Radio distance education series for grassroots health workers 1995-1996. Design document.

In early 1995 Johns Hopkins Universitys Population Communication Services in collaboration with various specialists in education family planning or radio production put together a manual for the Radio Distance Education Series Program. The program will provide support materials (e.g. pamphlets and contraceptive samples) for each of the health posts and sub-health posts in Nepal taking part in the program. Interactive radio instruction and enter-educate strategies will be used to engage grassroots health workers in improving their knowledge about family planning methods and their counseling abilities. The manual lists the design team members and their affiliation. Job descriptions are included for the country representative program director (executive producer) script writer series coordinator content specialist participants representative audio producer ministry representative and evaluator. It then presents a purpose statement and lists program objectives. The message focus follows. The program will use simple language and effective counseling skills that the health workers will be expected to use when interacting with clients. The manual next addresses program sequence which includes explanation and preparation well-planned family conception and contraception role of health workers modern contraceptive methods organization and management and closing. The largest part of the manual is the curriculum content section. A glossary defines key words. The standard script design (format story line and characters) is addressed next. A sample script in the manual is more than 10 pages long. Production logistics (e.g. locating and contracting requisite number of actors) are also covered. The next sections examine support materials the evaluation and monitoring plan and the production flow chart. A list of acronyms concludes the manual.