SECTION

OBJECTIVE

ACTIVITY

OUTPUT

REMARKS

ADMINIST-RATIVE SUPPORT

1.       General adminstration

2.       HR issues and staff

     welfare

3.       Prudent financial management

4.       Policy issues

5.       Partnership development

6.       Co-ordinate SADC Media issues on national level

-Coordinate parastatal issues

-Liasing with other development partners for assistance.

§         -Coordinate and manage all sections and regions:

§         -Manage transport, utility bills

§         -Coordinate training

§         -Make payments expenditure reports

§         Policy issues

§         Access to information Bill

§         -Media Policy:  

§         -Review communications Act 1998 review

-           

-Sections were able to perform

-Several students still pursuing studies

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-Task force working paper being produced

-consultations progress

being organised in conjunction with MACRA

-DIO attended SADC several seminars on information.

-Submitted entries for 2004/2005 SADC Media awards

Competition

-Desk officers responsibility and reporting to PS

-Assistance from UNESCO for MANA computerisation

-2005/2006 proposal paper for request presented to UNESCO for Paris conference in October 2005.

- UNFPA funding RPU for its activities.

-          USIS willing to assist in revamping MANA. A concept paper from the Dept to be submitted by end September 2005

-          USIS will assist in the training of information Desk officers.

- NAC funding Media Strategy project

-Problems with payment of fees.

-To accommodate stakeholders input

-Review to accommodate stakeholders views

Implementation takes long as it is difficult to deal with many countries at once.  Malawi participated fully for the 1^st time but did not do well.  Publicity will be increased.

-Although $25,000 by UNESCO has delayed but hope is still there for it.

-It is hoped that presentation of the proposal will increase assistance from UNESCO to the Department of Information.

- Campaign awareness projects implimented on family planning and health issues.

-This will assist to reposition MANA for better service delivery.

- This will improve information handling and flow.

On-going stalled a little bit because of liquidation problem.

MANA

To present to the public timely and impartial news service to help the citizenry participate in national development

To provide news and photographic coverage of presidential functions and for all other VVIPs for general information of the public

To provide affordable information communication products to readers

News gathering and dissemination

VVIP coverage (local)

VVIP coverage (external)

Production of feature articles

Photographic displays at airports and other public places

Produced 3,456 news items on various topics and distributed to all media houses

38 presidential functions were covered locally.

4 international functions were covered

69 feature articles were produced and distributed to subscribers

5    photographic displays were mounted at KIA Chileka and Mzuzu airports

Over K57,000 collected as revenue through sale of news and photographs

News gathering and dissemination was hampered by disconnection of telephone lines in all 28 districts due to long outstanding bills.

- change in funding VVIP news coverage constrained the news agency from providing this important service effectively

Lack of funding was a big challenge to provide this important service

The feature articles provided a balanced slice of government major policies to readers of popular print media.

 Resources hampered regular replacement of photographs at the airport display boards

Poor marketing of news and photographs led to low revenue collection.

PUBLICATIONS

To communicate government national development policies to the citizenry and encourage them to participate in self help development initiatives

To showcase government achievements

To create a sustained presence of the presidency in society and promote loyalty the country leadership

Publication and distribution free of charge of “Boma Lathu”

Publication and sale of “this is Malawi”

Publication of Desk calenders

Publication of presidential official portraits

Publication of presidential official portraits

Provision of archival and retrieval services to members of staff and the public

Bindery of old copies of

 Newspapers

Publication of Fact Books for visitors

Coordination briefings at Central office of information

Postings of stories on the government website

2,400,000 copies of “Boma Lathu” were printed and distributed to readers in rural areas

5,000 copies of “This is Malawi” were produced and sold.

Produced 2000 calendars and sold 365 copies and generated K182,740.00 in revenue

Sold 250,000 copies of presidential portraits and raised K4,200,100 in revenue

Research conducted

Bindery of newspapers and magazines – work in progress at government Print

Updating of fact Books in progress

Conducted 36 press briefings in Blantyre and several in Lilongwe

The “Weekly News” and “Boma Lathu” on the website

Printing costs of newspaper is very expensive.  A copy costs K38 and has to be distributed to a wide readership of a cost too.

High printing costs and poor marketing strategies major challenge to the circulation of the magazine.

Marketing of calendars was a big challenge due to high selling price of the calendars while many insititutions are giving out free calendars.

The portraits were being sold at K500 each which was too expensive for average customers.

Lack of resources to collect relevant information.

 Many public officials are reluctant to give information to the press.

Lack of expertise and resources made the work extremely difficult.

FILM UNIT

To record all VVIP functions for posterity

To produce video documentaries on topical issues to assist in improving people’s lives

To assist the public access video recorded information

VVIP video coverage

Developmental video documentaries

Dubbing of archival material

25 events were recorded

15 documentaries made

Total revenue collected K100,000

Lack of recording equipment and financial resources constrained the section from recording developmental video documentaries.

TECHNICAL

To facilitate communication between government and the public

Facilitate communication and raise revenue

Provision of P.A. system for VVIPs.

Hire of video projection facilities

Rural video screening

Hire of Video projection facilities

Repair/maintenance of audio-visual equipment

Sound amplification services were provided at 68 public functions

240 clients hired sound amplification and video projection equipment and K1,248,500 was collected as revenue

43 video screening done at chief headquarters

14 video projectors hired out

Some equipment repaired

There is high potential to raise revenue through the services offered by the section especially in the districts if provide with the necessary equipment and personnel.

Resources hampering an otherwise very useful exercise to communicate government development policies.

RESEARCH AND PLANNING UNIT

To create awareness on HIV and AIDS issues through mass media campaigns

To design communication related development proposals for funding

Implementation of a gender, sexual and reproductive health (SRH) and HIV/AIDS Distance Learning project called Tiferezina

Mass awareness campaigns on the ground and through radio, TV and print media six pilot districts covered.

WEEKLY NEWS

To publicise government

Production of weekly News

50,000 copies printed

K738,713.50 overshooting our budget of K300,000 by K438,713.50

The paper was improved from being predominantly political to include more issues on development