WHAT I LEARNED TODAY: Day 10 of the free online C-Modules course on social and behaviour change communication

I am currently reviewing Module 0 (Facilitator's Handbook), which lays an important foundation for the rest of the course. It breaks down concepts and principles that are to be used throughout the course.

These include:

• THE DEFINITION OF SOCIAL AND BEHAVIOUR CHANGE COMMUNICATION (SBCC)
• AN OVERVIEW OF THE COURSE
• CURRENT PROJECTS
• CHARACTERISTICS OF SBCC
• TEN SBCC PRINCIPLES
• THE THEORETICAL BASE OF THE SOCIO-ECOLOGICAL MODEL

On Day 05 I reviewed sub heading four: “Characteristics of SBCC”. I learned that SBCC has three (3) characteristics:

SBCC is a process.

• It is interactive, researched, planned and strategic;
• It aims to change social conditions and individual behaviours.

SBCC applies a comprehensive, socio-ecological model to identify effective tipping points for change by examining:

• individual knowledge, motivation, and other behaviour change communication concepts
• social, cultural, and gender norms, skills, physical and economic access, and legislation that contribute to an enabling environment

SBCC uses 3 key strategies:

• ADVOCACY – to raise resources as well as political and social leadership commitment to development actions and goals
• SOCIAL MOBILIZATION – for wider participation, coalition building, and ownership, including community mobilization
• BEHAVIOUR CHANGE COMMUNICATION – for changes in knowledge, attitudes, and practices among specific audiences

Over the next few days, I will discuss each of these characteristics in detail.

TODAY I WILL CONTINUE TO DISCUSS CHARACTERISTIC 2: SBCC uses a socio-ecological model for change, and I will specifically focus on “Defining C-Changes' Socio-Ecological Model”

"The study of health behaviour in isolation from the broader social and environmental context is incomplete and has contributed to disappointing results from experiments in behavior change." ~ Glass and McAtee (2006)

I learned that Ecological Models of Change became increasingly popular after practitioners realized the short comings of models that focused on individuals. Over time, it became clearer that an individual is not in total control of her/his behavior and living conditions. Instead, what is required for sustainable  behaviour change is a multi-layered approach that focuses on several levels.

The ecological perspective considers:

1. Multiple levels of factors influence social and behaviour change.
2. Levels of factors can include individual, interpersonal, community/organizational, and national/political/environmental.
3. Influences interact across levels.
4. Multi-level interventions addressing various influences are more robust than individual-led interventions.

(Adapted from Sallis, Owen and Fisher 2008.)

Photo credit: Google images

Against this backdrop, C-Changes' Socio-Ecological Model for Change views social and behaviour change as a product of multiple, over-lapping levels of influence -- individual, interpersonal, community, and organizational -- as well as political and environmental factors (Sallis, Owen and Fisher 2008). This model emphasizes the need to go beyond ad hoc interventions to coordinated social change efforts.

Furthermore, I learned that throughout this course, the Socio-Ecological Model for Change will be used to find the strongest tipping point for change.

Interested in signing up for this course? CLICK HERE.

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C-Modules were developed by C-Change, funded by USAID under Cooperative Agreement No. GPO-A-00-07-0004-00. The six modules can be freely downloaded and used, provided full credit is given to C-Change as follows: C-Change (Communication for Change). 2011. C-Modules: A Learning Package for Social and Behavior Change Communication. Washington, DC: FHI 360/C-Change.

WHAT I LEARNED TODAY: Day 09 of the free online C-Modules course on social and behaviour change communication

I am currently reviewing Module 0 (Facilitator’s Handbook), which lays an important foundation for the rest of the course. It breaks down concepts and principles that are to be used throughout the course.

These include:

• THE DEFINITION OF SOCIAL AND BEHAVIOUR CHANGE COMMUNICATION (SBCC)
• AN OVERVIEW OF THE COURSE
• CURRENT PROJECTS
• CHARACTERISTICS OF SBCC
• TEN SBCC PRINCIPLES
• THE THEORETICAL BASE OF THE SOCIO-ECOLOGICAL MODEL

On Day 05 I reviewed sub heading four: “Characteristics of SBCC”. I learned that SBCC has three (3) characteristics:

SBCC is a process.

