13,553 Changing Behaviour: Selections from the SBCC Summit, The Drum Beat, 759, June 13, 2018   

Gateway behaviour, Clean cooking change, Integrated IYCF/WASH, Schoolchildren as SBCC agents, Nutritious mobile app, Sanitation behaviour science, Women’s economic moves, Strategic safer sex, 7 Things This Year, What drives provider bias, THINK | BIG tool, Critique of the draft Declaration from a behaviour perspective, Take the survey

«This conference is organized to understand better what works in shifting social norms, changing behaviors and in amplifying the voice of those who have most at stake in the success of development efforts. And it is designed to…[e]ncourage dialogue and discussion around diverse strands of social and behavior change communication approaches (socio-ecological models, human centered design, behavioral economics, digital first strategies, etc.).»

Some of the presentations at the Summit with a focus on «changing behaviour» follow. You can search for others in the collection of all Summit presentations at this link.

• 1. Leveraging Spousal Communication as a Gateway Behavior in the Context of an Integrated Health Project in Mali [PDF]
  Presented by Danielle Naugle, Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs
  A gateway behaviour is a positive behaviour that can facilitate or catalyse other positive behaviours. Data were collected in the context of the Keneya Jemu Kan project baseline, a 5-year United States Agency for International Development (USAID)-funded integrated health project in Mali. Spousal communication about family planning was significantly and positively associated with multiple desired health behaviours (e.g., completing childhood vaccinations) – in other words, it is a gateway behaviour. Men expressed a desire for more communication around maternal and child health: «How can we act if they don’t tell us?» Next steps in Mali are to use an entertainment-education approach to promote spousal communication through a game show on maternal health.
• 2. Is SBCC the Secret Sauce in Clean Cooking Interventions? From Global Review to Randomized Controlled Trial in Bangladesh [PDF]
  Presented by Nicholas Goodwin, Tulodo and the University of Sydney
  Women and girls, as the primary cooks for their families, are at greatest risk of household air pollution (HAP), which causes approximately 4.3 million deaths every year. A global review of behaviour change in clean cooking that examined behaviour change techniques (BCTs), as well as a series of case studies, highlights the need to understand and use behavioural theories, models, and research, including the multiple levels of influence. The HAPPeN trial is a cluster randomised controlled trial (RCT) of cleaner cookstoves to reduce adverse pregnancy outcomes in rural Bangladesh. Among the lessons so far: People must be motivated to make the shift away from a way of cooking that their families and communities have used for generations.
• 3. Behavioral Theory-based Approach: Integrated IYCF/WASH Intervention [PDF]
  Presented by Maureen Kapiyo, Catholic Relief Services
  Effective and sustainable interventions targeting caregiver knowledge and practice often require evidence-based strategies for behaviour change. So, the THRIVE II integrated early childhood development (ECD) project developed and tested an integrated infant and young child feeding (IYCF) and water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) behaviour change intervention in Kenya using a behavioural-theory-based approach (the COM-B model). Packaging behaviour change strategies thematically assisted in adoption of more than one practice at a time and supported behavioural maintenance (e.g., meal time).
• 4. School Communities as Social and Behavior Change Communication (SBCC) Agent for Prompting Malaria Preventive Behaviors: Evidence from Ethiopia [PDF]
  Presented by Zewdie Birhanu Koricha, Yohannes Kebede, Lakew Abebe, Guda Alemayehu, and Morankar Sudhakar – all of Jimma University
  Observing that schoolchildren have the potential to serve as change agents to promote a community’s appropriate behaviour practices around malaria prevention, project organisers conducted school-based SBCC involving peer education and activities such as dramas, songs, and poems to encourage insecticide-treated net (ITN) use, treatment seeking, anti-malaria drug use, and acceptance of indoor residual spraying (IRS). Sample finding: previous night ITN use increased by 15.7 percentage points. One lesson: Enhancing schoolchildren’s involvement in community mobilisation ensures ownership of anti-malarial interventions.

Click here and follow the instructions to access all the presentations from the Summit.

In order that the numerous Summit presentations are located and accessible as an integral part of a comprehensive platform, network, and community for this field of work, The CI will be incorporating many of them within our Groups process over the next few months. But you can access all of those submitted by presenters at this link at this time.

