Sustainability of Community Radios Training Guides

Published by Search for Common Ground (SFCG), this series of ten modules provides guidance on different aspects of management and operations within community radio stations. This includes areas related to administrative management, resource generation, financial tools, marketing strategies, and guidelines for programming. The series was produced with support from the British-French Media for Democracy and Good Governance project, funded by the Department for International Development (DFID) and France Coopération Internationale (FCI). The modules are based on a training programme that SFCG has been implementing in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to support the development and sustainable management of community radio stations as a tool for peacebuilding and strategic communication.

The following modules of the training guide are currently available:

• Module 1 - covers the different aspects of administrative management. The sub-module on good governance intends to facilitate analytical thinking about good governance in order to gain a better understanding of the notion and its applicability to community radios.
• Module 2 - focuses on two main aspects of managing community radio stations. First, it examines the governing bodies of a station and gives succinct descriptions of each body’s function and structure as it relates to the governance of the radio. The second section of this module serves as a guide for human resources management. It presents the roles and responsibilities involved for each staff- and volunteer position, and gives an overview of the recruitment process for new personnel.
• Module 3 - This third module focuses on the various aspects of human resources management such as evaluation and training, compensation for employees, communication and conflict prevention among staff members. The guide provides practical suggestions and guidance on how to motivate staff, how to handle conflicts and how to coordinate communication at the station. It contains sample criteria and other tools to facilitate the application of the principles it lays out.
• Module 4 - this forth module focuses on the particular characteristics of community radio stations and how these different features influence the way one determines programming. The first section examines ownership questions and the different forms of collaboration between the radio station and the community. The second section of the module provides insight into the preparation of a programming schedule and its importance. In addition, the module contains a sample programming plan, which can be adapted as necessary to help the senior management better structure their programmes, coordinate with the station's producers and journalists, and manage the expectations of their audience.
• Module 5 - this module continues the theme of module 4 and elaborates on the possible ways of involving community members in production and programming – a central feature of community radios. It presents the notion of "public programming", highlights the advantages of listeners clubs and offers practical guidance to make programmes genuinely participatory and community-oriented.