Community Conversations Programme

'What works?': an evidence-based panel presentation of lessons learned from the implementation and evaluation of community engagement on awareness-raising on irregular migration, the promotion of alternative pathways, and the creation of local opportunities.

On 28 September 2022 IOM officials, behaviour-change experts, and Government officials gathered in Addis Ababa to review evidence from evaluations of awareness-raising and behaviour-change programs surrounding migration on West Africa and Ethiopia. Researchers presented lessons learned from the implementation and evaluation of community engagement and awareness-raising on irregular migration as well as the promotion of legal migration pathways. A lively discussion ensued concerning how to enable safe and dignified migration as well as how to promote viable local employment opportunities.

See complete study in Ethiopia here, and on Irregular Migration from West Africa here.

Read the press release here.

Presentation by

The impact evaluation assessed the latest iteration of the Community Conversations Programme (CCP) implemented between 2019 and 2022. CCP was implemented in over 1,000 villages in Oromia, Amhara and Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples' Regions. It aimed to address information needs surrounding the risks of irregular migration and inform about safe migration pathways and local livelihoods options. Instead of a top-down approach, CCP engaged influential community leaders (teachers, religious leaders, as well as youth and women’s groups) to disseminate messages within their communities.

Download slide presentation here: Community Conversations Programme

Presentation by 

Studies have shown that many young people do not know where to get accurate information about regular migration procedures. That’s why the International Organization for Migration (IOM), launched WAKA Well in 2019, under the IOM X Project. It is a campaign in which young people in several African countries work with IOM, through a participatory framework and evidence-based programming, to produce media content for television, radio, social media, and on-the-ground activities promoting safe migration and local opportunities within their communities. The WAKA Well digital platform is an important part of the project. It makes it easier for young people, their families, and communities to learn about regular migration procedures, available local opportunities, and who to speak to in person so that young people can make informed decisions about their futures, at home and abroad. In this presentation, the Project Officer talks about the WAKA Well campaign, results from Knowledge, Attitude, and Intended Practice (KAP) surveys, and lessons learned from the implementation of the IOM X project in different contexts.

Download slide presentation here: IOM X - WAKA Well

Presentation by:

Download slide presentation here: Community Conversations Programme

Read the previous press release here to learn more: Community-Led Conversations Hold Great Potential for Safe | Global Migration Data Analysis Centre (iom.int)