Designing a Social and Behavior Change Communication Strategy

"The planning steps included in this implementation kit provide guidance on how to develop a communication strategy for social and behavior change communication (SBCC). The steps and tools are designed to help program managers, communication specialists and relevant stakeholders prepare and plan for effective SBCC initiatives through a comprehensive approach that responds to audience needs and the context of the challenge(s) to be addressed, uses a memorable identity and theme for all messages and activities, and outlines plans for implementation, monitoring and evaluation."

This implementation kit (I-Kit) from the Health Communication Capacity Collaborative (HC3) is one of series of kits on SBCC implementation for the field of communication, with a focus on: 

• "Changing or positively influencing social norms in support of long-term, sustainable behavior change at the population level
• Fostering long-term, normative shifts in behavior in support of increasing the practice of healthy behaviors
• Improving health services provider-client interactions 
• Strengthening community responses to issues
• Influencing decision-makers and family and peer networks
• Increasing demand for health services and products
• Increasing correct use of health services and products
• Influencing policy
• Encouraging an increased capacity for local planning and implementation of health improvement efforts"

The strategy process is designed in eight steps to ensure coordinated communication work towards goals and objectives, based upon evidence, for the implementation of planned communication such as mass media programming, community-level activities, interpersonal communication and counseling, and other strategic approaches.

The kit offers, in addition, three case studies (See related summaries below) to illustrate the design methodology: Wazazi Nipendeni (Love me, Parents), a Tanzanian national safe motherhood SBCC campaign; Intersexions, a television series that shows how the inter-relationships between sexual partners enable HIV to spread; and The Alive & Thrive (A&T) Talking Babies Media Campaign, Viet Nam (2011-2014), designed to encourage mothers to practice exclusive breastfeeding (EBF). 

The document describes creating team structures for beginning the design process including, for example, the choice of a participatory workshop for a stakeholders' team to develop a strategy document or a core working group consulting with stakeholders. The eight steps in the process are included with flexible guidelines, tools, and exercises.

• "Step 1: Analyze the Situation
• Step 2: Audience
• Step 3: Communication Objectives
• Step 4: Strategic Approaches
• Step 5: Positioning and Strategy Outline
• Step 6: Implementation Plan
• Step 7: Monitoring and Evaluation
• Step 8: Conclusion"