VIC 3.4 People who are better informed and have more say

This indicator measures the perception of population regarding their access to quality information and their ability to express opinions and concerns. Supported civil society initiatives refer to activities like advocacy, campaigns, and claims made by non-profit organizations at local, national, or international levels. These initiatives aim to achieve common goals and values based on human rights principles.

Supported public interest media refers to media broadcasters (press, radio, TV, online media) supported by Helvetas that produce and distribute truthful, comprehensive, and meaningful accounts of events and give voice to different parts of society.

Better informed refers to citizens having access to news in their language, understanding relevant facts on social, political, and economic issues, and being exposed to a variety of opinions, including conflicting viewpoints.

Having more say means being better able to share opinions and influence decisions that affect them. This can involve attending public consultations to express views, making specific requests to authorities, or participating through other means like traditional or social media.

People: It is important to note that, in VIC projects, "people" refers to all individuals within the target area, with particular emphasis on women, underserved, vulnerable, and marginalized groups, as well as those in the Leave No One Behind (LNOB) categories. This includes long time/permanent residents, migrants, such as forcibly displaced persons, refugees, and internally displaced individuals, ensuring that those who are often excluded or face barriers to participation are prioritized in governance initiatives.

• Gender 

• Age  

• Left behind/vulnerable population group  

Optional Migration status

• Refugees / Asylum Seekers/International Migrant Workers/Internal Migrants (Internally Displaced, Rural-to-Urban)/Returnee/other

People living within the targeted areas where civil society organizations and media supported by Helvetas are active.

Primary Source: Surveys with a representative sample of the target population.

Additional Source: Focus group discussions or other methods for qualitative insights.

Note: Data for VIC 3.1, VIC 3.2, VIC 3.3, and VIC 3.4 should ideally be collected in the same survey (if relevant).

• Baseline

• Annual monitoring/midterm

• Endline

Annual surveys help track ongoing progress. Baseline and endline studies will be more comprehensive than annual outcome monitoring as they should include in-depth data on service access (collected also for VIC 3.1), providing a fuller picture of long-term impact. 

Surveys: Ask a sample of people in the community about their perception about their access to reliable and trustworthy information. Use stratified random sampling to ensure representativeness of relevant groups. Do not sample the same individuals repeatedly. Instead, gather data from new representative samples each time.

While surveys are the primary method for collecting data, it is encouraged to use complementary qualitative methods to enrich findings: 
Focus Groups: After surveys, organize group discussions to gather more detailed feedback on people’s experiences with media and civil society initiatives. These discussions should consider cultural norms, power dynamics, and other factors that may affect access to information.

Surveys: Ask a sample of people in the community about their perception about their access to reliable and trustworthy information. Use stratified random sampling to ensure representativeness of relevant groups. Do not sample the same individuals repeatedly. Instead, gather data from new representative samples each time.

While surveys are the primary method for collecting data, it is encouraged to use complementary qualitative methods to enrich findings: 
Focus Groups: After surveys, organize group discussions to gather more detailed feedback on people’s experiences with media and civil society initiatives. These discussions should consider cultural norms, power dynamics, and other factors that may affect access to information.

Challenge: No budget/capacity for doing surveys.  

Approach: Result measurement should be part of every projects’ budget, so remember to include this early in the planning phase. Conducting the data collection planning and data management will make it much more cost efficient and more valuable than to hire consultants. Possible approaches to reduce the complexity and cost of data collection could be to use digital platforms or mobile apps (preferably KOBO). Train local stakeholders or community volunteers to conduct surveys, ensuring cost-effective and culturally sensitive data gathering. Incorporate participatory methods, such as focus groups or community mapping, to complement quantitative surveys and enhance local ownership of the process. And leverage partnerships with other NGOs or academic institutions to co-develop survey methodologies and share resources.  

Challenge: Difficulty in reaching and surveying marginalized or hard-to-reach populations, such as migrants and forcibly displaced persons, who may lack stable housing or access to communication channels.

Approach: Use mobile data collection teams, partnerships with local NGOs, or community leaders to reach these groups and gather accurate data.

Challenge: Different groups in the community may have different views and needs.

Approach: Make sure to include voices from all parts of the community, especially marginalized groups.

Challenge: Some people might not trust surveys, especially if they have low confidence in governance.

Approach: Build trust by explaining the purpose of the survey and how it will help improve their community.

SDC

GOV_TRI_2 Proportion of people who believe that they are better informed and have more say due to supported civil society initiatives or public interest media

• VIC 3.2 Proportion of people who have confidence in local governance structures and perceive them as transparent, accountable, and/or inclusive

• GCS 3.1.1 Number of people capacitated to participate in and/or influence public service provision and/or decision-making in their localities

• GCS 3.1.2 Number of civil society, public or private actors supported to promote good governance, responsive budgeting and/or inclusive service delivery

• GCS 3.1.3 Number of initiatives established or supported which enhance multi-level governance, inclusive policy, public finance, and/or services for more social equity

• MIG 3.3.1 Number of individuals affected by migration or forced displacement capacitated to know their rights, and/or how to access social, economic and/or protection services in their home/host communities

• MIG 3.3.3 Number of initiatives established or supported which enhance inclusive policy and/or services for migrants, including forcibly displaced people, and/or their home/host communities for more social inclusion