• It is interactive, researched, planned and strategic;
• It aims to change social conditions and individual behaviours.

SBCC applies a comprehensive, socio-ecological model to identify effective tipping points for change by examining:

• Individual knowledge, motivation, and other behaviour change communication concepts;
• Social, cultural, and gender norms, skills, physical and economic access, and legislation that contribute to an enabling environment.

SBCC uses 3 key strategies:

• ADVOCACY – to raise resources as well as political and social leadership commitment to development actions and goals;
• SOCIAL MOBILIZATION – for wider participation, coalition building, and ownership, including community mobilization;
• BEHAVIOUR CHANGE COMMUNICATION – for changes in knowledge, attitudes, and practices among specific audiences.

Over the next few days, I will discuss each of these characteristics in detail.

TODAY I WILL CONTINUE TO DISCUSS CHARACTERISTIC 2: SBCC uses a socio-ecological model for change, and I will specifically focus on “4 reasons why there has been a shift in thinking about human behaviour.”

Photo credit: Google images

I learned that over the years, there has been a shift in thinking about human behaviour. For example, early in the HIV and AIDS epidemic, communication practitioners largely believed that giving correct information about HIV transmission and prevention would result in behaviour change.

While providing correct information is an important part of behaviour change, information alone has proved to be insufficient. Practitioners now acknowledge four key facts about human behaviour:

1. People give meaning to information based on the context in which they live.

2. Culture and networks influence people’s behaviour.

3. People can’t always control the issues that determine their behaviour.

4. People's decisions about health and well-being compete with other priorities.

Interested in signing up for this course? CLICK HERE. 

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C-Modules were developed by C-Change, funded by USAID under Cooperative Agreement No. GPO-A-00-07-0004-00. The six modules can be freely downloaded and used, provided full credit is given to C-Change as follows: C-Change (Communication for Change). 2011. C-Modules: A Learning Package for Social and Behavior Change Communication. Washington, DC: FHI 360/C-Change.

WHAT I LEARNED TODAY: Day 08 of the free online C-Modules course on social and behaviour change communication

I am currently reviewing Module 0 (Facilitator’s Handbook), which lays an important foundation for the rest of the course. It breaks down concepts and principles that are to be used throughout the course.

These include:

• THE DEFINITION OF SOCIAL AND BEHAVIOUR CHANGE COMMUNICATION (SBCC)
• AN OVERVIEW OF THE COURSE
• CURRENT PROJECTS
• CHARACTERISTICS OF SBCC
• TEN SBCC PRINCIPLES
• THE THEORETICAL BASE OF THE SOCIO-ECOLOGICAL MODEL

On Day 05 I reviewed sub heading four: “Characteristics of SBCC”. I learned that SBCC has three (3) characteristics:

SBCC is a process.

• It is interactive, researched, planned and strategic;
• It aims to change social conditions and individual behaviours.

SBCC applies a comprehensive, socio-ecological model to identify effective tipping points for change by examining:

• individual knowledge, motivation, and other behaviour change communication concepts
• social, cultural, and gender norms, skills, physical and economic access, and legislation that contribute to an enabling environment

SBCC uses 3 key strategies:

• ADVOCACY – to raise resources as well as political and social leadership commitment to development actions and goals
• SOCIAL MOBILIZATION – for wider participation, coalition building, and ownership, including community mobilization
• BEHAVIOUR CHANGE COMMUNICATION – for changes in knowledge, attitudes, and practices among specific audiences

Over the next few days, I will discuss each of these characteristics in detail.

TODAY I WILL CONTINUE TO DISCUSS CHARACTERISTIC 2: SBCC uses a socio-ecological model for change, and I will specifically focus on “3 possible levels of change”

I learned that theories and models address human behaviours on one of three possible levels of change: individual, interpersonal, or community/social.

The chart below describes the level of change, the main level of change processes in human behaviour, and what could be modified at each of those levels.

