WHAT I LEARNED TODAY: Day 16 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 MOVE TO CHARACTERISTIC 3: SBCC uses three key strategies: Advocacy, Social mobilization and Behaviour Change Communication, and I will specifically focus on “Using advocacy to address the enabling environment.”

Photo: Google images

The enabling environment in the outer ring consists of policy, legislation, politics, and other areas of strong influence on health and development. A strategy often used to address such influence is advocacy which includes a variety of communication components when it addresses influential institutions and people at the international, national, district or community level. These communication components may include:

• presentations,
• campaigns,
• interpersonal negotiation,
• lobbying,
• and other advocacy tactics.

According to Wallack and Dorfman (2001) advocacy applies a socio-ecological perspective by:

1. Defining the problem at the policy level instead of focusing on individual flaws.
2. Seeking to change public policy and policy makers rather than personal behavior of those who have the "problem".
3. Working with groups to increase social and political involvement rather than providing behavior change messages.
4. Seeking to reduce the power gap (lack of sufficient power to achieve social change) rather than just filling a perceived information gap).
5. Having a long-term focus towards social 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.