CEU Summer University - Media Development & Democratization: Understanding and Implementing Monitoring and Evaluation Programs

Susan Abbott
Cross-Pollinate Consulting Solutions, Denver, CO, USA

Kate Coyer
Center for Media and Communication Studies (CMCS) at SPP of CEU, Budapest, Hungary

Monroe Price
Annenberg School for Communication, University of Pennsylvania, US / Center for Media and Communication Studies (CMCS) at SPP of CEU, Budapest, Hungary

This intensive summer course on media development and democratization is designed to help researchers from academia and civil society gain a better understanding of the history, theory, practice, current trends, and differing methodologies involved with the monitoring and evaluation of international aid programs and their impact, with a focus on the role of radio as a medium for development goals.

The goals of the course are:

1. To stimulate and advance research, scholarship and academic discourse on monitoring and evaluation in media development;
2. To identify a core group of scholars working in this area and nurture their research interests and capabilities with the aim of future collaborations amongst faculty, course participants, institutions and CEU;
3. To give participants the opportunity to gain valuable experience in monitoring and evaluation through the seminars, group project work, and field trips.

Participants will be exposed to a wide range of practical and theoretical views related to monitoring and evaluation, and how to integrate social science methods into their daily work. The course will be run as a "master class" on the topic of monitoring and evaluation in media development and will feature a range of lectures, group discussions, as well as field trips within Budapest and Hungary to meet with individuals engaged with work in this field either as researchers, donors or recipients, including a number of minority and community radio projects. In order maximize the output and opportunities for participants the course will have a maximum of 20 students.

As part of the monitoring and evaluation intensive, participants will work in teams on a group assignment for the duration of the course. Each group will be presented with a hypothetical case study [developed from actual media development request for proposal (RFPs), a media development project implemented by an NGO, or other materials used by donors (governments, foundations, and inter-governmental organizations)]. Each team will be required to prepare a written report (approximately 10-15 pages in total), and give a multi-media presentation to the group at the end of the course.

In parallel to the rigorous overview and practice in the field, there will also be a series of special topic lectures and panels related to radio broadcasting - from commercial, public, and community perspectives. The powerful role that radio continues to play in much of the world, especially the developing world, will be a core area for discussion in the context of media development and as the basis for many case studies in monitoring and evaluation. Radio is an area in which a significant amount of international aid is given towards, yet there is insufficient research assessing the impact of radio in development. Participants will hear from a range of experts that work in the area of media development and radio to address the challenges and opportunities that this medium provides for development as well as for monitoring and evaluation.

The summer school will feature a live, online web seminar (or "webinar"), produced in partnership with CMCS partner Magyar Telecom, featuring the course participants, and other invited guests.

The course invites applications from PhD students, advanced MA students, media development professionals with at least 3 years of experience (drawing from government, civil society/NGOs, foundations), journalists or other media practitioners with a demonstrated interest in media development, as well as professionals from organizations that undertake program monitoring and evaluation.