3. Methodologies

a. The coordinating structure

We are aware of at least two kinds of groups interested in using this Guide, namely international structures seeking to promote projects based on the Scenarios model, and organizations who are interested in playing the role of coordinating structure. We hope the following section will be useful to both.

Scenarios from the Sahel is a multifaceted project based on the synergistic collaboration of a broad array of partner organizations. One of the first steps that must be taken by those interested in promoting a project of this kind is the selection of the organization that will serve as the coordinator of the project.
Drawing on our experience in the course of Scenarios from the Sahel and on comments made by team members and by outside observers, we would suggest that the coordinating organization should have the following characteristics. (This list reflects both certain strengths of Global Dialogues as a coordinating structure and lessons learned from our shortcomings.) Please note that this list is NOT presented by order of priority.
C A high level of knowledge of the substantive issue at hand (e.g., the current state of the HIV epidemic and of efforts to counter it in the region in question).
C A keen sense of the specific needs of the AIDS-prevention community in a given area.
C First-hand knowledge of and familiarity with potential partner organizations. This applies to many facets of those organizations: their activities, record of success, the make-up of their membership base, the quality and integrity of their leadership, and their "baggage" (i.e., potentially compromising links with political or religious radicalism or with those involved in corruption; a track-record of financial mismanagement_). Most important of all, the coordinating body must be familiar with the underlying philosophy of a potential partner with regard to cooperation in a team setting.

On certain occasions, Scenarios from the Sahel encountered turbulence because we had unwisely opted to work with individuals and structures with whom no member of the project team was directly familiar, but who had managed to create attractive (marketed) images of themselves. Unfortunately, it is often the case that the most aggressively territorialistic organizations have excellent capacities of self-promotion.

IMPORTANT: All three of the crucial characteristics listed above underscore the fact that the coordinating structure cannot be an organization of newcomers to the subject area or to the given geographic zone. Global Dialogues was able to carry out the coordinating role in the Sahel because it had just conducted an extensive, dialogue-based research project in all three of the countries involved in Scenarios from the Sahel.

C Independence with regard to the selection of project partners. That is to say, the coordinating structure must be autonomous and free to select project partners exclusively on the basis of genuinely relevant criteria. The coordinating organization should not be one that might make such decisions based on political, religious or family loyalty, or bonds of obligation to friends and allies. If the coordinating body were one of cronyism and nepotism, a Scenarios-type project would surely fall far short of its potential.
C A realistic assessment of one's own limits as an organization with regard to the multiplicity of the tasks involved in the project, and an ability to identify and delegate to competent partners. As long as this is the case, the coordinating structure itself can actually be quite small, without a sizeable staff and extensive infrastructure of its own.

Observers often point out that Global Dialogues' ability to coordinate Scenarios from the Sahel has actually been enhanced by the fact that is not a large structure. As a compact, non-intimidating, non-hierarchical organization, we have been able to build rich, trusting relations of partnership and friendship.

C A sincere interest in building the capacity and heightening the visibility of other organizations.
C A willingness and ability to work as in as self-effacing a fashion as possible. The generation of a profound sense of shared ownership in the project is central to the Scenarios process. That objective would be hard to attain if the coordinating body were overbearing or self-promotional in character.

C

Self-effacement can also be a positive asset if the coordinating structure includes individuals who are not native to the project area. If they were to play too prominent a public role, the population at large might feel reluctant to embrace the project as their own. This could negatively affect a number of elements, including the level of participation in the contest and reaction to broadcasts of audio-visual products.

I want to work with the kind of people who feel that true leadership is where, when all the work is done, everyone involved can say they all did it together.

Kristen Joiner, Co-coordinator of the _Scenarios USA_ pilot

b. Basic conceptualization of the project

By conceptualization we mean definition of the project in general terms. In order to clarify your own thoughts, it is very useful to try and sum up your project on one page, in a _concept paper_. This has the added advantage of providing you with a brief document describing the project that you can leave with prospective partners following your meetings.
A few thoughts on how to approach the conceptualization process

A project must be founded in a clear understanding of the problem at hand and the best available ways to go about addressing it. The best way of deepening your understanding of the problem, identifying potential solutions and assessing their appropriateness is through dialogue with people working in the field and with the people they serve. Although it is useful to analyze existing documents on the issue and region, there is no substitute for direct, on-site dialogue with as broad a range of people in relevant fields as possible. Ideally they should include representatives of all those who are affected by the problem and who will be affected by the proposed strategies to address it.
This kind of dialogue-based research when you are formulating the project provides important spin-off benefits: You will become familiar with people and organizations who could participate in the project as core advisors or in other capacities. In the process of seeking advice, you will also be building up a coalition of support around the project.

