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Saba pioneering a peer review system for African Public Broadcasters

Saba pioneering a peer review system for African Public Broadcasters. Guy Berger 4-5 December, 2006. Maputo Bdcast Reform Initiative. 14 – 16 August 2006: Attention should be given towards establishing an African Public Broadcasting Peer Review Mechanism (APB-PRM),

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Saba pioneering a peer review system for African Public Broadcasters

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  1. Sabapioneering a peer review system for African Public Broadcasters Guy Berger 4-5 December, 2006

  2. Maputo Bdcast Reform Initiative 14 – 16 August 2006: • Attention should be given towards establishing an African Public Broadcasting Peer Review Mechanism (APB-PRM), • This mechanism should be voluntary and with criteria and review team based on consensus amongst those public broadcasters that sign up.

  3. Maputo Bdcast Reform Initiative • The process would, like the APRM, proceed with a national self-assessment that would draw in stakeholders like parliamentarians, NGOs, governments, public broadcasting bodies and journalists.

  4. SABA AGM September 17 -19, Maputo Endorsement of proposal. An Opportunity to address Weaknesses & EnhanceStrengths. = A flagship SABA project?

  5. STAY TUNED • Emulating the APRM • Why’s and wherefore’s • How to handle • By whom? • Anticipating objections and risks • So what?

  6. 1 Africa & APRM

  7. APRM: African self-monitoring mechanism • APRM agreed by Nepad Hds of State, 2002. • Voluntary: Almost half Africa signed up. • Self-assessment with stakeholders, & by emanent Africans. • Process is independent and professional. • Produces a public report plus recommendations for improvements.

  8. APRM: where’s its value? • Accepts different baselines as starting points. Not “1 size = all”. • Identifies areas for strengthening. • Promotes best practice. • Good for public credibility. • Can be used to persuade development partners to support recommendations. • Builds African unity and pride.

  9. Significance in context • Transition from GBS to PBS • Challenges of: • Commercialisation: hits & misses • Competition: Spectre of East Europe scenario • Costs of digital migration • Ongoing needs for PSB – democratic role (impartial), languages, health, imaging the continent.

  10. 2 Why an APRM for PBSs?

  11. Agree on these things • A Peer Review Mechanism would set out clear & agreed standards for PBS in African conditions. • A technical process to assess participating broadcasters in relation to these standards. • NOT a beauty contest to be the best. • It is not a defensive cartel by competing players, but an honest sharing by peers seeking progress;.

  12. 3 Here’s how: • Generic points • Broadcasters • PBS • African PBS

  13. GENERIC: Drawing from APRM • Good Corporate Governance principles and indicators • Quality management standards

  14. Self- Assessment Tool Human Resources (sample) Not At All /Never Very Strong / Always Strong / Often Small / Sometimes 1- Are there job descriptions in place for all the personnel? 2- Is there a formal system in place for the yearly evaluation of performance? 3- Is the training of the personnel well adapted to the needs?

  15. BROADCASTING: Certimedia • These standards do not judge actual content but what lies behind the output – i.e. a broadcaster’s systems and processes. • How each broadcaster organises itself to meet the standards of such systems is not prescribed = avoids one size fits all.

  16. It measures how you meet: • Universal access; • Audience & citizen participation; • Avoidance of one-sided reporting and programming in regard to religion, politics, culture, race and gender. • Existence of an editorial charter and codes for programmes, advertising & ethics. • Etc.

  17. SOUTH AFRICA ... Providers Users TOTAL Experts 92 22 30 1- Social Relevance 40 59 2- Quality of Information 22 37 33 3- Audience Satisfaction 11 9 13 29 4- Independence & Transparency 29 17 5- Proximity to Cultural Identities 9 5 3 15 6- Diversity of Contents 15 15 12 7- Accessibility to the Media 3 8 8 8- Competence of Broadcaster Staff 7 9- Vision, Values, Mission 0 7 7 10- Creation & Innovation 7 6 11- Ethics & Policies 1 5 0 6 6 12- Corporate Social Investment 6 13- Participation & Interactivity 6

  18. Some Certimedia indicators 1- Independence & Transparency 12- Education 2- Ethics & Policies 13- Participation & Interactivity 3- Minority Representation & Proximity 14- Pluralism 15- World Perspective 4- Audience Satisfaction 16- Competence of Staff 5- Accessibility to the Media 17- Corporate Social Investment 6- Innovation & Creation 7- Quality of Information 18- Religion 8- Social Relevance 19- Programmes Scheduling 9- Diversity of Contents 20- Women Empowerment 10- Quality of Contents 21- Quality of Equipment 11- Citizen Empowerment

  19. PBS: International Bench-marking (8 countries 2001-2) • KPIs comparable across each broadcaster; • 4 categories of benchmarks for broadcast: • Quality • Distinctiveness • Efficiency • Universality

  20. ABC performance irt the International Benchmarking Group.

  21. AFRICAN PBSs • A peer review is not: a certification system, or a benchmarking. • But it can profitably draw from these. • Need to add African specifics: • Contribution to languages • HiV-Aids policies • Xenophobia policies • Educative-developmental • Training and tech policies

  22. And refer to African Standards • African Charter on Freedom of Expression; • African Charter on Broadcasting; • SADC election standards (& Misa-SABA declaration). --------------------- And: prioritise for a manageable system.

  23. 4 By whom?

  24. Structures modelled on APRM • Participating SABA broadcasters constitute selves as PR Forum→ • Appoint PR Panel of eminent persons. • → Country review teams set up by Panel • Secretariat • Each broadcaster sets up a self-assessment committee.

  25. Stages modelled on APRM • Panel appointed, drafts criteria → • Criteria amended & adopted by Forum. • Panel appoints country team (CT). • Broadcaster does self-assessment with stakeholders, report goes to CT. • → CT then does independent review. • CT report goes to Panel; → Panel adds recommendations → goes to Forum. • Final report made public.

  26. 5 “no!” & “what if”

  27. Possible problems • Objections • “this is outside interference” • “national bias is likely” • “we don’t want criticism” • “we have something to hide” • Responses: • Good faith needed • Bona fides of SABA • Rise to an opportunity.

  28. 6 So what?

  29. Historic chance • A unique & credible process. • Can be global leader for transitions. • Homegrown definitions & control. • Help identify how to deal with challenges of new environment of pluralism, etc. • Enabling rather than prescriptive. • Helps mobilise resources for progress.

  30. Headlines • Capitalising on the APRM. • Value of PR irt SABA’s context. • How: levels of criteria – generic, etc. • 5 Structures, 7 stages. • Concerns and fears. • A real opportunity. Thank you

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