Evaluating Social and Behavior Change Communication, Module 5

Module 5: Evaluating Social and Behavior Change Communication is presented by Marc Boulay and will introduce participants to techniques for evaluating and attributing causality to SBCC interventions, using examples specific to malaria.

About the Series

This learning series, Evidence-Based Malaria Social and Behavior Change Communication: From Theory to Program Evaluation, provides an overview on how to use data to make social and behavior change communication (SBCC) interventions more robust, with a focus on malaria. This includes strategies to encourage the long-term adoption of behaviors related to malaria, such as sleeping under a net and seeking care for fever for various target audiences: pregnant women, providers, and children under five, for example.  

If you are interested in how to make your malaria prevention SBCC program more robust or improve your ability to measure the outcomes of your program, then take the whole learning series, which consists of five modules. Each module is treated as a separate course with its own final evaluation and certificate of completion.

Modules

  1. Telling Stories About Behavior: Theory As Narrative is presented by Doug Storey and will introduce participants to some of the basic theories used in SBCC, using examples specific to malaria. 
  2. Formative Research for SBCC: Do You Know Your Audience? is presented by Michelle R. Kaufman and will introduce participants to the basics of formative research for informing SBCC programs, using examples specific to malaria.
  3. Pretesting: A Critical Step to Ensuring SBCC Effectiveness is presented by Rupali Limaye and will introduce participants to the critical steps in pretesting SBCC interventions, using examples specific to malaria. 
  4. Monitoring Malaria SBCC Interventions is presented by Hannah Koenker and will introduce participants to various approaches and indicators for monitoring malaria SBCC activities. 
  5. Evaluating Social and Behavior Change Communication is presented by Marc Boulay and will introduce participants to techniques for evaluating and attributing causality to SBCC interventions, using examples specific to malaria.
PMI/USAID/Breakthrough ACTION logos

Monitoring Malaria SBCC Interventions, Module 4

Module 4: Monitoring Malaria SBCC Interventions is presented by Hannah Koenker and will introduce participants to various approaches and indicators for monitoring malaria SBCC activities.

About the Series

This learning series, Evidence-Based Malaria Social and Behavior Change Communication: From Theory to Program Evaluation, provides an overview on how to use data to make social and behavior change communication (SBCC) interventions more robust, with a focus on malaria. This includes strategies to encourage the long-term adoption of behaviors related to malaria, such as sleeping under a net and seeking care for fever for various target audiences: pregnant women, providers, and children under five, for example.  

If you are interested in how to make your malaria prevention SBCC program more robust or improve your ability to measure the outcomes of your program, then take the whole learning series, which consists of five modules. Each module is treated as a separate course with its own final evaluation and certificate of completion.

Modules

  1. Telling Stories About Behavior: Theory As Narrative is presented by Doug Storey and will introduce participants to some of the basic theories used in SBCC, using examples specific to malaria. 
  2. Formative Research for SBCC: Do You Know Your Audience? is presented by Michelle R. Kaufman and will introduce participants to the basics of formative research for informing SBCC programs, using examples specific to malaria.
  3. Pretesting: A Critical Step to Ensuring SBCC Effectiveness is presented by Rupali Limaye and will introduce participants to the critical steps in pretesting SBCC interventions, using examples specific to malaria. 
  4. Monitoring Malaria SBCC Interventions is presented by Hannah Koenker and will introduce participants to various approaches and indicators for monitoring malaria SBCC activities. 
  5. Evaluating Social and Behavior Change Communication is presented by Marc Boulay and will introduce participants to techniques for evaluating and attributing causality to SBCC interventions, using examples specific to malaria.
PMI/USAID/Breakthrough ACTION logos

Pretesting: A Critical Step to Ensuring SBCC Effectiveness, Module 3

Module 3: Pretesting: A Critical Step to Ensuring SBCC Effectiveness is presented by Rupali Limaye and will introduce participants to the critical steps in pretesting SBCC interventions, using examples specific to malaria.

About the Series

This learning series, Evidence-Based Malaria Social and Behavior Change Communication: From Theory to Program Evaluation, provides an overview on how to use data to make social and behavior change communication (SBCC) interventions more robust, with a focus on malaria. This includes strategies to encourage the long-term adoption of behaviors related to malaria, such as sleeping under a net and seeking care for fever for various target audiences: pregnant women, providers, and children under five, for example.  

If you are interested in how to make your malaria prevention SBCC program more robust or improve your ability to measure the outcomes of your program, then take the whole learning series, which consists of five modules. Each module is treated as a separate course with its own final evaluation and certificate of completion.

