Under the UNFPA-supported Asia Regional Project "Increasing Male Involvement for RH through Effective BCC Strategies" (RAS5R304), JOICFP delivered two days of BCC training on 20th and 21st April in Indonesia.

The first day saw 40 representatives from the implementing partner, Indonesia Planned Parenthood Association (IPPA), village male motivators, UNFPA, IPPA Youth Center and IPPA clinic take part to learn about the basics of BCC.

Atsushi Yoshino, Director, Media Communications, JOICFP, focused on JOICFP's BCC expertise, especially using information communication technology (ICT). He explained the development and use of the 'information cell' and how value can be added to information through option creation.

By using the information cell, Yoshino showed how a cost-effective multi-solution approach can be taken to develop media tools.

He also stressed the important balance between awareness and emotion in developing BCC strategies, in that messages need to contain more than just facts and must have a strong motivation element if they are to be acted on.

Yoshino talks about the importance of 'option creation'
to motivate people to act on health messages

Male motivators shared experiences from the field to illustrate the practical nature of difficulties involved in BCC, shedding light on how to actually implement BCC solutions.

The training was highly evaluated by the participants who said that they would have liked more.

The second day of training was only for project personnel, and focused on BCC media tools specifically for the project. Sixteen IPPA, UNFPA and male motivator representatives attended.

In two groups, the participants reviewed the 'communication elements' in their sub-districts, such as who delivers the messages, who receives the messages, what the messages are, and the goal of sending the messages. These elements were then overlaid on a village map to visualize the information flow process, which helps to ensure effectiveness and efficiency of their BCC strategy, and thus the development of effective BCC media tools that fit the real conditions at the community level.

Presentation of communication elements
by Anjatan Baru village male motivator

Map of communication elements by Anjatan Baru village
Click image to enlarge

The participants learned how to draft a production outline for BCC strategies and IPPA plans to use traditional theater and music, and radio to deliver the messages to promote male involvement for the improvement of women's RH.

This second day of training was also well received with the participants requesting further training.