Behavior Change Communication (BCC) helps ensure that target groups adopt health behavior practices as a matter of choice. Many components need to be considered in constructing BCC strategy, including culture, language, religion, gender equality, etc.

JOICFP has rich experience in BCC strategy and development, and from 21st November to 14th December 2006, JOICFP conducted a JICA-supported Workshop on BCC Strategy for Improving Reproductive Health (RH) Status, the second in a five-year series of workshops from 2005 to 2009 for East African countries.

Ten participants, one NGO and one GO, each from Kenya, Malawi, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia, attended the workshop.

The workshop participants

Workshop framework

Click here for a flowchart of the workshop framework

Knowledge sharing

Through group work, each participant shared a country report on his or her organization's activities. In most cases the GO and NGO participants from the same country were not fully aware of each other's activities, and this reporting also helped to strengthen the regional connection.

Delivering country reports

In addition to receiving lectures from JOICFP and the Japan Family Planning Association on community MCH/FP activities in Japan past and present, the workshop met with MCH promoters in Okinawa to observe practical activities, as well as learn about the implementation of MCH policies.

Skills development

Using appropriate tools for BCC need not involve costly materials. The participants saw how effective messages can be delivered using materials such as hand puppets and a pregnancy simulator developed by community volunteers, which were very popular with the workshop participants.

The trainees also observed health activities in a primary school, and handmade dolls showing stages of fetal development.

One of the participants tries on a pregnancy simulator
at Oroku Primary School, Okinawa.
The school health classes emphasize the importance
of emotion to get messages across

The skills of Approduction, or 'appropriate production', include choosing materials best suited to the target group, using available skills and materials, and considering the paths through which information is delivered.

In several sessions, the participants studied and practiced Approduction skills, including DigiPlan and communication strategies. More than two days was given to JOICFP's recently developed 'communication power models' through which participants also learned how to manage BCC projects.

Management

For management skills, discussions were held with municipal and prefectural government health staff, and in a meeting of the MCH Promotion Council in which the roles of MCH promoters as a bridge between local government and community people, especially mothers and children, were discussed, focusing on how to deliver messages and services to meet community needs.

Discussing health needs of the community
at Okinawa Prefectural Government

Action plan

The GO and NGO representatives from each country prepared a draft BCC action plan tailored to the situations in their respective countries, and these will be followed-up in six months with a short-term report.

Participants from Tanzania who had taken part in the first workshop in 2005 shared their experiences of e development of their action plan through 'JICA Net', a videoconferencing system, with this year's members. Furthermore, last year's participants from Tanzania will offer BCC support to the participants over the coming year, strengthening skills and developing networks in the East Africa region.

(Click here for a list of the country action plans)

Talking with Tanzanian participants
of the 2005 BCC Workshop through JICANet

The workshop ended with the participants compiling recommended BCC strategies.