• 5. Designing a Mobile App to Support and Evaluate Nutrition Behavior Change [PDF]
  Presented by David Roach, Catalpa International
  Hamutuk and its more than 20 partners began their work to reduce stunting in children under 2 in Holarua, Timor-Leste, by identifying 18 nutrition-promoting behaviours. They knew that there was a large number of partners delivering nutrition-sensitive interventions for households in Holarua and that there were many community-based workers with existing relationships with households. They asked: Can we use technology to make every opportunity count? Can we make collaboration a default behaviour? Catalpa designed an app for integrated frontline service delivery to target, deliver, and evaluate SBCC. They use household profiles to deliver targeted messages on key behaviours through a community-based video content approach. Each partner is trained on content and key messages by other partners. Catalpa is evaluating their ability to do rapid RCTS using the collective action model and the app.
• 6. Unifying the Behavioral Sciences in Practice: How Behavior Centered Design Was Used for Formative Research, Program Design, and Evaluation for a Sanitation Behavior Change Program in Lusaka, Zambia [PDF]
  Presented by Ben Tidwell, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM)
  Designing behaviour change programmes can be a challenge, with programmes from around the globe producing new results every day, many different theories and approaches to choose from, and new disciplines making contributions. Furthermore, motivating behaviour change around poor peri-urban sanitation is more difficult in Zambia’s landlord-tenant context. This project used the ABCDE (Assess, Build, Create, Deliver, Evaluate) approach, one based directly on theories of change, for a sanitation demand intervention involving activities such as a series of landlord meetings, videos providing «secret insights» and emo-demos and games with discussion designed to revalue the target behaviour.
• 7. Deepening Financial Inclusion for Women through Social Communications [PDF]
  Presented by Cathleen Tobin, Women’s World Banking
  A global non-profit developed bank partnerships, a popular television show (Makutano Junction), and a media campaign with the aim of encouraging women in Kenya to open and use bank accounts. For one partner, the campaign contributed 14% of accounts opened (women asking for the «Nawiri Dada» account, meaning «Sisters Achieve» in Swahili). Women’s World Banking points to the right mix of partners, as well as relevant messages and delivery, to explain the initiative’s impact.
• 8. Strategic Behavior Change Communication Activities to Promote HIV Testing Uptake and Safer Sex among Key Populations in Nepal [PDF]
  Presented by Kiran Bam, Sajani Limbu, Indu Adhikary, and Bhagawan Shrestha – all of the LINKAGES Nepal Project, FHI 360 Nepal
  In order to facilitate behaviour change among key populations (KPs) – e.g., female sex workers (FSWs), men who have sex with men (MSM), male sex workers (MSWs), and transgender people – for safer sex behaviours and increased health care service use, LINKAGES Nepal uses a media mix, interactive SBC materials, peer champion mobilisation, edutainment activities, and information and communication technology (ICT) such as social media. Implementing SBC activities through the various platforms has enabled the project to increase safer sex behaviours and uptake of HIV testing services, as well as to help HIV-negative KPs safeguard their status. LINKAGES Nepal has found that edutainment activities can be effective to reach, educate, and refer KPs.

• You might also be interested in:
  The Drum Beat 757 – Amplifying Voice: Selections from the SBCC Summit
  The Drum Beat 758 – Shifting Norms: Selections from the SBCC Summit

