Support to Media High Council no 00060184

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Overview

Portfolio: 
United Nations Development Program
Sector: 
Media
Line ministry: 
Office of the Prime Minister(PRIMATURE)
Status: 
Started
Objectives of the project: 

MHC effectively discharges its mandate: ensuring media freedom and implementing a sustainable media regulatory system
  

Basic information

Amount: 
USD 1,300,000
Donor/financier(s): 
DONORAMOUNT
UNDP/DFIDUSD 1,300,000
Date of grant agreement: 
Thu, 2007-11-08
Date of effectiveness: 
Wed, 2008-03-12
Date of initial closure: 
Wed, 2011-11-16

Main Components/Activities


Components: 
  1. Media freedom promoted and protected 
  2. Media professionalism and development promoted 
  3. A sustainable media regulation system implemented \
  4. Management, Monitoring & Evaluation 
Activities: 
PHYSICAL IMPLEMENTATION PROGRESS                                                                              Period:
Main Component Activities Status 
Media freedom promoted and protected Undertake an independent media sector assessment to establish a state of media freedom, professionalism and media development Assessment at the final phase (expected closing date: October 2010)
Hold the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR)  and organize a National restitution workshop on the resolutions of the Conference. The ICGRL took place in November 2008 and has drawn final recommendations. To ensure the implementation of these recommendations, MHC in partnership with coordination mechanism of the ICGLR organized a national restitutions workshop on the 3rd November 2009. The aim of the workshop was to bring together media practioners to discuss challenges and opportunities relating to the protection and promotion of media freedom and to follow up on progress made at the ICGLR.
Annual media and government dialogue to facilitate cooperation/discussion on media freedom Started in 2009, the second annual dialogue to take place in November 2010 (preparations underway). The 1st dialogue was characterized by exchange of information on media freedom, based on informed presentations by experts from France and Tanzania, by media representatives and government officials.
Sensitization of local government officials and public relations and legal officers on the rights and responsibilities of journalists Started in 2008. By December 2010, local government officials at district and sector level from the City of Kigali and Eastern Province will be sensitized. The other provinces will be sensitized in 2011.
Hold media freedom debates and talkshows on radio stations and TV Since 2008, one-hour talkshows and debates are aired by private radios each Sunday at 4:00 pm where different stakeholders in media discuss issues related to media freedom and development in Rwanda.  This is a very high impact activity that promotes public, media and stakeholder participation in determining and shaping the state of media freedom and media responsibility. It is a quick mechanism for providing feedback on media related policies, laws, issues and practices to relevant authorities for faster and effective actions. The public does this through live call in programmes, SMS to the panelists’ and consultation of experts on area under discussion. Besides, gender specific topics are included and female guests on the shows are encouraged.
  Setting up a media freedom unit at Media High Council Since February 2010, MHC has a unit in charge of professionalism and media development. At the moment, MHC is in recruitment process to appoint staff members to this unit. Among the unit staff members, a specialist in charge of Media freedom and Access to information has given specific responsibility to ensure that all cases related to media freedom violation (either from the media practitioners or the general public) are recorded and resolved as soon as they are identified.
Sensitization of the media practitioners on their rights through posters, pull outs, radio and TV programmes In November 2009, MHC distributed 500 posters countrywide till the sector level . Other who benefited from this activity are public institutions, journalists’ associations, and institutions whose training journalists is in their mandate. The message on these posters focused on promotion of the right to collect information, the respect of confidentiality of the sources, freedom to receive and broadcast information or opinions and the right to call on any resourceful person among others.
Media professionalism and development promoted Support capacity building initiatives to strengthen journalists’ associations
  • 30 women journalists were trained on the new law no 22/2009 of the 12/08/2009 on media in Rwanda;
  • ARFEM was supported in production of the radio shows on women and children’s rights.

In year 2010, MHC will support media associations basing on proposals from all journalists’ associations whose main activities have to focus on the promotion of media freedom, media regulation and media development and state clearly what will the impact of their activities.
Conducting an audience survey on internship The survey was conducted in 2009. The results of the survey informed MHC on what is the interest of the public in media. Stakeholders also have data to help in developing comprehensive and relevant national media policies in the country.
Organising study tours for journalists specifically to learn the way journalists’ associations are managed. In November 2009, MHC supported members from Women in Media Associations (ARFEM) and Association of Rwandan Journalists (ARJ) to go to study tours in Kenya. The results from these tours are: network between Association of Kenyan Women Journalists (AMWIK) was created. The network will facilitate ARFEM to join the regional exchange programme of sending association members to work with mature and developed associations across sub Saharan and East Africa. For ARJ, the tours gave a resourceful insight on the operation of journalists’ union. It also offered an important analysis on how media can maintain high standards and ethical reporting during elections.
  Facilitate the Press House to develop its strategic plan MHC in consultation with the PSGG management has accepted the request by the Press House of their urgent need of having a restructuring plan due to the gap in the existing structure of their institution. Then, MHC funded a 4-day retreat by the Press House Members. The outcomes were the renewal of the Press House Management, and a restructuring plan for the organization to be implemented by the new management team. This retreat put in place a committee of 5 members to make a follow-up of the recommendations formulated during this event.
Encouraging media professionalism by publishing guidelines on appropriate journalistic language in relation to the 1994 genocide. At the moment, MHC has received proposals from people who are competing for the mentioned tasks. The guidelines handbook will provide a practical guide to appropriate use of journalistic language in general and in relation to reporting on genocide.
Strengthening the MHC capacity in fostering gender sensitive accountability by designing and implementing the Gender Mainstreaming Strategy (GMS) There exists draft report of a GMS for MHC that is waiting for validation.
Capacity building of MHC staff Since the beginning of PSGG at MHC in 2008, various training were organized to strengthen the staff capacity in their respective domains.  4 staff members were trained at the master’s level. Media monitors attended training on media monitoring during election periods (in 2008, 2010). Staff in Media Regulation Unit have followed training on policy and legislative drafting. The board members and staff participated in various study tours and training (Ghana, Botswana, France, etc.)
Publish MHC magazine The first issue published in quarter II, 2010 was distributed to different public institutions till the sector level. Issue number 2 is under editing phase and expected in the end of October 2010.
A sustainable media regulation system implemented Ensuring the electronic filing of all MHC texts and audio-visual data This activity follows the national goal of going paperless, be efficiently in managing institution documents and facilitate the member of the institution to share files.  This activity is under tendering processes, where a company won a bid to supply to MHC a Document Management System (DMS) with appropriate hardware. The system is expected to be installed by October 2010.
  Establish a case management system MHC receives complaints from the general public, practitioners, institutions or public officials offended
Technical assistance on MHC broadcasting regulations MHC has regulations on broadcasting.
Management, Monitoring & Evaluation Collecting data for the Performamnce Monitoring and Evaluation plan (PMEPs) indicators The finalization of the PMEPs took place in 2009. Data collection for MHC indicators have been collected three different phases:
  • Survey by JGA/GAC whose report was published in quarter II 2010;
  • Rwanda Reconciliation Barometer by NURC (its report is being shared with stakeholders before final validation;
  • Media Sector Assessment under draft report correction;
  • State of media 2009 report data.