Defining Social and Behavior Change Competencies for Multi-Sectoral Nutrition: A List for Assessing, Developing, and Evaluating Staff Skills

This tool identifies 52 social and behavior change competencies—knowledge, skills, and attitudes—that project staff must demonstrate to design, implement, and evaluate the SBC components of multi-sectoral nutrition programs. It seeks to help program managers define the competencies most relevant to their activities and identify skill gaps across their project teams, and then use those competencies to guide hiring decisions, identify areas for capacity strengthening, and track changes in performance over time.

Last modified: December 29, 2023

Language: English, French

Source: USAID Advancing Nutrition

Year of Publication: 2020

Influencer Marketing Guide for Public Health: A how-to guide for applying the private sector model of ‘influencer marketing’ to public health

Project Last Mile (PLM) recently released a resource for public health communicators and social behavior change practitioners – the INFLUENCER MARKETING FOR PUBLIC HEALTH: A how-to guide for applying the private sector model of ‘influencer marketing’ to public health.

The guide is based on PLM’s experience of conducting public health campaigns with different influencers, from faith-based leaders to TikTok and radio DJs, as well as micro and nano social media influencers. PLM applied a private sector approach to influencer marketing to these public health campaigns in South Africa and Eswatini during the COVID-19 pandemic to drive COVID-19 vaccinations.

Many successful consumer brands such as Coca-Cola, Nike, and Microsoft have used influencers to market their products. They have been doing so for years, which has led to influencer marketing becoming a critical tool in companies’ marketing wheelhouses.

Influencer engagement through community leaders or social media influencers is also commonly used in public health to promote health service uptake and behavior change. To date, while influencer marketing has been leveraged to support public health outcomes in certain settings, there are further learnings that can be leveraged from the private sector to strengthen the impact of these efforts within the public health sector.

Though commercial businesses and brands nowadays typically use influencers on digital channels such as social media, this guide takes a broader view of the term ‘influencer’ and explains when, why, and how best to use a private sector approach to influencer marketing more broadly, in the public health sector.

Last modified: December 28, 2023

Language: English

Source: Project Last Mile

Year of Publication: 2023

Using Social Media for Health Behavior Change: Technical How-To Guide

This guide is a how-to actionable resource for country teams and partners to lead effective SBC social media campaigns. It is a step-by-step guide for preparing for, planning, developing, implementing, adapting, and measuring social media campaigns. Lessons and tips based on practical experience implementing SBC campaigns across nine countries are included. While many of the steps and lessons can be applied to a wide variety of platforms, this guide is focused on Facebook and Instagram. Further, while this is specific to paid campaigns, much of the content is relevant to organic (unpaid) campaigns on Facebook and Instagram, and social media more widely.

The rise of social media has transformed how we communicate and engage with one another and with information. Of the various social media platforms, the most popular among both males and females is Facebook, with nearly 3 billion global active users per month. Instagram is also widely popular with more than 2 billion monthly active users.2 On average, individuals use multiple platforms and spend two hours and 26 minutes per day on social media.

The expansive reach of social media platforms makes them a viable channel to implement social and behavior change (SBC) interventions, inclusive of communication. Social and behavior change (SBC) is a systematic, evidence-driven approach to improve and sustain changes in behaviors, norms, and the enabling environment. SBC interventions aim to affect key behaviors and social norms by addressing their individual, social, and structural factors.3 Social media can influence our knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors at individual, community, and social levels. How can we leverage social media as a tool for public health social and behavior change?

This comprehensive guide has four sections taking you through preparations, planning, developing, and implementing to monitoring and evaluating your campaign. We do not expect you to read this document in one sitting, but rather use it as you develop your social media campaign. Use the table of contents to the right to navigate to relevant parts. For example, if you need to refer to Pre-Testing, click on the Pre-Test step.