• 9. Bringing Behavior Change Communication to Scale: The Case of Seven Things This Year Initiative in Myanmar [PDF]
  Presented by Alessia Radice, UNICEF
  In 12 townships across Myanmar (2012-2015), 7 Things This Year aimed at promoting 7 essential family care practices. This partnership between the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), Ministry of Health and Sports (MOHS), and Myanmar Maternal and Child Welfare Association (MMCWA) relied on volunteer networks across the country because they are the most accessed by community members for health information. Small-group sessions, community days, and entertainment-education led to results including statistically significant differences between case and control with regard to breastfeeding, nutrition for pregnant women, and immunisation. The knowledge of simple/frequently promoted practices was high in both case and control, which indicates the need for different strategies such as skills building and modeling.
• 10. What Drives Provider Bias: Characterizing Provider Bias Towards Youth and Adolescents While Identifying Provider Archetypes to Develop and Target Successful Behavioral Change Interventions [PDF]
  Presented by Jessica Vandermark, Camber Collective
  Through the 3-year Beyond Bias project, Pathfinder and partners are addressing the different types of provider biases and behaviours that translate – advertently or inadvertently – into barriers for youth who want access to high-quality contraceptive counseling and services. This project builds on ongoing Pathfinder projects in Tanzania, Burkina Faso, and Pakistan. Bias drivers were identified and classified; the research covered each «branch» of the driver tree, alongside measurements of biased attitudes and behaviours. Segmentation revealed 6 major sub-groups of providers; although they may look similar demographically, these groups need different behaviour change programmes. For example, for the «paternalistic clinician», a major behavioural change opportunity may existing in helping these providers improve efficiency of servicing youth through counseling tools.
• 11. THINK | BIG Behavior Integration Guidance – How to Think | BIG: Using Accelerator Behavior Profiles as a Tool [PDF]
  Presented by Christina Wakefield, The Manoff Group, Neha Shah, The Manoff Group, and Kama Garrison, USAID
  Think | BIG (Behavioral Integration Guidance) provides a framework and tools to help USAID prioritise behaviours, analyse them, and then develop and manage strategies that respond to that analysis. Accelerator behaviours are those that have the high potential to reduce the risk of maternal and child death due to a preventable cause yet have low uptake in a particular context. They are presented from the perspective of the person who must carry out the behaviour. The ACCELERATE behaviour profile tool can be used to identify logical pathways between evidence and action or interventions critical to having impact and potentially responding to USAID inquiries. A tool like this can guide communication strategy and coordination with those working on other pieces of behaviour change.
• 12. Critique of the draft Summit Declaration – Behaviour themes

  The draft Summit Declaration was shared for critique and comment. Critique from the «behaviour» perspective included:

  * from Tilly Gurman: «One of the issues that was reinforced for me during the Summit was that the evidence that SBCC works is not yet as strong for all disciplines and fields. I believe that it is not that the effect of SBCC won’t be there, but rather that there needs to be more evaluation research to provide similar levels of evidence as for other behaviors/disciplines.»

  * from Ivan Amezquita: «I agree with all statement and recognize the advance on human centered principles of our mission, as well as the complexities of dealing with social and behavioral dynamics.»

  * from Jite Phido: «I think there should be more of a commitment toward working together to strengthen our capacity to build upon, support and continuously learn from one another’s efforts and work so that we can make more of a joint effort to maximize sustainable social and behaviour change impacts in the communities and regions where we work.»

  * from Dominique Thaly: «I would very much like to use it [the Declaration] as an advocacy and lobbying tool to use in my work and convince the donors and my national partners about the importance of addressing social and behavior change communication in all its complexity and not just as yet another ‘sensitization’ campaign. For this, it would help greatly to have the declaration officially translated in other languages than English…»

  * from Rita Widiadana: «Changing, shaping and reinforcing behaviours must involve all stakeholders including citizens and policy makers. Not all citizens use social media as their main source of information….I strongly believe that the Summit’s Output would be more impactful when mainstream and traditional media were involved in the process.»

  See more at Draft – Summit Declaration – FOR YOUR REVIEW AND COMMENT!

Full list of the CI Partners:
ANDI, BBC Media Action, Bernard van Leer Foundation, Breakthrough, Citurna TV, Fundación Imaginario, Fundación Nuevo Periodismo Iberoamericano (FNPI), Heartlines,Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health Center for Communication Programs, Maternal and Child Survival Program (MCSP), MISA, Open Society Foundations, Oxfam Novib, PAHO, The Panos Institute, Puntos de Encuentro, SAfAIDS, Sesame Workshop, Soul City, STEPS International, UNAIDS, UNICEF, Universidad de los Andes,World Health Organization (WHO), W.K. Kellogg Foundation

The Drum Beat seeks to cover the full range of communication for development activities. Inclusion of an item does not imply endorsement or support by The Partners.

Chair of the Partners Group: Garth Japhet, Founder, Soul City garth@heartlines.org.za

Executive Director: Warren Feek wfeek@comminit.com