1. A. Community economic development questions.

1. Did you use community media to facilitate discussion on a local issue
or development?
Answer : Yes
Community Cable station
Community Bulletin Board

2. If yes, why? did you see an increased awareness? (some examples would

be good to document).
Answer: To share the information with a broader group of people.
Yes there was increased awareness. Issues regarding:
fish plant issues
town news updates
youth forum
community forums.

3. What is your definition or understanding of community economic
development?

Answer: The coming together of the community to help find solutions to economic problems.
.
4. Do you see a relationship between participatory communications (the
stuff you were doing) and economic development in the community?
Answer: Yes, town issues, fish plant news and community forums created an awareness of community issues and gave the public an opportunity to participate in discussion and voice opinions. Also, it connected the general public with community leaders.

5 Did you gain an appreciation for this type of activity and role its
plays in community development?
Answer: Yes, I saw first hand how community media made the people aware of community issues

B. Participatory evaluation questions.
Part 1:
1. Describe what you have done (in point form not in detail).
Answer:
  • My own business card
  • Help facilitate community web page
  • Raised funds to purchase a video camera
  • Student forum " Our Town's Economics, What Next?"
  • Live community forum "The Role of your Fish Plant in the Future".
  • Community forum "Volunteering, Being Part of my Town's Future"
  • Chaperone for youth forum in Port- Aux- Basques on "Career Planning".
  • Help organize S.O.F. workshop in Ramea ( live broadcast)
  • Conducted regular updated interviews with town manager and mayor on town issues and aired it on community channel.
  • After each Ramea Economic Development meeting an update was video taped and aired on community channel.
  • St. Boniface News Telecast put together by the youth and aired on community television.
  • Two issues of school newspaper " Bites & Bytes".
  • Preformed two skits at the annual Christmas Concert.
  • "Reach For The Top" games shows were aired live on community television. Teachers vs. Students & Ramea vs. Burgeo.
  • Kids program on community channel. 5 shows in all were put together by volunteers.
  • A ceremony with the youth Reaffirming their Canadian Citizenship.
  • Seniors Video 2  hours of poems, pictures, interviews and entertainment.
  • Wreath for Remembrance Day was made and placed at the war monument
  • Various activities for Teacher / Appreciation Week / Education Week / & Valentine's Day
  • Two Senior's Newsletters were published.
  • St. Boniface Book of Records 2001-2002
  • 25 bird feeders were made and placed along the walking trail.
  • Working on web pages for the Redc. and 4 Winds B&B.
  • Arrange a get together between Ramea's craft producers and Michelle Powers to have a group profile done on them for CBC television.
  • Working on an environmental grant for the Scouting Movement
  • Assisted students from C.O.N.A. in fulfilling their work term commitment
  • Placed interesting facts and stories along the walking trail.
  • Did article + photo for Gulf News on a young girl in Ramea who was purchasing a pump for her to store her insulin in.
  • A video of Ramea was put together for Greg Hilliar.
  • Attended two workshops for S.O.F., one in Stephenville and the 2nd at the Crosswinds Resort.
  • Made reflective armbands that had SOF logo on them.
  • Put together St. Boniface Book of Records.

2. Describe what has worked really best in the SOF experiment.
Answer: Community discussions and community forums on local issues.
Community channel coverage.
Everyone who wanted to be involved could be and those who did not want to be involved were made aware of the issues being covered by channel 8.

3. Describe barriers that you have come up against.
Answer:Lack of funding to complete projects adequately.
Overlying on volunteers.

4. Describe what you would do differently.

Answer: Nothing. There was nothing different that I could do with the resources that I had.

Part Two:
Detailed questions.

1. Describe what you see as your role in the community?
Answer: The title , community communications facilitator best sums up my role in my community.

2. Why do you think SOF is important?
Answer: Someone has to fill in the gap between voluntarism and a full time paid position. Many of the projects that I undertook were to large for volunteers but needed to be done. SOF. fills that role.

3. What benefits do you see in having the community more involved in
participatory communications?
Answer:
Everyone gets a chance to voice their opinions
Everyone in the community is made more aware of community issues.
Brings the people together, helps created community spirit and sometimes great
ideas come out of group discussions.

4. How do you think you are helping the community?

Answer: By encouraging community to get more involved and discuss community issues

5. What are some of the projects you are working on and how do they fit
with the basic principles of SOF?
Answer: Help create community web pages ( helps create awareness of our community both locally and worldwide.)
Town News: Community television coverage.
Community Forums: Generating community interest & participation.
School Newspapers & Seniors Newsletter: Community awareness / spirit through a different media coverage.

6. How do you know that what you're doing is working?
Answer: By positive or negative feedback..

7. Why do you think it's working?

Answer: Because of the positive feedback I have received: small community feedback is easy to obtain

8. Have you come across any barriers?
Answer: My position with S.O.F. depends on volunteers, who may already stretched to the limit.

9. What unique qualities about your community make a process like this
work?
Answer: Small communities possess great community spirit. Some of this comes out in voluntarism.

10. What unique qualities in people make a process like this work?
Answer: Willingness to volunteer their time & energy to help better the community.

11. What is one thing you have learnt since you became an SOF community
communications facilitator?
Answer: Most people in Ramea have an opinion but do not always voice it. Most people are willing to participate but need a leader to co-ordinate and direct. As a SOF. community Communications Facilitator I have been able to partially fill this role.

