Social and Behavior Change Monitoring Guidance

Breakthrough ACTION has distilled guidance on social and behavior change (SBC) monitoring methods into a collection of technical notes. Each note provides an overview of a monitoring method that may be used for SBC programs along with a description of when to use the method and its strengths and weaknesses.

• Broadcast monitoring is a method that tracks the output of broadcast media, including TV, radio, and the internet. Download Broadcast Monitoring Guidance
• A hotline usually refers to a no-cost telephone line that is dedicated to a specific purpose (such as police tips, suicide prevention, emergencies, etc.) and may be part of a call center that connects to or coordinates referrals for necessary assistance. Download Hotlines and Hotline Data Monitoring Guidance
• Intercept surveys rely on short, structured questionnaires designed to gather feedback directly, quickly, and immediately from participants of interest. Download Intercept Interviews Monitoring Guidance
• The most significant change technique is a participatory and complexity-aware monitoring and evaluation approach to identify key program outputs and outcomes over a project period. Download Most Significant Change Technique Monitoring Guidance
• Omnibus surveys are quantitative research surveys that collect data on a variety of topics during the same interview. Download Omnibus Survey Monitoring Guidance
• Outcome harvesting is a monitoring and evaluation method used to identify, verify, and make sense of changes influenced by an intervention. Download Outcome Harvesting Monitoring Guidance
• Service statistics refers to a type of monitoring metric that can be collected to improve health systems and services. Download Service Statistics Monitoring Guidance
• Short message services (SMS) and interactive voice response (IVR)-based surveys are administered remotely through mobile devices to reach general or specific populations in a given coverage area and can be utilized over the course of a program or intervention on a recurring basis. Download SMS/IVR Surveys Monitoring Guidance
• Social media analytics is the practice of analyzing digital interactions on social media platforms using various forms of data. Download Social Media Analytics Monitoring Guidance

Last modified: March 16, 2026

Language: English