INDIVIDUAL >> Psychological >> Personal behaviors

INTERPERSONAL >> Psycho-social >> How the person interacts with his or her social networks

COMMUNITY/SOCIAL >> Socio-cultural >> Dominant norms at community and societal levels

Interested in signing up for this course? CLICK HERE.

--------------------

C-Modules were developed by C-Change, funded by USAID under Cooperative Agreement No. GPO-A-00-07-0004-00. The six modules can be freely downloaded and used, provided full credit is given to C-Change as follows: C-Change (Communication for Change). 2011. C-Modules: A Learning Package for Social and Behavior Change Communication. Washington, DC: FHI 360/C-Change.

WHAT I LEARNED TODAY: Day 07 of the free online C-Modules course on social and behaviour change communication

I am currently reviewing Module 0 (Facilitator’s Handbook), which lays an important foundation for the rest of the course. It breaks down concepts and principles that are to be used throughout the course.

These include:

1. THE DEFINITION OF SOCIAL AND BEHAVIOUR CHANGE COMMUNICATION (SBCC)
2. AN OVERVIEW OF THE COURSE
3. CURRENT PROJECTS
4. CHARACTERISTICS OF SBCC
5. TEN SBCC PRINCIPLES
6. THE THEORETICAL BASE OF THE SOCIO-ECOLOGICAL MODEL

On Day 05 I reviewed sub heading four: “Characteristics of SBCC”. I learned that SBCC has three (3) characteristics:

1) SBCC is a process.

• It is interactive, researched, planned and strategic;
• It aims to change social conditions and individual behaviours.

2) SBCC applies a comprehensive, socio-ecological model to identify effective tipping points for change by examining:

• individual knowledge, motivation, and other behaviour change communication concepts
• social, cultural, and gender norms, skills, physical and economic access, and legislation that contribute to an enabling environment

3) SBCC uses 3 key strategies:

• ADVOCACY – to raise resources as well as political and social leadership commitment to development actions and goals
• SOCIAL MOBILIZATION – for wider participation, coalition building, and ownership, including community mobilization
• BEHAVIOUR CHANGE COMMUNICATION – for changes in knowledge, attitudes, and practices among specific audiences

Over the next few days, I will discuss each of these characteristics in detail.

TODAY I WILL REVIEW CHARACTERISTIC 2: SBCC uses a socio-ecological model for change, and I shall specifically focus on defining ‘theories’ and ‘models’

SBCC falls under the broad umbrella of development communication, which is guided by theories and models.

A THEORY is a systematic and organized explanation of events or situations. It tests assumptions. Theories are developed from a set of concepts (or constructs) that explain and predict events and situations and clarify the relationship between different variables. For example, the Agenda-Setting Theory, often used in advocacy, argues that media coverage shapes what audiences think. (I understood this to mean: “A theory is an idea that explains a course of action”.)

It is important to note that adequately addressing an issue may require more than one theory, and no one theory is suitable for all cases.

A MODEL is usually less specific than a theory, and often draws upon multiple theories to try to explain a given phenomenon. For example the Health Belief Model suggests that individual beliefs affect behaviours.

Interested in signing up for this course? CLICK HERE.

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C-Modules were developed by C-Change, funded by USAID under Cooperative Agreement No. GPO-A-00-07-0004-00. The six modules can be freely downloaded and used, provided full credit is given to C-Change as follows: C-Change (Communication for Change). 2011. C-Modules: A Learning Package for Social and Behavior Change Communication. Washington, DC: FHI 360/C-Change.

WHAT I LEARNED TODAY: Day 06 of the free online C-Modules course on social and behaviour change communication

I am currently reviewing Module 0 (Facilitator's Handbook), which lays an important foundation for the rest of the course. It breaks down concepts and principles that are to be used throughout the course.

