Behavior Change Communication (BCC)

Communication is vital for human development. Communication processes are central to broader empowerment practices through which people are able

• to arrive at their own understanding of issues,
• to consider and discuss ideas,
• to exchange, and
• to engage in public debates at community and national levels

BCC is an interactive process with communities (as integrated with an overall program) to develop tailored messages and approaches using a variety of communication channels

• To develop positive behaviors;
• Promote and sustain individual,
• Community and societal behavior change;
• Maintain appropriate behaviors.
• It is the strategic use of communication to promote positive health outcomes, based on proven theories and models of behavior change.

Behavior change communication (BCC) is an interactive process with communities (as integrated with an overall program)

• to develop tailored messages and approaches using a variety of communication channels
• to develop positive behaviors; promote and sustain individual, community and societal behavior change; and maintain appropriate behaviors.
• Behavior change communication BCC is a research‐based,
• Consultative process of addressing knowledge, attitudes,
• Practices through identifying, analyzing, and
• Segmenting audiences and participants in programs and by providing them with relevant information and motivation through well‐defined strategies, using an appropriate mix of interpersonal, group and mass media channels, including participatory method

Insights

• BCC has its roots in behavior change theories
• BCC practitioners use a combination of theories and practical steps that are based on field realities, rather than relying on any single theory or model.
• Rationale behind “staging” people is to tailor therapy to a person’s needs at his/her particular point in the change process.
• When changing behavior, the individual, community, or institution goes through a series of steps, sometimes moving forward, sometimes moving backward, and sometimes skipping steps.
• Even when new behaviors have been adopted, the individual, community, or institution, under certain circumstances, may revert to old behaviors.

THE ROLE OF BEHAVIOR CHANGE COMMUNICATION 

• Increase knowledge
• Stimulate community dialogue
• Promote essential attitude change
• Create a demand for information and services
• Advocate
• Promote services for prevention, care and support.
• Improve skills and sense of self-efficacy

Behavior Change Communication Program Cycle 

STEP 1 : Analysis

• Understand Dynamics of the Health Issue
• Understand Audience and Other Potential Participants in the Program (Formative Research)

STEP 2 : Strategic Design

• Define communication, behavior change, and program objectives
• Develop a conceptual framework to show how program activities are expected to contribute to objectives.
• Use the conceptual framework to help select monitoring and evaluation indicators
• Prioritize communication channels
• Develop a creative brief to share with people and organizations involved in developing messages and materials

STEP 3 : Development and Pretesting

• Develop messages and materials.
• Use findings from formative research and the strategic plan to guide development.
• The creative brief and audience profiles developed in Step 2 summarize this information.
• Tailor messages to the audience’s stage of behavior change.
• Choose type of appeal, such as empowering or entertaining, and tone, such as humorous or authoritative.
• Pretest messages and materials with audience members.
• Revise messages and materials based on pretesters’ reactions.

STEP 4 : Implementation and Monitoring

• Develop and implement a dissemination plan. 
• Manage and monitor program progress—activities, staff - ing, budget, and responses of the audience and other stakeholders. 
• Make midcourse adjustments to the program based on monitoring results

STEP 5 : Evaluation

• Measure outcomes, assess impact.
• Disseminate results to partners, key stakeholders, the news media, and funding agencies.
• Record lessons learned and archive research findings for use in future programs.
• Revise or redesign program based on evaluation findings

GUIDING PRINCIPLES   

• Formative BCC assessments must be conducted to improve understanding of the needs of target populations
• The target population should participate in all phases of BCC development and in much of implementation.
• Stakeholders need to be involved from the design stage.
• Having a variety of linked communication channels is more effective than relying on one specific one.
• BCC should be integrated with program goals from the start.
• Pre-testing is essential for developing effective BCC materials.
• Planning for monitoring and evaluation should be part of the design of any BCC program
• BCC strategies should be positive and action-oriented.
• Target  should be involved in BCC planning and implementation