Modules

  1. Telling Stories About Behavior: Theory As Narrative is presented by Doug Storey and will introduce participants to some of the basic theories used in SBCC, using examples specific to malaria. 
  2. Formative Research for SBCC: Do You Know Your Audience? is presented by Michelle R. Kaufman and will introduce participants to the basics of formative research for informing SBCC programs, using examples specific to malaria.
  3. Pretesting: A Critical Step to Ensuring SBCC Effectiveness is presented by Rupali Limaye and will introduce participants to the critical steps in pretesting SBCC interventions, using examples specific to malaria. 
  4. Monitoring Malaria SBCC Interventions is presented by Hannah Koenker and will introduce participants to various approaches and indicators for monitoring malaria SBCC activities. 
  5. Evaluating Social and Behavior Change Communication is presented by Marc Boulay and will introduce participants to techniques for evaluating and attributing causality to SBCC interventions, using examples specific to malaria.
PMI/USAID/Breakthrough ACTION logos

Formative Research for SBCC: Do You Know Your Audience?, Module 2

Module 2: Formative Research for SBCC: Do You Know Your Audience? is presented by Michelle R. Kaufman and will introduce participants to the basics of formative research for informing SBCC programs, using examples specific to malaria.

About the Series

This learning series, Evidence-Based Malaria Social and Behavior Change Communication: From Theory to Program Evaluation, provides an overview on how to use data to make social and behavior change communication (SBCC) interventions more robust, with a focus on malaria. This includes strategies to encourage the long-term adoption of behaviors related to malaria, such as sleeping under a net and seeking care for fever for various target audiences: pregnant women, providers, and children under five, for example.  

If you are interested in how to make your malaria prevention SBCC program more robust or improve your ability to measure the outcomes of your program, then take the whole learning series, which consists of five modules. Each module is treated as a separate course with its own final evaluation and certificate of completion.

Modules

  1. Telling Stories About Behavior: Theory As Narrative is presented by Doug Storey and will introduce participants to some of the basic theories used in SBCC, using examples specific to malaria. 
  2. Formative Research for SBCC: Do You Know Your Audience? is presented by Michelle R. Kaufman and will introduce participants to the basics of formative research for informing SBCC programs, using examples specific to malaria.
  3. Pretesting: A Critical Step to Ensuring SBCC Effectiveness is presented by Rupali Limaye and will introduce participants to the critical steps in pretesting SBCC interventions, using examples specific to malaria. 
  4. Monitoring Malaria SBCC Interventions is presented by Hannah Koenker and will introduce participants to various approaches and indicators for monitoring malaria SBCC activities. 
  5. Evaluating Social and Behavior Change Communication is presented by Marc Boulay and will introduce participants to techniques for evaluating and attributing causality to SBCC interventions, using examples specific to malaria.
PMI/USAID/Breakthrough ACTION logos

Telling Stories About Behavior: Theory As Narrative, Module 1

Module 1: Telling Stories About Behavior: Theory As Narrative is presented by Doug Storey and will introduce participants to some of the basic theories used in SBCC, using examples specific to malaria.

About the Series

This learning series, Evidence-Based Malaria Social and Behavior Change Communication: From Theory to Program Evaluation, provides an overview on how to use data to make social and behavior change communication (SBCC) interventions more robust, with a focus on malaria. This includes strategies to encourage the long-term adoption of behaviors related to malaria, such as sleeping under a net and seeking care for fever for various target audiences: pregnant women, providers, and children under five, for example.  

If you are interested in how to make your malaria prevention SBCC program more robust or improve your ability to measure the outcomes of your program, then take the whole learning series, which consists of five modules. Each module is treated as a separate course with its own final evaluation and certificate of completion.

Modules

  1. Telling Stories About Behavior: Theory As Narrative is presented by Doug Storey and will introduce participants to some of the basic theories used in SBCC, using examples specific to malaria. 
  2. Formative Research for SBCC: Do You Know Your Audience? is presented by Michelle R. Kaufman and will introduce participants to the basics of formative research for informing SBCC programs, using examples specific to malaria.
  3. Pretesting: A Critical Step to Ensuring SBCC Effectiveness is presented by Rupali Limaye and will introduce participants to the critical steps in pretesting SBCC interventions, using examples specific to malaria. 
  4. Monitoring Malaria SBCC Interventions is presented by Hannah Koenker and will introduce participants to various approaches and indicators for monitoring malaria SBCC activities. 
  5. Evaluating Social and Behavior Change Communication is presented by Marc Boulay and will introduce participants to techniques for evaluating and attributing causality to SBCC interventions, using examples specific to malaria.
PMI/USAID/Breakthrough ACTION logos

Audience Segmentation for Nutrition

Social and behavior change (SBC) strategies are critical for addressing social and structural barriers, and encouraging positive behaviors around nutrition. SBC can foster increased utilization of health services, improved client-provider interactions, and improved dietary diversity, among other outcomes.

To increase the effectiveness of SBC strategies, program planners must understand the intended audience(s) and the factors driving their behavior. Audience segmentation is a technique that divides a population into groups with similar characteristics related to a topic or behavior of interest, enabling a deeper understanding of the demographic factors, norms, and attitudes that enable or inhibit positive behavior change among each group. The use of audience segmentation can help SBC practitioners develop interventions tailored to each group’s particular characteristics and needs.

This course is intended for use by SBC and service delivery professionals seeking to encourage positive nutrition behavior change by employing segmentation based on needs, attitudes, and behaviors of intended audience(s).