These include:

1.     THE DEFINITION OF SOCIAL AND BEHAVIOUR CHANGE COMMUNICATION (SBCC)

2.     AN OVERVIEW OF THE COURSE

3.     CURRENT PROJECTS

4.     CHARACTERISTICS OF SBCC

5.     TEN SBCC PRINCIPLES

6.     THE THEORETICAL BASE OF THE SOCIO-ECOLOGICAL MODEL

On Day 05 I reviewed sub heading four: “Characteristics of SBCC”. I learned that SBCC has three (3) characteristics:

1.     SBCC is a process.

a.      It is interactive, researched, planned and strategic;

b.     It aims to change social conditions and individual behaviours.

2.     SBCC applies a comprehensive, socio-ecological model to identify effective tipping points for change by examining:

a.      individual knowledge, motivation, and other behaviour change communication concepts

b.     social, cultural, and gender norms, skills, physical and economic access, and legislation that contribute to an enabling environment

3.     SBCC uses 3 key strategies:

a.      ADVOCACY – to raise resources as well as political and social leadership commitment to development actions and goals

b.     SOCIAL MOBILIZATION – for wider participation, coalition building, and ownership, including community mobilization

c.      BEHAVIOUR CHANGE COMMUNICATION – for changes in knowledge, attitudes, and practices among specific audiences

Over the next few days, I will discuss each of these characteristics in detail.

TODAY I WILL DISCUSS CHARACTERISTIC 1: SBCC is a process

The SBCC process includes 5 steps shown in the C-Planning graphic below:

Photo credit: C-Change

STEP 1: Understanding the situation

Photo credit: Google images

STEP 2: Focusing and designing your strategy

Photo credit: Google images

STEP 3: Creating interventions and materials

Photo credit: Google images

STEP 4: Implementing and monitoring

Photo credit: Google images

STEP 5: Evaluating and re-planning

Photo credit: Google images

Interested in signing up for this course? CLICK HERE. 

--------------------

C-Modules were developed by C-Change, funded by USAID under Cooperative Agreement No. GPO-A-00-07-0004-00. The six modules can be freely downloaded and used, provided full credit is given to C-Change as follows: C-Change (Communication for Change). 2011. C-Modules: A Learning Package for Social and Behavior Change Communication. Washington, DC: FHI 360/C-Change.

WHAT I LEARNED TODAY: Day 05 of the free online C-Modules course on social and behaviour change communication

I am currently reviewing Module 0 (Facilitator’s Handbook), which lays an important foundation for the rest of the course. It breaks down concepts and principles that are to be used throughout the course.

These include:

1. THE DEFINITION OF SOCIAL AND BEHAVIOUR CHANGE COMMUNICATION (SBCC)
2. AN OVERVIEW OF THE COURSE
3. CURRENT PROJECTS
4. CHARACTERISTICS OF SBCC
5. TEN SBCC PRINCIPLES
6. THE THEORETICAL BASE OF THE SOCIO-ECOLOGICAL MODEL

Today I reviewed sub heading four: Characteristics of SBCC.

I learned that SBCC has three (3) characteristics:

1. SBCC is a process.
1. It is interactive, researched, planned and strategic;
2. It aims to change social conditions and individual behaviours.
2. SBCC applies a comprehensive, socio-ecological model to identify effective tipping points for change by examining:
1. individual knowledge, motivation, and other behaviour change communication concepts
2. social, cultural, and gender norms, skills, physical and economic access, and legislation that contribute to an enabling environment
3. SBCC uses 3 key strategies:
1. ADVOCACY – to raise resources as well as political and social leadership commitment to development actions and goals
2. SOCIAL MOBILIZATION – for wider participation, coalition building, and ownership, including community mobilization
3. BEHAVIOUR CHANGE COMMUNICATION – for changes in knowledge, attitudes, and practices among specific audiences

Interested in signing up for this course? CLICK HERE.

--------------------

C-Modules were developed by C-Change, funded by USAID under Cooperative Agreement No. GPO-A-00-07-0004-00. The six modules can be freely downloaded and used, provided full credit is given to C-Change as follows: C-Change (Communication for Change). 2011. C-Modules: A Learning Package for Social and Behavior Change Communication. Washington, DC: FHI 360/C-Change.