The Scenarios from the Sahel team includes some outstanding theoreticians and academics who are able to crystallize and contextualize certain elements of the current situation for us. They give us the big picture, the macro perspective.
Other Scenarios partners work on an everyday basis in direct contact with local populations. They are members of women's groups, youth organizations, etc., and are able to share with us precious information as to the concrete needs of the people with and for whom they work, as well as the grass-roots activities that are currently underway in their zone. They give us the micro perspective.
Both of those kinds of people can provide important input into the conceptualization process. If you're lucky, you will run across one of those rare individuals who has a keen understanding of both the big picture and the immediate situation at grass-roots level. For a Scenarios-type project, people like that are absolutely invaluable. Scenarios from the Sahel owes much of its success to the unwavering support of one such individual, Gary Engelberg of the Dakar-based NGO Africa Consultants International.
In the formative stage of the project, you might want to complement this dialogue-based, consultative research with some formal studies. These might take the form of surveys or focus-group discussions with the main group you are trying to reach _ in our case it was young people _ on their knowledge, attitudes and practices with regard to the epidemic (hence, their needs); the media they access (which television and radio programs, if any, at what times); and their social networks (who influences them; to whom might they pass on information).
Key questions to address during conceptualization: some suggestions
What is the substantive scope of the project?
That is to say, will the project focus exclusively on HIV/AIDS prevention, or will it also place particular emphasis on the care of those living with HIV? What about broader, related issues of reproductive health? Should the project deal not only with HIV/AIDS and reproductive health in general, but also other matters that impinge on a person's physical well-being, such as drug and alcohol abuse, cigarette smoking, poor eating habits_? What is needed most?
Within the defined scope, what key problems are to be addressed?

If the scope is HIV/AIDS prevention, the research you conducted as part of the conceptualization phase might indicate that the vast majority of the population simply does not believe that HIV exists, or that the emergence of new therapies has caused many young men to let their guard down and return to risky behavior_. Or, your research might have made it clear that the needs of a given part of the population have been totally ignored by the AIDS-prevention community and must urgently be addressed. These could be themes on which audio-visual resources are needed or they could belong to a possibly broader list of themes on which you want to encourage contest participants to reflect.
What is the main target group or groups?
Your research should give you a good sense of which target group needs to be reached as a priority. That could be, for example: all young people under 25 or under 19. It could be out-of-school youth in urban areas; girls and young women; or young people living in rural areas. It doesn_t have to be young people, either. It has been proposed that both parents and children could be asked to produce scenarios, for example, and that it would be fascinating to juxtapose them.
The geographic area to be covered
The question of which geographic area to cover was a difficult and important one during the conceptualization process of Scenarios from the Sahel. We had determined that local populations wanted more films on HIV/AIDS "with people like us". They often felt estranged by films that had been shot elsewhere and that featured foreign people who sounded, looked and behaved in unfamiliar ways. So, we conducted a study to figure out exactly what "people like us" meant, and then determined the project area based on the findings.
There are, of course, a number of additional criteria that could come into play when selecting the geographic area of the project, including: potential political strife and violence in certain areas; religious fundamentalism (which can become a stumbling block to the promotion of reproductive health, particularly for young people); and languages (can everyone in the proposed area speak the same language? could you manage a bilingual contest?)
What are the primary activities and outputs?
On what scale do you intend to carry out the project? Do you foresee conducting a contest and afternoon selection process in two local schools and then producing a theater piece to be performed by local children a few weeks later? Or do you plan to carry out a nation-wide project in which hundreds of NGO's and CBO's will receive training in all elements of project management, to conduct a mammoth contest and a month-long selection process, and then to produce scores of films and radio shows as well as highly technical research reports based on the young people's scenarios?

