Horizons Projects | Building Evaluation Capacity Among the Staff of the Straight Talk Program

HORIZONS PROJECT
Building Evaluation Capacity Among the Staff of the Straight Talk Program

The Uganda-based Straight Talk Foundation’s (STF) Straight Talk Campaign is perhaps one of the most successful ongoing media efforts to bring information about sexual and reproductive health to youth in Africa. It is widely admired because its activities are popular with youth, widespread in reach, innovative in adding new elements, and enduring over time. The goal of this project was twofold: (1) to partner with STF to conduct an impact evaluation of the Straight Talk Campaign; and (2) to build the capacity of STF, specifically the monitoring and evaluation team, to establish a clear monitoring and evaluation system that includes examining costs.

To meet the project goals, Horizons, working closely with STF, designed and conducted an impact evaluation of the Straight Talk Campaign that focused on the relationship between exposure to Straight Talk materials and behavior change efforts. This evaluation comprised three components: (1) a country-wide, community-based survey of adolescents and a subsample of their parents; (2) a survey of teachers and youth; and (3) a cost analysis. Horizons researchers designed workshops to train STF staff to develop and conduct evaluations to determine how young people of different age groups use and understand the STF programs. These workshops included trainings specific to evaluation design and implementation, such as instrument development and survey administration.

Horizons researchers monitored the work of STF staff as they carried out these activities. In addition, Horizons provided technical assistance to interpret the information that the STF staff collected and provided assistance in developing ways to monitor program performance and costs.

Key findings include:

Many Ugandan adolescents have benefited from Straight Talk (ST) activities, and greater exposure is associated with greater benefits.
Among both males and females, exposure to ST activities is associated with greater adolescent sexual and reproductive health (ASRH) knowledge, more balanced attitudes toward condoms, and more communication with parents about ASRH issues.
For girls, exposure to ST materials is further associated with greater self assuredness, greater sense of gender equity, and the likelihood of having a boyfriend but not having a sexual relationship.
Among males, ST exposure is associated with lower likelihood of sexual activity, greater likelihood of resuming abstinence, and greater likelihood of taking relationships with girls seriously.
For both males and females, exposure to ST is clearly associated with having been tested for HIV (especially among those exposed to all three ST products), and with knowing whether a partner had been tested.
Parents appear to possess attitudes that may socialize their daughters into male subservience and their sons into female dominance.*
Radio has the greatest reach at the lowest cost.*

These findings can help STF determine the comparative advantage of adding various media compared to other alternatives. Straight Talk Foundation is already using these results to strengthen the successful elements of its activities, while addressing deficiencies where they were identified.

* Report on this evaluation component is available on the Straight Talk Foundation Web site at www.straight-talk.or.ug/downloads/downloads.html

Location

Uganda

Duration

December 2004–December 2006

Horizons and Population Council researchers

Karusa Kiragu, Tobey Nelson, Scott Geibel

Non-Council collaborators

Rick Homan (Family Health International)

Susan Adamchak, Richard Kibombo (consultants)

Straight Talk Foundation

UK Department for International Development

Donors

US Agency for International Development

UK Department for International Development

Publications/Resources
Horizons and Population Council researchers' names appear in boldface type.

2008
Adamchak, Susan E., Karusa Kiragu, Cathy Watson, Medard Muhwezi, Tobey Nelson Sapiano, Ann Akia-Fiedler, Richard Kibombo, and Milka Juma. “Helping youth prevent HIV: An evaluation of the Straight Talk program in Uganda,” Horizons Research Summary. Washington, DC: Population Council. (PDF)

2007
Adamchak, Susan E., Karusa Kiragu, Cathy Watson, Medard Muhwezi, Tobey Nelson, Ann Akia-Fiedler, Richard Kibombo, and Milka Juma. “The Straight Talk Campaign in Uganda: Impact of mass media initiatives—Summary report,” Horizons Final Report. Washington, DC: Population Council. (PDF)