Working Cycle:

Stage 1: Needs Assessment: Using the Participatory Rural Appraisal technique, the research team will travel across Afghanistan every quarter throughout the programming cycle to speak to ordinary people, community gatekeepers such as mullahs and elders, as well as local government and NGO representatives about the key development issues and local needs, opinions, and priorities being addressed within AEPO programming. Under this project, AEPO’s research team will travel to the provinces to conduct NAR. This process will ensure that solutions shared in programming are practical and actionable in the Afghan context.

Stage 2: Consultative Committee Meetings: This is the venue to discuss the findings of the needs assessment research. Participants will include donors and stakeholders, with whom storylines for the drama and feature programs will be finalized.

Stage 3: Planning Phase: The programming team will then develop content for the programs, including storylines for the drama and topics to be covered in the features.

Stage 4: Follow-up Consultative Committee Meeting: The planned content will be discussed again with experts to ensure it is technically sound and appropriate, given the socio-economic context and religious and cultural sensitivities.

Stage 5: Program Development: The project team will write their program synopses and develop scripts. Programs will complete the production and editorial cycle, including program reviews and playback sessions.

Stage 6: Broadcasting: On the BBC Afghan Service, and through re-broadcast partners.

Stage 7: Impact Research: Broadcasting is followed by impact research to measure project progress and impact on beneficiaries.

This cycle will continue throughout the project period. Complimentary print and online output will be produced in parallel to the above cycle.