What is needed? What are the most appropriate communication resources in your region in the current context of the epidemic and the state of prevention efforts? Does it make any sense to produce radio shows in your country, i.e., do that many people really listen to the radio? What kind of audio-visual materials on the subject have been produced in your area recently?
The Scenarios process is a highly flexible one; it is possible to pick and choose from the ideas included in this Guide, to expand and improve them, and of course also to add completely new elements. The activities and outputs you select should, once again, reflect the findings of your preparatory research.
What is the proposed timeframe for the project?
When do you anticipate launching and completing project activities? For a concept paper, some general indication of the tentative timetable will do just fine. Specifics will be determined when the team engages in detailed project planning.

c. Selection of core project advisors

It is a good idea for the project team to be made up of three groups: a) the greater project team, b) the core project advisors, and c) the project coordinators.
The core project advisors should be like the standing committee of a large international organization. Against the backdrop of perpetual change, they provide solidity and continuity throughout the entire process.
What are the tasks of the core project advisors?
C In close collaboration with the project coordinators and in consultative dialogue with other project partners, they are responsible for carrying out detailed project planning.
C The advisors assist in the securing of funding for the project both passively (their association with the project enhances its credibility) and actively (by assisting in the drafting of fundraising documents and by facilitating direct contacts with funders).
C Much like their assistance with regard to fundraising, the core advisors help to establish and maintain political (and religious-political) support for the project.
C Throughout the project, they provide advice and guidance with a view to ensuring optimal project quality.

What is the ideal composition of the advisory group? A few suggestions:
C We would recommend establishing an advisory group of seven or eight people (not counting the project coordinators).
C Seek out people who can genuinely serve as advisors on a regular basis throughout the duration of the project. This group is designed to be one of true substantive support, and not one that boasts big names. Billionaires, Oscar-winning directors, or heads of state would surely be welcome as patrons or team members in a Scenarios-type project, but it is doubtful that they could or would want to serve effectively when the advisory group is dealing with the nitty-gritty of project mechanics. Celebrities, whose support can be highly beneficial with regard to fundraising, securing the participation of big-name artists in the audio-visual production phase, arranging broadcasts, etc., can be brought on board in capacities other than the advisory group.
C Look for people who, barring unforeseen circumstances, are likely to stay put (geographically and professionally) for the duration of the project. This is no easy task, as the membership of a given AIDS-prevention community can be very fluid: organizations fold due to lack of funding, and their staffs are dispersed; the personnel of certain international structures are rotated to new posts every couple of years_.

Scenarios from the Sahel has not had good fortune in this regard and is a fine example of what to try to avoid. Of the seven original members of the Advisory Board, only four are still in Dakar. The other three are now working in different capacities elsewhere; two of them are no longer in the Sahel.

C Try to avoid imbalances in the advisory group: male/female, by religion, by ethnic group, by geographic origin within the project zone, etc.
C Look for people whose personal, non-professional background is multi-dimensional, e.g., individuals who in the course of their lives have lived in several parts of the project zone, those who have first-hand knowledge of many key relevant social groups_.
C Of tremendous value to a Scenarios advisory group are people who are professionally versatile and are able to speak with considerable expertise on three or four relevant areas, such as: project planning, fundraising, monitoring/evaluation, media mobilization, participatory prevention techniques, qualitative research, data-base development, audio-visual production, distribution of audio-visual materials_
C Make sure that the group contains individuals who have a good understanding of "the big picture" of the epidemic in the project zone, as well as people whose work and expertise is primarily in the hands-on, grass-roots domain, both in urban and in rural areas.

C Seek out individuals who have a great deal of experience in working with the target audience in question in a participatory manner.
C Get young people and people living with HIV involved as advisors. Ideally, the individuals selected would belong to and be able to speak on behalf of larger, representative bodies.
C When putting together your advisory committee, place an absolute premium on one specific criterion, i.e., make sure that the members of the group share a common philosophy with regard to genuine personal commitment and to true partnership. The advisory group will set the philosophical tone of the entire project. It is essential that the group be strongly united in its rejection of territoriality and aggressive competition.