Saba%20%20pioneering%20a%20peer%20review%20system%20for%20African%20Public%20Broadcasters

1
Saba pioneering 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 Enhance
  Strengths.
• A flagship SABA project?

5
STAY TUNED

1. Emulating the APRM
2. Whys and wherefores
3. How to handle
4. By whom?
5. Anticipating objections and risks
6. 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 wheres 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

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

1. Participating SABA broadcasters constitute selves
   as PR Forum ?
2. Appoint PR Panel of eminent persons.
3. ? Country review teams set up by Panel
4. Secretariat
5. Each broadcaster sets up a self-assessment
   committee.

25
(No Transcript)
26
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.

27
5

• no!
• what if

28
Possible problems

• Objections
• this is outside interference
• national bias is likely
• we dont want criticism
• we have something to hide
• Responses
• Good faith needed
• Bona fides of SABA
• Rise to an opportunity.

29
6

• So what?

30
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.

31
Headlines

• Capitalising on the APRM.
• Value of PR irt SABAs context.
• How levels of criteria generic, etc.
• 5 Structures, 7 stages.
• Concerns and fears.
• A real opportunity.
• Thank you