mediadev library

Supporting Humanitarian Communication: What Role Does a Dedicated ‘common Service’ Play in Community Engagement and Accountability? A Case Study from the Rohingya Response, Cox's Bazaar

Nicola Bailey, Sally Gowland, Nushrat Mehjabin, Fariha Rahman, Fuad Ur Rabbi

London: BBC Media Action (2021), 55 pp.

"Since October 2017, the Common Service for Community Engagement and Accountability (‘the Common Service’) has been funded as a dedicated project providing key services and support to help humanitarian organisations engage effectively with Rohingya communities and Bangladeshis living near Rohing ... more

External Link (17)

Common Service Evaluation: What Role Has the Common Service Played in Helping Agencies Communicate with Rohingya and Host Communities During the Covid-19 Pandemic?

Nicola Bailey, Nushrat Mehjabin, Sifati Tamanna

London: BBC Media Action (2021), 51 pp.

"The common service for community engagement and accountability, through its consortium members BBC Media Action and Translators Without Borders (TWB), aims to help agencies and sectors working to support Rohingya refugees and local host communities living in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh to achieve thi ... s by providing a range of specialist, technical support services. Movement restrictions implemented since the beginning of the pandemic meant that humanitarian programmes were reduced to essential services only in the Rohingya camps, community engagement efforts were restricted, and many initiatives planned for the host community were cancelled. The common service adapted its activities in a number of ways: carrying out online training sessions with practitioners; conducting telephone research with communities; shifting the focus of communication products to meet communities’ information needs around Covid-19; and working with partners to use communication channels which would ensure information was still able to reach communities [...] This evaluation has shown that practitioners feel the common service played a critical role in getting important information to Rohingya communities during this time. It did this through: - Helping partner agencies understand Rohingya communitiesf perspectives and concerns, and how to communicate with them, based on up to date research and a cultural understanding developed over time (using What Matters? as a vehicle for sharing this information, as well as providing practitioner training and bespoke advice). - Creating and disseminating audio and visual content which is easy for Rohingya people to understand, and helps volunteers and field staff communicate effectively with them. - Working in partnership with humanitarian agencies to adapt communication strategies and make sure information was reaching people despite Covid-19 restrictions, for example adapting audio programmes to be played through mosque loudspeaker systems; training Imams to communicate on Covid-19; ensuring content is played at food distribution points and other essential services; and equipping community health workers with simple and effective communication materials about Covid-19 to use in door to door visits." (Executive summary) more

External Link (12)

How Do Young Ethiopians Differ in Their Aspirations, Attitudes and Views About Their Future?

Hilina Assefa, Nicola Bailey

BBC Media Action (2021), 12 pp.

"BBC Media Action surveyed 2000 young people (aged 15–29) in four regions and the city administration of Addis Ababa in May 2021. The study highlighted differences in young Ethiopians’ attitudes towards work and saving, education, traditional gender and cultural norms, and youth participation in ... more

External Link (19)

Helping Radio Listeners Manage Their Money in Myanmar

Anna Colquhoun, Nicola Bailey et al.

BBC Media Action (2019), 7 pp.

"Through understanding audience members’ priorities, views and experiences, Yay Kyi Yar ['Towards Clearer Water', a factual magazine radio programme] has been able to engage and inspire people. Listeners were driven by stories of ‘people like them’ achieving things they had not thought possibl ... more

External Link (12)

How Effective is Communication in the Rohingya Refugee Response? An Evaluation of the Common Service for Community Engagement and Accountability

Nicola Bailey, Mahmuda Hoque, Katherine Michie, Fuad Ur Rabbi

London: BBC Media Action (2018), 30 pp.

"A survey, conducted in July 2018, interviewed 750 people from the Rohingya community and 750 people from the host community (local Bangladeshi citizens) about how they access information, what they think of the information and how they communicate with aid providers. The survey tracked how perceive ... d provision of information has changed since an initial information needs assessment, carried out by Internews, in October 2017 [...] The survey shows that people feel substantially more informed in July 2018 than they did in October 2017. The Internews study in October found that only 23% of Rohingya men and women felt they had enough information to make good decisions for themselves and their family. This recent study shows that 84% feel they have enough information to make good decisions for themselves and their families and three quarters (75%) of the Rohingya community said it had become easier to get information over the last six months. This is similar to other data collected – a recent Translators without Borders study found that 68% of Rohingya refugees feel they have enough information to make decisions. During fieldwork, almost a third (30%) of Rohingya survey respondents asked the data collectors questions such as, did they know where to collect relief, or did they know anything about the Government’s plans for repatriation? This suggests that while the Rohingya community feel better informed than when they first arrived, they still have many questions, particularly around their future – only 41% of respondents said they felt informed about their options for the future. The survey showed that the current key information needs of the Rohingya and host community are around their main concerns – where to find food. The Rohingya are also worried about sourcing cooking fuel, while the host community is seeking information around financial support as a result of perceived declining employment opportunities [...] Mahjis (Rohingya community leaders) are the main source of information for Rohingya people (mentioned by 87% of participants) and are now the most trusted source of information (they were only ranked 7th in the October 2017 information needs assessment). This increase in trust may be reflective of how agencies and camp coordinators are more systematically using mahjis to share information with people in their camp block. Mahjis are the main channel through which Rohingya communities say they communicate with aid providers (mentioned by 38% of respondents)." (Executiv summary) more

External Link (10)

Violence Against Women Within the Rohingya Refugee Community: Prevalence, Reasons and Implications for Communication

Md. Arif Al Mamun, Nicola Bailey, Moiyedul Azam Koreshi, Fariha Rahman

London: BBC Media Action (2018), 16 pp.

"To inform the development of a new radio drama for Rohingya refugees in Cox’s Bazar, BBC Media Action carried out a small scale qualitative research study that sought to understand more about Rohingya men and womens’ understanding and attitudes towards child marriage, intimate partner violence ... more

External Link (11)

Voices of Refugees: Information and Communication Needs of Refugees in Greece and Germany

Theodora Hannides, Nicola Bailey, Dwan Kaoukji

London: BBC Media Action (2016), 52 pp.

"This study provides a snapshot of refugees’ experiences regarding communication and information at different points on their journey. It examines the communication behaviours and priority information needs of refugees in three areas: on their journey, in “transit” camps in Greece, and in Germ ... more