Building Trust and Empathy Around COVID-19: A Client-Centered Communication Approach

The role of a health care worker (HCW) is pivotal for quality health care delivery, demanding both competence and empathy. Despite being recognized as a trusted source for COVID-19 vaccine-related information, HCWs were infrequently engaging and counseling their clients about COVID-19 testing and vaccine uptake. Moreover, in-depth interviews conducted by Breakthrough ACTION with HCWs in four states of Nigeria–Akwa-Ibom, Bauchi, Enugu, Lagos–reported that they lack sufficient information on COVID-19 and COVID-19 vaccines and require more information on COVID-19 and vaccination (Breakthrough ACTION, 2022). Recognizing the critical role HCWs play in vaccination decisions, there was a need to enhance their knowledge, attitudes, and communication skills.

In response to these challenges, Breakthrough ACTION initiated a comprehensive, multi-component intervention, “Building Trust and Empathy Around COVID-19: A Client-Centered Communication Approach.” This intervention aimed to enhance HCWs’ knowledge of and attitudes about COVID-19 and vaccines, improve communication skills and, in turn, client-provider interactions, and foster resilience to the stress induced by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Building Trust and Empathy curriculum supplements the Nigeria Federal Ministry of Health’s National Interpersonal Communication and Counseling manual to equip health workers with tools to address vaccine hesitancy and promote COVID-19 prevention, testing, and vaccination as per national guidelines. This two- to three-hour long online course is adapted from a two-day in-person training.  

Learners should also explore the Nigeria country page of the COVID-19 Communication Network for additional supplemental materials that were developed to reinforce this training, which includes the participant’s training bookletawareness cards (also available in Hausa, Igbo and Yoruba), posters, and learning videos.

Social and Behavior Change for Sexual and Reproductive Health Service Delivery

Applying social and behavior change (SBC) approaches and techniques to service delivery efforts can motivate clients to access services, improve client-provider interactions, and boost adoption and maintenance of healthy behaviors. It can improve health outcomes by helping providers enhance the quality of community engagement and dialogue; client education and health promotion; and counseling and shared decision-making. SBC approaches can improve clients’ overall experience of care, which may result in increased satisfaction with health care delivery, improved trust in health care providers and the health system, and improved health seeking or maintenance behaviors.

The primary purpose of this course is to demonstrate how SBC can be integrated into sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services to improve acceptability, access, quality, and outcomes. In addition, this course aims to strengthen the ability of service delivery partners to integrate SBC into their work and summarize how and where SBC can be used at each stage of the service continuum, that is, before, during, and after a client receives services.

Allowing for pauses to complete short reflection exercises, this course will take approximately three hours to complete.

Course Audience

This course is aimed at public sector staff overseeing SRH service delivery at the national and sub-national levels, such as SRH Coordinators; service delivery-focused non-governmental and community-based organizations; and private sector service delivery partners, such as franchisees. The course is relevant to all but focuses on those with limited background knowledge about SBC. It may be applicable to other health areas but focuses on SRH service delivery.

Implementing the SBC Flow Chart

This toolkit provides an introduction on how to implement the SBC Flow Chart. It is designed to be a flexible and unique experience that integrates multiple approaches and methodologies, providing recommendations of tools and inspiration that may be helpful along the way.

What we know is there is no one way to do things. The toolkit takes you on a five point journey; three phases where you collect information, build your solution set, and implement what works, and two points of convergence where validate what you have.

So, while the SBC Flow Chart is laid out as a step-by-step process, it is not meant to be prescriptive. You can build upon what is provided or replace a tool if you have something that will work better in your context.

Don’t be afraid to experiment! And remember that SBC is as much an art as a science; use the basis found here to let your creativity flow and adapt based on the unique needs of your team and context.

Phase 1 Define: Mine existing knowledge, Intent statement, Deepen understanding; Phase 2 Design & Test: Imagine, Refine, Prototype, Test; Phase 3 Apply: Implement & Monitor, Evaluate & Refine, Adapt & Scale

We invite you to take the Social and Behavior Change 101: An Introduction course for additional resources!

Interpersonal Communication and Counseling: Improving Dialogue About COVID-19 Vaccination and Other Sensitive Topics

The rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine has highlighted the need for improved interpersonal communication and counseling (IPCC). Mis- and disinformation has muddled COVID-19 messaging, meaning that health providers have to spend extra time communicating with and counseling clients on vaccine side effects, risks, and benefits to ensure their concerns are addressed.

This course is intended for all health workers that interface with clients, including both in the health facility and at community-level. It offers an introduction and overview of IPCC, and techniques for counseling clients and countering myths and misinformation on an interpersonal level. Participants will learn how to better communicate with clients, as well as how to properly counsel clients to encourage behavior change. The course introduces new IPCC-related skills, provides a framework for sensitive counseling sessions, offers interactive exercises to practice these new skills, and includes job aids that can be printed and used in any counseling setting. Though the course focuses on counseling related to COVID-19 vaccination, it is widely applicable and useful for providers working in any health topic, from routine immunization to family planning to other health emergencies.