Meta Program Scaled Support – FHI 360 Project Page

Last modified: December 5, 2023

Language: English

Source: FHI 360

Women’s Empowerment Group Operational Guidelines

The Breakthrough ACTION-Nigeria Women’s Empowerment Group creates a safe space for women and strengthens their capacity and agency to:

Practice priority health behaviors
Engage in discussion and decision making confidently with their spouses
Participate in economic empowerment activities

The Women’s Empowerment Group approach was developed based on insights arising from a formative assessment that many women do not have the agency or ability to make decisions—and act—on issues related to pregnancy, childbirth, and child health care. The Women’s Empowerment Group brings together 15–35 women who are committed to their health and the well-being of their children, and family. The women are also willing to work together on financial empowerment through savings and loans and by learning new skills. The group’s operational guidelines provide step-by-step instructions on implementing the Women’s Empowerment Group model. The guidelines are designed for use by any group, organization, or individual interested in systematically supporting and promoting women’s empowerment, with a focus on health-related issues.

Source: Breakthrough ACTION Nigeria - Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs

Date of Publication: November 8, 2023

PLAN DE COMMUNICATION POUR LA LUTTE CONTRE LA RÉSISTANCE AUX ANTI-MICROBIENS (RAM) EN CÔTE D’IVOIRE

Ce document de plan de communication permet d’optimiser la coordination des interventions et de développer des stratégies de communication plus appropriées, dans le cadre de la lutte contre la résistance aux antimicrobiens (RAM) en Côte d’Ivoire. Ce document a été élaboré sous le leadership du Groupe de Travail Technique sur la Résistance aux Antimicrobiens (GTT RAM), avec l’appui de Breakthrough ACTION et de l’USAID.

Date of Publication: September 5, 2023

Learning Brief: Handwashing Behavior Change

This brief presents approaches and lessons learnt with regard to improving hand-washing behaviors across 15 countries. It is based on a rapid scan of the secondary sources available from Water for Women projects, including mid-term reviews, knowledge and learning products, and project reporting. The brief describes strategies partners have adopted to improve handwashing with soap (HWS).

Source: Water for Women

Date of Publication: April 26, 2023

Enquête sur les Connaissances, Attitudes et Pratiques (CAP) dans le cadre de la prévention contre la COVID-19 Côte d’Ivoire, Phase 3

Depuis l’émergence du virus SARS-CoV-2 et sa première détection en Côte d’Ivoire en mars 2020, le pays a recensé 87 891 cas et 830 décès (novembre 2022). Le Ministère de la Santé a pris diverses mesures pour réduire la propagation et l’impact du COVID-19, notamment l’autorisation de vaccins contre le COVID-19 que sont AstraZeneca, Pfizer, Sinopharm et Johnson & Johnson (J&J). Avec des objectifs ambitieux de vacciner 70% de la population ivoirienne, comprendre les facteurs de confiance et d’adoption des vaccins est essentiel pour la réponse au COVID-19 et atteindre cet objectif.

Breakthrough ACTION Côte d’Ivoire a menée une enquête auprès des ménages à trois phases portant sur les connaissances, les attitudes et les pratiques afin d’informer la communication des risques et l’engagement communautaire.

Toutes les 3 phases réalisées à Abidjan
La phase 3, menée à Abidjan et trois sites intérieurs
Échantillonnage aléatoire en grappes
Les données ont collecté sur des tablettes et extraites quotidiennement pour être nettoyées et analysées

Survey on Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practice (KAP) in the Context of COVID-19 Prevention in Côte d’Ivoire, Phase 3

Since the emergence of the SARS-CoV-2 virus and its first detection in Côte d’Ivoire in March 2020, the country has recorded 87,891 cases and 830 deaths (November 2022). The Ministry of Health has taken various measures to reduce the spread and impact of COVID-19, including the authorization of COVID-19 vaccines from AstraZeneca, Pfizer, Sinopharm, and Johnson & Johnson (J&J). With ambitious goals of vaccinating 70% of the Ivorian population, understanding the drivers of vaccine confidence and uptake is critical to the response to COVID-19 and achieving this goal.

