PROSPER Assessment Report: Fourth Annual Outreach Campaign

The People, Rules, and Organizations Supporting the Protection of Ecosystem Resources (PROSPER) program is designed to introduce, operationalize, and refine appropriate models for community management of forest resources for local self-governance and enterprise development in Grand Bassa and Nimba counties. The three primary objectives of the program are:

  1. expand educational and institutional capacity to improve environmental awareness, natural resource management, biodiversity conservation, and environmental compliance;
  2. improve community-based forest management, leading to more-sustainable practices and reduced threats to biodiversity in target areas; and
  3. enhance community-based livelihoods derived from sustainable forest-based and agriculture-based enterprises in target areas.

PROSPER requested a review and evaluation of the fourth annual outreach campaign and related products based on Deliverable 11, a series of brochures, radio programs, and community theater designed to educate the Liberian public in community forest development, land tenure and rights, and environmental awareness; as well as Deliverable 15, a series of brochures, radio programs, and community theater developed to support community forest management in Liberia.

This assessment was designed to look at the impact of the communication tools on the communities included in the fourth outreach campaign. It is based on the results of the Lessons Learned (LL) Workshops held in Sanniquellie from September 8 to 9, 2016. This workshop brought together community representatives from all three PROSPER sites to discuss interpretations of key messages, understanding of the materials, thoughts on accessibility and appropriateness of the communication channels used, and suggestions for improvement. Also, it compares the results from the knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors (KAB) baseline established in March, 2014 and endline survey for forest communities conducted in September, 2016 after the fourth outreach campaign. Finally, this report examines the information gathered from independent interviews conducted by the communications consultant with members of the Community Forestry Working Group (CFWG) and Community Forestry Management Body (CFMB) in Buchanan, Sanniquellie and Tappita.