C. Personal assessment (please add comments to each question).

Community Media Facilitator YES/NO


Please note: Community communication facilitators should be familiar
with the community media job description. See below.

WITHIN THE JOB

1. Participate in training necessary for implementation of the community
media process.
Answer: Yes, Attended workshops in Stephenville, Crosswinds Resort & Ramea.

2. Write monthly reports and post to the discussion board.
Answer: Yes, regular monthly postings.

4. Be willing to learn practical technical skills in order to implement
the community media process.

Answer: Yes, learn to use video/ audio equipment, computer application and digital camera.
5. Post weekly messages to the discussion board.
Answer: Yes, regularly as required.
6. Communicate by e-mail with the district coordinator and the other
communication facilitators.
Answer: Yes, regularly as required.
7. Participate in weekly, web board discussions with other community
communication facilitators
Answer: Yes, regularly as required.
8. Willing to work with, and take advice from the local committee.
Answer: Yes, always willing to take advice.
9. Follow procedures in the community media job description.
Answer: Yes, all times.
10. Implement the participatory evaluation by suggesting people to
interview and setting up interviews.
Answer: Yes, set up participants for interviews with Fred and Ivan.
Set up interviewer Jennifer MacDonald,( C.O.N.A. student) to randomly interview people.

11. Maintain a local facilitators' web page.
Answer: Yes, with help from local school student.

YES/NO

WITHIN THE COMMUNITY

1. Develop community awareness for community media.

Answer: Yes. local groups, Town Council, and the school are aware that the media is available for local coverage.
2. Facilitate a interactive public discussion about community issues
and/or a cultural celebration each month.
Answer: No. 3 community forums in 2 years.
3. Facilitate a monthly community television or community radio forum.
Answer: Yes.
4. Speak at meetings of service clubs and community groups about
community media.
Answer: Yes. Informed Senior Citizens and local groups that community media was available for coverage.
5. Learn skills to make presentations on local community television.
Answer: Yes. Technical skills and verbal skills.
6. Be prepared to be interviewed by radio and newspaper reporters.
Answer: Yes. Questions prepared beforehand.
7. Learn skills to write press releases.
Answer: Yes.
8. Learn skills to make posters for community media events.
Answer: Yes.
9. Learn skills to produce a web page.
Answer: Yes. With assistance.
10. Implement local fundraising and/or entrepreneurial activity to raise
money for equipment or the salary of a local facilitator.
Answer: Yes. Public card game to raise funds for video camera.
11. Find and work with local volunteers.
Answer: Yes. Always on all media events.
12. Invite the public (individuals and groups) to participate.
Answer: Yes. Notices and messages on bulletin boards and Ramea Broadcasting.
13. Keep the public informed about community media activities.
Answer: Yes. Advertised before upcoming media events.
14. Each month revise the community communication needs, skills and
resources assessment maps and post them online.
Answer: Yes. Posted as required.
15. Provide support for the local CAP site.
Answer: Yes. Joined local cap committee
Posted Public Internet sign outside schools main entrance.
Used Ramea Broadcasting station to encourage groups to use the Cap site.
Supervised 2 hours a week at the site.
Updates cap sign at Heritage Center.

D. Community assessment (please add comments to each question).

COMMUNITY ASSESSMENT YES/NO

There are identifiable characteristics of a community within which
community media will flourish. However, each community media process
uniquely meets the needs of its community. So it's not necessary to
check every "yes".

1. An active and supportive local committee.
Answer: Yes. Whenever plans had to be made the committee met.
2. Active community groups which recognize the importance of community
media.
Answer: Yes Seniors - Newsletter
Ramea Economic Development Corporation - Community Television
Town council - Community Television.
3. Direct contact with established funders who are willing to support
community media.
Answer: No

4. An established, representative local sponsor for community media.
Answer: No

5. History of partnership and collaboration between institutions and
organizations within the community.

Answer: Yes. Organizations in Ramea have traditionally co-operated very well with each other

6. A school willing to participate in the community media process.
Answer: Yes. Access to equipment.

7. A community which recognizes the needs of young people.
Answer: Yes. Strong community youth groups. Beavers, Wolf Cubs & Cadets.
8. Local businesses willing to donate to community media.
Answer: No.
9. Community groups and service clubs willing to participate in
community media.

Answer: Seniors, Lions- Bingo, Ramea Broadcasting, Town Council, Ramea Economic Development.

10. Institutions of higher education willing to support the programs
with training and human resources.
Answer: Yes. CONA sent students to do on the job training( news telecast, school newspaper and seniors newsletter.

11. Institutions willing to support the programs by providing inkind
contributions of space and use of equipment.
Answer: Yes. St. Boniface provides access to building and equipment.
Ramea Broadcasting Company provides access to studio and equipment.

12. Local people willing to contribute time to the community media
process.
Answer: High volunteer participation rate in community, but not always someone here when you plan on doing a show, so more volunteers are needed.

13. Local media willing to help the facilitators with developing
community awareness.
Answer: Yes. Ramea Broadcasting company through cable television.

14. Support from established community development and community
economic development facilitators.

Answer: Yes. Support and encouragement from Economic Development Officer & Development Coordinator.

E. What are the issues of your community? Unemployment, Out-migration, Isolation, & Maintaining Services( Medical, Ferry, Hydro, and our Local Cable Company,

F. What have been the cultural components of SOF in your community?
Answer: Coverage of local Christmas parties Seniors parties and annual Music Festival. These were aired on community channel.

G. What have you done to promote and spread information about SOF (in
point form)?