Evaluation of Sida’s support to the Bir Zeit University Media Development

Sida has supported media development in oPt through Birzeit University Media Development Center, MDC (former Media Institute) from 1996. The support was channeled through Fojo Media Institute (Fojo) until 2010.

The latest Swedish contribution has been un-earmarked core support to MDC for the period 2010-2012 in line with the strategic plan. The main objectives of the Strategic Plan were:

• Journalists empowered and capable of producing high quality journalistic material,
• Media houses capacitated to be sustainable, dynamic, open and professional work places,
• MDC stimulate exposure of issues related to violations, corruption, journalist’s rights, social issues (such as women’s, youth and children’s situation) and education programs,
• MDC capacity in terms of staff competence and operational routines strengthened and the ability to achieve sustainability enhanced.
• The most recent 3 year agreement between Sida and MDC on core support to the strategic plan 2010-2012, with a yearly contribution of 5 MSEK expired in June 2013.

The evaluation had two main purposes:

1. To make a results-based evaluation in order to see to what extent the project objectives and its main purpose had been achieved and to what degree the activities had contributed to this achievement. This included follow-up of the implementation of the strategic plan as well as how far MDC had progressed in its institutional development and in addressing weaknesses highlighted in the previous evaluations of the earlier phase.
2. To assess MDC’s potentials to become an academic institution for journalism at master level and to contribute to state building and national development of the media sector.

The evaluation proposed recommendations for future orientation of an eventual Swedish support. Also, it proposed recommendations for institutional development and strengthening of MDC.