Communications & Publications Strategy (M&E Framework Report for the period April 2003 to March 2004) REGIONAL COMMUNICATIONS, DISSEMINATION & PUBLICATIONS STRATEGY Regional Programme Goal Establishment of an efficient communications and dissemination system Regional Programme Objectives Facilitate proficient, effective and efficient communication in order to enhance MISA’s advocacy role PERFORMANCE INDICATORS REGIONAL OBJECTIVE MAJOR ACTIVITIES REMARK/COMMENTS (ACTUAL/ACHIEVED) 1. Production of annual state of media freedom report, So This Is Democracy? • • • • • • • • • • • Angola Botswana Lesotho Malawi Mozambique Namibia South Africa Swaziland Tanzania Zambia Zimbabwe 1.1 Securing (contractually) of national and regional authors for selected articles; 1.2 Preparation of briefing documents and alert compilations for national and regional authors; 1.3 Compilation of relevant graphics and statistics to accompany national and regional state of the media overviews; 1.4 Contracting of relevant production aspects of the publication; 1.5 Coordination of production and distribution processes; 1.6 Coordination of website presentation of publication; 1.7 Support to national information officers to ensure appropriate publicity of report; 1.8 Production of relevant media releases and other publicity materials MISA Annual Report (April 2003 – March 2004) • • So this is Democracy? 2003 released nationally, regionally and internationally on May 3, 2003. For the first time, in So this is Democracy? 2003, MISA presented gender disaggregated statistics on media freedom violations in SADC 101 This is an annual activity which culminates with the launch of the state of media freedom report, So This Is Democracy? each year. As in previous years this activity required major input from national Information Officers to contract independent national authors who are able to conduct relevant research to complete the articles. So This Is Democracy? was launched on May 3 2004, World Press Freedom Day. The programme manager for media freedom monitoring provided the relevant documentation (book and press releases). Unfortunately the publication was delayed at customs in Zimbabwe and was therefore not available for the chapter’s media conference. Effort will be made in future to ensure that the publication is distributed at least two weeks before the launch to make provision for any customs hitches. The regional secretariat and national offices made good use of publicity avenues to ensure the greatest possible coverage for the report. The publication is available online. Overall this activity, however, can still be improved upon.