C4D Network

Global community of professionals working in Communication for Development

Communication for Development (C4D): Global Progress and Country-Level Highlights Across Programme Areas (UNICEF, 2018)

This report examines the role of Communication for Development in the work of UNICEF, presenting its framework, guiding principles and the strategic context for its implementation. It also details key results achieved during the period of UNICEF’s Strategic Plan 2014−2017, with an emphasis on 2017, and a special look at achievements from the field. This report compiles best practices and innovations of strategies, activities and tools that have been successful in engaging children, youth and adults to effect positive social and behaviour change. Although many Communication for Development strategies are cross-sectoral, this report takes a look by sector and thematic area, with illustrative examples gathered from around the globe.

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Messaging Apps for Development (DIAL White Paper, 2018)

In 2017, the Digital Impact Alliance (DIAL) commissioned Echo Mobile to examine how and to what effect international development organizations have used messaging apps, capturing lessons for development and technology practitioners. Those lessons are synthesized in this paper and exemplified in the appended project summaries and case studies. From in-depth research into these cases, Echo identified four common use cases where messaging apps have been effective for international development, across borders and within different sectors:

1. One-to-One Matching of People With Resources

2. Group Peer-to-Peer Learning and Behavior Change

3. Information Broadcast

4. Crowdsourced Reporting and Feedback

Click here for full paper.

The 2018 International Social and Behavior Change Communication (SBCC) Summit featuring Entertainment Education (Nusa Dua, Indonesia)

The collective power of people to transform the social and political structures that govern their lives 
is the true heart of development. Social and Behavior Change Communication (SBCC) engages and supports people to shift norms, change behaviors, and amplify the voices needed to address the persistent development challenges the world faces today: extreme poverty, gender inequities, public health emergencies, acute and chronic diseases, climate change, and democracy and governance among others.

The 2018 International Social and Behavior Change Communication (SBCC) Summit featuring Entertainment Education is organized to better understand 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. It is designed to wrestle with the profound issues of social justice and agenda setting that affect these decisions. Who decides, for example, what behaviors need changing or which norms should be shifted? How can people’s realities and voices be put at the center of such change? How much emphasis should be placed on shifting norms and behaviors when power structures, policy environments or lack of services may constitute problems that overwhelm the capacity of individuals or communities to act?

Promoting handwashing and sanitation behaviour change in low-and middle-income countries: a mixed-method systematic review (3ie, 2017)

Promotional approaches can be effective in terms of handwashing with soap, latrine use, safe faeces disposal and open defecation. No one specific approach is most effective, however, several promotional elements were shown to induce behaviour change. Different barriers and facilitators which influence the implementation of promotional approaches should be taken into careful consideration when developing new policy, practice, or research projects regarding handwashing or sanitation.

The studies were conducted across 24 low- and middle-income countries. This included 28 studies from Sub-Sahara Africa, 26 from South Asia, 8 from South East Asia and Oceania and 2 from East Asia. We identified only 6 studies conducted in Central or Latin America. For most countries in Central or Latin America we identified few or no studies. It is also notable that evidence is mainly coming from 12 low-income countries (Bangladesh, Cambodia, Ethiopia, Haiti, Kenya, Malawi, Mali, Nepal, Nigeria (until 2007), Somalia, Tanzania, Thailand, Uganda, Vietnam (until 2008) and Zimbabwe) and 10 lower middle-income countries (China (until 2010), El Salvador, Guatemala, India, Nigeria (from 2007), Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Peru (until 2008), South Africa, Thailand, Vietnam (from 2009) and Zambia) and is rather occasionally derived from 2 upper middle-income countries (China (from 2010) and Peru (from 2008)).

Promotional approaches targeting handwashing and sanitation behaviour are complex programmes based on several promotional elements, and adapted to the context of the environment where they are implemented. This could be confirmed in the studies included in this review. From the quantitative findings we conclude that there is not one promotional approach that is more effective than another.

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Round-up of C4D Network UK Focus Session: Social Norms and their role in C4D theory (November 2016)

Our latest UK C4D Focus Session discussed the topic of Social Norms (Wednesday 28th November 2016). Members brought their experience of working with social norms from around the world, as well as reflecting on social norms closer to home. From violence against children, to smoking, to female genital cutting.  The smoking ban in the UK, for example, was discussed as a demonstration of legislation prompting a shift in a social norm – towards smoking being increasingly negatively sanctioned by peoples’ disapproval, while being positively sanctioned among those adolescents  who want to rebel or belong to a ‘cool’/transgressive group. The pressures of social media were explored in this context.

Key questions arising from the group were: how can social norms be measured? Is there a figure – a tipping point, or a percentage of a population practicing a behaviour –  for when a social norm has been abandoned? Can we establish a hierarchy of social norms, to distinguish those which are hardest to shift from those which are easier?

The presentation on an introduction to Social Norms is available through You Tube via this link.
 

Further reading, shared by the group:

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