Uganda DISH II - BCC Centerpiece Materials

Behavior Change Communication

What is BCC? | The BCC Component of DISH | Achievements |
Centerpiece Materials | Campaigns

The BCC Component of DISH II

The overall goal of the component was to direct the public to reproductive, maternal and child health services and to change critical health practices. Utilising phased multi-channel campaigns, the BCC component assisted the districts to promote such things as family planning, improved infant feeding practices, malaria control, immunisations, safe motherhood, prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV, STD prevention and management, VCT, and health facilities that meet basic standards of quality. Each campaign included a mixture of centrally produced print and electronic media combined with educational community-organized activities such as village meetings, video shows, soccer matches, bicycle rallies, song contests, child health fairs, kitchen garden contests and community based services (e.g. HIV counseling and testing, growth monitoring, Vitamin A supplementation, immunisation, home based care of malaria fevers in children, family planning, etc.)

The BCC Component was managed by one Communication Advisor (Cheryl Lettenmaier), 3 Communication Specialists (Nankunda Allen, Jennifer Sengendo, Basil Tushabe) and 1 Communication Manager (Margaret Brawley) in the Kampala office and 4 IEC Coordinators based in branch offices (Lois Kateebire, Wilberfroce Musolo, Simon Kabogoza, Vincent Kiwanuka).

The component followed a standard process when designing a communication intervention or campaign.

	Conduct and collect existing formative research on the topic and analyze the data. This research might be collected through various mechanisms including focus groups, literature reviews or individual interviews.
	Develop a strategy that outlines the target audience(s), objectives, main messages, key promises, channels of communication, mobilisation activities, workplan, budget and monitoring and evaluation. This strategy is created in conjunction with representatives from pertinent government institutions, individual districts, NGOs or other interested parties and often includes service delivery interventions.
	Produce or develop the multi-channel materials or activities needed. All materials must be pre-tested with local audiences prior to release to ensure that the messages are understood, accepted and persuasive.
	Work with districts and local organizations to develop their own specific workplans and budgets for community mobilisation activities.
	Implement the campaign in the communities with the help of local leaders, district officials and community resource persons using the materials produced for the campaigns. (Click here to read more about pre-testing)
	Monitor and evaluate the results of the campaign.