WHAT I LEARNED TODAY: Day 04 of the free online C-Modules course on social and behaviour change communication

On Day 03 I started reviewing Module 0 (Facilitator’sHandbook), which lays an important foundation for the rest of the course. It breaks down concepts and principles that are to be used throughout the course.

These include:

1. THE DEFINITION OF SOCIAL AND BEHAVIOUR CHANGE COMMUNICATION (SBCC)
2. AN OVERVIEW OF THE COURSE
3. CURRENT PROJECTS
4. CHARACTERISTICS OF SBCC
5. TEN SBCC PRINCIPLES
6. THE THEORETICAL BASE OF THE SOCIO-ECOLOGICAL MODEL

Since I reviewed sub-heading 1 on Day 03, today I focused on sub-heading 2 & sub-heading 3.

SUB-HEADING 2: THE DEFINITION OF SOCIAL AND BEHAVIOUR CHANGE COMMUNICATION (SBCC)

SUB-HEADING 3: CURRENT PROJECTS

These two sections spell out three learning objectives and draw attention to the fact this course is designed for practitioners who want to build their own capacity to develop, implement, monitor, and re-plan quality SBCC programs and contribute to collective learning about SBCC.

3 learning objectives: At the end of this course, participants will have:

• practised the five systematic steps of SBCC – from planning through implementation and re-planning
• used C-Change’s Socio-Ecological Model for Change and SBCC theories, models, and approaches to analyse how change happens
• explored how advocacy, social mobilization, and BCC strategies can work together

They also provide an overview of all the tools (worksheets, graphs, checklists and templates) that will be used in the course to help practitioners gain better understanding and apply SBCC concepts in their programmatic work.

Interested in signing up for this course? CLICK HERE.

--------------------

C-Modules were developed by C-Change, funded by USAID under Cooperative Agreement No. GPO-A-00-07-0004-00. The six modules can be freely downloaded and used, provided full credit is given to C-Change as follows: C-Change (Communication for Change). 2011. C-Modules: A Learning Package for Social and Behavior Change Communication. Washington, DC: FHI 360/C-Change.

WHAT I LEARNED TODAY: Day 03 of the free online C-Modules course on social and behaviour change communication

Today, I reviewed Module 0 (Facilitator’s Handbook), which lays an important foundation for the rest of the course. It breaks down concepts and principles that are to be used throughout the course.

These include:

1. THE DEFINITION OF SOCIAL AND BEHAVIOUR CHANGE COMMUNICATION (SBCC)
2. AN OVERVIEW OF THE COURSE
3. CURRENT PROJECTS
4. CHARACTERISTICS OF SBCC
5. TEN SBCC PRINCIPLES
6. THE THEORETICAL BASE OF THE SOCIO-ECOLOGICAL MODEL

I will focus on one sub-heading at-a-time over the next few days.

SUB-HEADING 1:

1. THE DEFINITION OF SOCIAL AND BEHAVIOUR CHANGE COMMUNICATION (SBCC)

What is Social and Behaviour Change Communication (SBCC)?

Photo credit: Google images

I learned that the definition of SBCC can be broken into 8 segments:

1. SBCC is a systematic application
2. of interactive
3. theory-based
4. research-driven
5. communication processes
6. and communication strategies
7. to address tipping points for change
8. at the individual, community, and societal levels

PS: A ‘tipping point’ refers to the dynamics of social change, where trends rapidly evolve into permanent changes.

Why the shift from Behaviour Change Communication (BCC) to Social and Behaviour Change Communication (SBCC)?

Photo credit: Google images

This is what I noted:

• BCC is part of SBCC
• SBCC builds on BCC
• Whereas BCC focuses on achieving individual empowerment,
• SBCC looks at a problem from multiple sides by analysing personal, societal, and environmental factors to find the most effective tipping points for sustainable change
• In summary: Over the years, approaches to behaviour change have expanded beyond a focus on the individual in order to emphasize sustainable, social change.

Interested in signing up for this course? CLICK HERE.