Breakthrough ACTION Côte d’Ivoire conducted a three-phase household survey of knowledge, attitudes and practices to inform risk communication and community engagement.
• All 3 phases conducted in Abidjan
• Phase 3, conducted in Abidjan and three inland sites
• Random cluster sampling
• Data collected on tablets and extracted daily for cleaning and analysis

Source: Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs

Date of Publication: February 28, 2023

Leçons tirées de la recherche sur les perceptions de la vaccination COVID-19 pour les personnes vivant avec une comorbidité en Côte d’Ivoire I Janvier 2023

La Côte d’Ivoire a enregistré 87 966 cas de COVID-19 confirmés, 87 129 guéris et 833 décès et 25 263 932 doses administrées, et 59% de couverture de cible vaccinale (au 09/02/23, MSHPCMU). Éligible au vaccin depuis le début de la vaccination en Côte d’Ivoire, ce sont 9% de porteurs de pathologies chroniques qui ont reçu au moins une dose et 5% complètement vaccinés (Point du 09/02/23, MSHPCMU). Le projet Breakthrough ACTION à travers le financement USAID, appuie le gouvernement de Côte d’Ivoire par le biais des interventions pour le changement social et de comportement (CSC), y compris la recherche et le suivi pour informer sur les activités de vaccination COVID-19. Breakthrough ACTION a recueilli des données qualitatives sur trois sites (Abidjan – Bouaké – San Pedro) afin d’évaluer les perceptions du vaccin contre la COVID-19. Cette analyse se focalise sur les perceptions de la COVID-19 chez les personnes vivant avec une comorbidité (Diabète, HTA, Obésité, VIH..).

Lessons Learned from Research on Perceptions of COVID-19 Vaccination for People Living With Comorbidity in Côte d’Ivoire I January 2023

Côte d’Ivoire has recorded 87,966 confirmed cases of COVID-19, 87,129 cured and 833 deaths, and 25,263,932 doses administered, with 59% coverage of the vaccine target (as of 09/02/23, MSHPCMU). Eligible for the vaccine since the beginning of vaccination in Côte d’Ivoire, 9% of chronic disease carriers have received at least one dose and 5% have been fully vaccinated (as of 09/02/23, MSHPCMU). The Breakthrough ACTION project, through USAID funding, is supporting the government of Côte d’Ivoire through social and behavior change interventions (SBC), including research and monitoring to inform COVID-19 immunization activities. Breakthrough ACTION collected qualitative data in three sites (Abidjan – Bouaké – San Pedro) to assess perceptions of the COVID-19 vaccine. This analysis focuses on perceptions of COVID-19 among people living with co-morbidities (diabetes, hypertension, obesity, HIV, etc.).

Source: Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs

Date of Publication: February 28, 2023

Consensus Statement on Repurposing ITNs: Applications for BCC Messaging and Actions at the Country Level

There is a growing demand for guidance on what to do with old or worn-out ITNs throughout their life cycle. This consensus statement provides National Malaria Control/Elimination Programs (NMCPs) and implementing partners with clear recommendations and key messages on three categories of repurposing: beneficial repurposing, neutral repurposing, and misuse. With the introduction of universal coverage strategies and the ongoing distribution and sale of ITNs, more people have access to and are using ITNs. Older ITNs accumulate in households as they are replaced with new ITNs, and given the lack of environmentally sustainable disposal options, households are instead repurposing the old ITNs. Households have demonstrated countless ways to repurpose an old ITN, including protecting seedlings, creating screening for window and doors, or using under a mattress as pest control. There are also reports of community leaders instituting fines or penalties for families who repurpose or misuse ITNs. This consensus statement provides guidance on preventing ITN misuse and repurposing ITN materials without reprisal.

Source: Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs

Date of Publication: November 16, 2022

Getting to 2030: Maternal and Child Health and Nutrition Technical Roadmap

The Getting To 2030: Maternal and Child Health and Nutrition Technical Roadmap is a framework that guides USAID’s maternal and child survival programs. It serves as a foundational component of USAID’s commitment to Prevent Child and Maternal Deaths alongside the Agency’s investments in family planning, malaria, and health systems strengthening.

This roadmap:

Shapes collaborative efforts across USAID Bureaus, Missions, U.S. Government agencies, external stakeholders, and partners.
Supports a coordinated, strategic approach to strengthening essential services for women and children and health systems
Informs the development, measurement, and adjustment of country level strategic plans led by host country governments with support from USAID missions and other stakeholders.

Source: USAID

Date of Publication: November 9, 2022

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Enquête sur les Connaissances, Attitudes et Pratiques (CAP) dans le cadre de la prévention contre la COVID-19 Côte d’Ivoire, Phase 3

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Leçons tirées de la recherche sur les perceptions de la vaccination COVID-19 pour les personnes vivant avec une comorbidité en Côte d’Ivoire I Janvier 2023

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