The project is a component of a bigger program entitled “Empowering Vulnerable Communities through Risk Communication in Disaster Risk Management (RiskCom4DRM). On the whole, the program aims to capacitate affected communities in designing, implementing, and monitoring & evaluating strategic risk communication (riskcom) plan and integrate such in their bigger local DRRM plans. Through this riskcom intervention, it is envisioned that the selected local communities will be better able to effectively manage the disaster risks confronting them. This third project focuses on the last stage of RiskCom4DRM program and is about “Participatory Evaluation of RiskCom in DRM towards Development of RiskCom Model and Policies for Vulnerable Communities.” It generally aims to analyze the outcome and impacts of the program on the vulnerability level of the local communities. Based on the experiences and lessons learned, riskcom models for each upland, coastal, and mining areas will be developed as contributions to the body of knowledge, or the scientific capital and social technologies of the country. In addition, appropriate policies will be drafted so as to sustain the good results that may be generated and integrate the science and art of riskcom in DRM policies and plans.   

To accomplish the above objectives, the pre-and-post quantitative evaluation design will be used combined with participatory outcome and impact evaluation using qualitative methods such as outcome mapping and most significant technique. For the pre-and-post design, the baseline data will be compared with post-program evaluation to determine the changes that occur that can be attributed to the riskcom intervention. Effectiveness of the program will also be assessed by analyzing the extent by which the program and project objectives have been accomplished. Survey will be used for this part. For results and outcome, focus group discussion (FGD), key informant interview, video and photo documentation, and outcome mapping will be employed. Evaluation in riskcom is participatory in nature. It is assumed that the broader the participation base, the greater the support or the riskcom process will be. This in turn results to a better chance for long-term sustainability.   

Most project evaluations in the area of communication are quantitative in nature providing mostly the breadth of what has been accomplished. They are conducted by the project implementors and results are interpreted from the project implementors’ perspective to a big extent. This participatory M&E under riskcom aims to include the participants’ viewpoint in the analysis, thus, qualitative methods will be used to include their narratives. The latter will hopefully provide depth, complementing appropriately the breadth covered by quantitative methods.