--------------------

C-Modules were developed by C-Change, funded by USAID under Cooperative Agreement No. GPO-A-00-07-0004-00. The six modules can be freely downloaded and used, provided full credit is given to C-Change as follows: C-Change (Communication for Change). 2011. C-Modules: A Learning Package for Social and Behavior Change Communication. Washington, DC: FHI 360/C-Change.

WHAT I LEARNED TODAY: Day 02 of the free online C-Modules course on social and behaviour change communication

Today, I reviewed the Facilitator's Guide and it helped me understand what it takes to run an evidence-based impact-oriented training on social and behaviour change communication.

Photo: Google images

In addition to discussing the relevance of the Learning Approach, the guide also has a sample of:

• A pre-workshop survey;
• A facilitator input survey; 
• Sample form for feedback from participants on the introduction module;
• Checklist to evaluate the products of each team's assignment at the end of each module;
• A few ideas for openers and closers;
• Additional facilitator resources.

Interested in signing up? CLICK HERE.

--------------------

C-Modules were developed by C-Change, funded by USAID under Cooperative Agreement No. GPO-A-00-07-0004-00. The six modules can be freely downloaded and used, provided full credit is given to C-Change as follows: C-Change (Communication for Change). 2011. C-Modules: A Learning Package for Social and Behavior Change Communication. Washington, DC: FHI 360/C-Change.

WHAT I LEARNED TODAY: Day 01 of the free online C-Modules course on social and behaviour change communication

Photo: Communication for Change

Today, I reviewed the "Facilitator Preparation" notes. I learned about the 4-A model™ which is an approach to learning that ensures participants:

1. Explore new ideas or skills through the lens of their previous experiences (Anchor)
2. Add new ideas, guidelines, and skills to what they already know (Add)
3. Connect new input to their day-to-day work (Apply)
4. Bring their learning out the door with them -- well beyond the walls of the workshop (Away)

Interested in signing up? CLICK HERE.

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C-Modules were developed by C-Change, funded by USAID under Cooperative Agreement No. GPO-A-00-07-0004-00. The six modules can be freely downloaded and used, provided full credit is given to C-Change as follows: C-Change (Communication for Change). 2011. C-Modules: A Learning Package for Social and Behavior Change Communication. Washington, DC: FHI 360/C-Change.

WHAT I LEARNED TODAY: Free online C-Modules course on social and behaviour change communication

Today, I embarked on a free self-paced online course on social and behaviour change communication that is being offered by Communication for Change (C-Change). There are 6 modules, which begin with an introduction to the elements and principles of SBCC and the five steps of the C-Change planning process.

According to this press note, the goal of the course is, "To develop and strengthen the competencies in the planning, implementation, and monitoring and evaluation of SBCC activities."

Interested in signing up? CLICK HERE

Photo: Google images

WHAT I LEARNED TODAY: 5 key stages of an effective Social and Behaviour Change Communication programme

According to the Communication for Change website, these are the 5 key stages in the development of an effective Social and Behaviour Change Communication (SBCC) programme:

1. Understanding the situation
2. Focusing and designing
3. Creating
4. Implementing and monitoring
5. Evaluating and re-planning

I hope this training manual, which was developed by Communication for Change (C-Change), will be of value to anyone who is seeking to develop a deeper understanding of each of the 5 stages: CLICK HERE.

Photo: Communication for Change

WHAT I LEARNED TODAY: Measure what you seek to improve

My friend Olusegun Sangowawa (@ssangowawa) reminded me today about a fundamental principle in Social and Behaviour Change Communication: "You can not improve what you can not measure."

This served to re-enforce what one of my mentors, Sean Southey (@seansouthey), said to me a few days ago. In his opinion, a Social and Behaviour Change Communication (SBCC) specialist must have good working knowledge of Monitoring & Evaluation (M&E) because among other things, SBCC is an evidence-based profession that requires 1) learning (this is something Sean stressed!), 2) monitoring and 3) evaluation in order to measure the reach and effectiveness of a campaign among intended audiences.

I hope that this training manual on basic monitoring and evaluation of social and behaviour change communication health programmes will be of some help to people starting off careers as SBCC specialists: CLICK HERE.

Photo: DarrenDaily.com