Well-established linkages between outcomes in family planning (FP) and other development sectors can be leveraged through integrated social and behavior change (SBC) programs. However, as the evidence from integrated programming accumulates, professionals working on multisectoral SBC integration must strengthen these linkages by disseminating programmatic findings in a systematic and coordinated way; sharing useful tools and instruments; and communicating enablers and barriers to integration in funding, design, implementation, and evaluation.
To this end, a new Breakthrough ACTION report outlines enablers and barriers relevant to integration across multiple development sectors. The report includes examples of enablers, such as shared target populations, one development sector providing a convenient entry point to other sectors, and engaged community stakeholders. Among the barriers identified in the report are siloed funding streams, lack of relevant SBC evidence, and disconnected team structures in multisectoral projects.
Another commonly cited barrier, faced by both new and experienced practitioners, is difficulty in identifying and accessing relevant tools and instruments. These desired resources include evidence repositories, guides to design and implement social norms interventions, SBC frameworks, strategy documents, indicator lists, and program results. Such resources are often disseminated shortly after production but can be difficult to find later on. So, despite the existence of a significant number of SBC resources supporting multisectoral integration, practitioners still struggle to find what they need, when they need it. To address these gaps, Breakthrough ACTION developed a web-based repository—MULTI-SBC—that helps SBC professionals easily locate a range of current, relevant SBC resources. The resources housed on this platform are cross-categorized by development sector (e.g., agriculture, food security, and nutrition; population, health, and environment; democracy, rights, and governance) and specific project stages (project design; implementation; monitoring and evaluation), allowing practitioners to narrow their searches to resources best fitting their needs. The list of resources will be updated on a regular basis.
This Trending Topic features a selection of materials, also housed on the MULTI-SBC platform, documenting the work done by various successful multisectoral integrated programs.
This report presents the result of an assessment carried out by Breakthrough ACTION to identify opportunities to integrate FP SBC programs with SBC programs outside of the health development sector. The report describes the process used to carry out the analysis along with recommendations for future assessments.
MULTI-SBC provides easy access to relevant tools for integrating social and behavior change (SBC) with existing family planning programs and with fields related to family planning. MULTI-SBC is the starting point for family planning practitioners looking to integrate their programs with new sectors or sectors that they may not be familiar with.
A reference for health care professionals, this guide provides a methodology for conducting assessments of information needs among individuals working at different levels of the health system and includes sample instruments, templates, and training materials.
Global health achievements require highly innovative knowledge management approaches. The diffusion of innovations theory helps explain and predict factors that influence the adoption of public health innovations.
This field-tested, six-day curriculum responds to community development program managers’ and planners’ need for a practical behavioral framework that strategically aids them in planning for maximum effectiveness.
The FHI 360 PROGRESS project (2008-13) added to the evidence base on multi-sector integration, providing guidance on how development organizations can successfully expand their program model to include family planning services.
This manual provides guidance for field-based conservation practitioners in developing countries on integrating health and family planning into community conservation projects.
This field-tested, six-day curriculum enables private voluntary organizations (PVOs) and partners to replicate the BEHAVE workshops conducted with CORE Group members in multiple countries and regions around the globe. The curriculum combines handouts and facilitator materials with easy-to-use training guidelines.
A list of publications and tools demonstrating the value and best practices of integrated design, delivery and evaluation of programs.
This brief is intended for USAID Mission and Washington technical and management staff who are considering designing integrated social and behavior change communication (SBCC) projects, or who would like to better understand and manage existing projects.
Interventions to foster changes in behaviors and social norms are an important aspect of efforts to reduce malnutrition around the world. This course aims to demystify SBC design as well as share useful SBC-related resources.
BRIDGE is a five-year project (2015-2020) managed by USAID’s E3 Forestry and Biodiversity Office. The project advances the second goal of USAID’s Biodiversity Policy, to “integrate biodiversity as an essential component of human development.”
Adavancing Nutrition is USAID's flagship multi-sectoral nutrition project.
It has three primary goals:
The SPRING project is dedicated to strengthening global and country efforts to scale up high-impact nutrition practices and policies.
The BALANCED (USAID Building Actors and Leaders for Advancing Community Excellence in Development) Project project aims to advance and support wider use of effective Population, Health, and Environment (PHE) approaches worldwide.
Transform/PHARE is a USAID funded five-year project that introduces innovative practices from marketing, advertising, human-centered design and behavioral economics to strengthen health-related behavior change programming.
This study investigated the demand and supply side barriers to accessing family planning that women with young children, adolescent girls and young women face.
The Health of People and the Environment in the Lake Victoria Basin (HoPE-LVB) project was developed to promote “a complete status of well-being” of individuals and families by converging activities related to the three sectors of population, health and environment."
The Landscape Conservation in Western Tanzania (LCWT) activity works to protect endangered chimpanzee populations, safeguard their habitat through effective land use planning, and empower local communities by supporting more productive and sustainable livelihoods in the Gombe-Masito-Ugalla (GMU) landscape.
The LAHIA project is funded by the USAID Office of Food for Peace with the goal to reduce food insecurity and malnutrition among poor, rural households (HH).
Wadata means “prosperity” in Hausa, and represents the vision of collaborating with individuals, households, communities and government as co-creators to generate growth.
In Mozambique, the Tchova Tchova project worked to reduce HIV transmission and stigma and increase the use of services. To better understand the drivers of HIV transmission and stigma, the project conducted formative research. Formative research results helped the project determine an appropriate theoretical foundation for their work.
The GOLD project aims to strengthen responsive democratic governance through three intermediate results: increased capacity of local government to respond to citizen demand; improved mobilization and management of local public resources; and increased community participation in service delivery management including health, education water, sanitation, and hygiene [WASH], and agriculture.
This website is made possible by the support of the American People through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) under the Breakthrough-ACTION Project, supported by USAID’s Office of Population and Reproductive Health, Bureau for Global Health, under Cooperative Agreement #AID-OAA-A-17-00017 with the Johns Hopkins University.
Breakthrough-ACTION is based at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health’s Center for Communication Programs (JHU∙CCP). The contents of this website are the sole responsibility of JHU∙CCP. The information provided on this website is not official U.S. Government information and does not necessarily represent the views or positions of USAID, the United States Government, or The Johns Hopkins University.