impacts of radio listenership on goal-level indicators were concentrated in Chad, with mixed effects in Niger.
One of the key findings is that the radio component of P-DEV II has the potential to empower and mobilize target populations. We found significant increases in political efficacy and collective action among radio listeners, with this impact enhanced by frequent exposure to the programs. In Chad, radio listenership caused an increase in
interest local affairs and politics. These findings are consistent with previous studies which show that donorsponsored civic education interventions can be effective in increasing citizen engagement and political participation (Finkel et al. 2012).
P-DEV II radio programming also had positive effects on diversity and inclusiveness in Chad, although no similar effects were found in Niger. Chadian youth who listened to the radio broadcasts reported increasing contact with people from other ethnicities and a greater perception that decision-making in their communities ethnically inclusive and that it takes into account the voices of youth. This is also reflective of the positive impact that P-DEV II radio had on satisfaction with how decisions are made in Chadian communities.