About MaM:
It is a peer-to-peer awareness-raising project where returnee migrants empower young people to make informed migration related decisions in West Africa since 2017. Returnee migrants (also known as MaM Volunteers) share honest accounts of their migration experiences through authentic storytelling, community activities, social media, and radio and tv.
Objective of the Study
A final evaluation on Migrants as Messengers (MaM) Phase 2 project was conducted by ARTIVAL Research & Evaluation. The evaluation assessed the project’s efficiency, relevance, and sustainability.
The scope of the evaluation covered almost the entire implementation period, from April 2019 to April 20221, and the seven countries targeted by the intervention: Côte d’Ivoire, The Gambia, Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria, Senegal, and Sierra Leone. The project is funded by the Netherlands Government and implemented by IOM.
Methodology
Data collection included: 62 Interviews, ten focus group discussions (with 73 participants), document review, and two online surveys (with 244 respondents) with IOM staff, MaM Volunteers, and project partners.
Relevance
Findings: Were project design and implementation sensitive to the Volunteers personal and professional situations? Was it sensitive to the partners needs and priorities?
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Trainings for Volunteers: The content and timing of these trainings allowed Volunteers to perform their awareness-raising activities, and the skills acquired will be useful beyond the project (e.g., further their professional career).
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Media trainings: Media participants found these trainings highly relevant, informing them on irregular migration and enabling them to report professionally and ethically on migration stories.
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Content produced by Volunteers: This content reflected the project’s key messages and covered the full range of irregular migration aspects, from its risks to its alternatives. However, there was an imbalance with more content focusing more on the risks and dangers.
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Role of women: The role that women can play in preventing irregular migration was recognized in the project - in terms of their commitment, reliability, and capacity to engage with female audiences.
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COVID-19: The project adapted well to COVID-19 restrictions and mobilized the Volunteers’ network to conduct peer-to-peer awareness raising on COVID-19, which positively reinforced the concept of volunteering.
Recommendations – How to make the project more relevant to partners and Volunteers?
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Link MaM Volunteers in parallel to separate livelihood support programs so the focus of MaM can remain on tailored training and capacity building of Volunteers for awareness raising and so that Volunteers do not perceive the project as a substitute for ensuring their economic sustainability.
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Strengthen the relationship with women’s organizations and community and religious/traditional leaders in preventing irregular migration.
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Explore ways to engage with media in non-transactional partnerships.
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Ensure a more consistent and systematic approach to disseminating all the project’s key messages by strengthening the communications strategies and campaign plans at both regional and country levels.
Efficiency
Findings: Did Volunteers broadcast messages on the ground, on-air, and online through the proper format and channels?
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Communication channels: The project used appropriate communication channels online, on the ground, and on air. Social media was generally better for reaching youth in urban areas, while radio and community engagement remain key channels for reaching more rural regions.
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Content formats: Volunteers considered testimonials and drama the most effective format to connect with audiences, including youth and young women. Many videos captured well the compelling stories of returnees, including of women. The use of local languages and dialects reinforced the peer-to-peer approach.
Recommendations: Are there any options to make the project more cost-effective?
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Explore further techniques used during the COVID-19 pandemic, like online meetings and video capsules for trainings, to manage and train the Volunteer networks.
Sustainability
Findings: Are Volunteers and partners willing and able to continue raising awareness on irregular migration?
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Decision-making processes: Volunteers were involved in the decision-making process regarding activities and content. They are agents of change in their communities and want to continue raising awareness in the future. The project supported Volunteer-led associations through which Volunteers can continue awareness-raising activities on irregular migration. However, some associations lack solid management structures and funding capacity.
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Partnerships: IOM strengthen the messages and implementation of the project by establishing MaM through partnerships with media outlets, CSO, public authorities, and UN agencies. Continued development of these partnerships should be pursued.
Recommendations: Sustainability: Are Volunteers and partners willing and able to continue supporting the youth in making informed migration-related decisions?
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Strengthen partnerships between Volunteer associations and CSO, government officials and UN agencies.
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Strengthen associations and further the collaboration between associations across different countries.
Gender mainstreaming
Recommendations: How to strengthen focus on gender in the work with Volunteers and partners?
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Add markers to identify and broaden the integration of gender issues at all levels (activities, outputs, and outcomes). The GRES Score2 could be used to ensure that all relevant gender-oriented work is captured, classified (gender negative, blind, targeted, responsive and/or transformative), and reported.
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Provide specific gender trainings to the staff at the country level. The trainings should present good practices and lessons learned from other COs, ensure a broader understanding of how gender issues can be applied in preventing irregular migration, and include clear protocols for addressing the work with female migrants.