Fifty years of development communication:
What works
Development communication
And Change
Alphabet soup of approaches in
development communication
Communication for Social mobilization
development Media advocacy
Communication for Strategic
social change communication
Information, education Participatory
and communication communication
Behavior change Strategic participatory
communication communication
Development communication,
definitions
Instrument in development projects.
Methodologies and tools to spread information and
contribute to behavior change.
The end of development.
Improve opportunities for community dialogue and
access to information.
Communication as citizenship, participation in political
communities.
Development communication,
definitions
Process of identifying, segmenting and
targeting specific groups and audiences with
particular strategies, messages and training
programs through various mass media and
interpersonal channels, traditional and non-
traditional (McKee 1992).
Development communication,
definitions
A process of dialogue, information sharing,
mutual understanding and agreement, and
collective action (Rockefeller Foundation
2000).
Common misconceptions about
communication in development
ROLE
Communication is only necessary for a short period of
time.
Communication as add-on to general planning and
funding.
IMPACT
Information is enough to change behavior.
Unrealistic expectations about time of effects.
STRATEGY
Media training is sufficient to address communication
problems.
New communication technologies solve information and
behavior problems.
Changes in practice of development
communication
Shift to strategic approaches.
Use data to set goals and strategies.
Define target audiences.
Research barriers, benefits and
perceptions.
What works: Five key ideas
1. Focus on individual and contextual
factors in behavior change
2. Integrate top-down and bottom-up
approaches
3. Have a tool-kit approach
4. Combine media and interpersonal
communication
5. Community empowerment should
be the goal
1. Focus on individual and contextual
factors
Comprehensive approach to address
factors that affect behavior.
Focus on individual, family,
community, and policy levels.
2. Integrate top-down and bottom-up
approaches
Combination of actions by governments,
donors, and civil society.
Use of communication strategies at multiple
levels.
Integrated communication
strategies
Experiences in HIV/AIDS,
Polio prevention
Combination of actions by
governments, donors, and
civil society.
Use of multiple
communication tools.
3. Have a tool-kit approach
Use different techniques in different
contexts according to problems, priorities,
and target groups.
3. Tool-kit approach (Cont.)
Conventional mass Media advocacy to
media to reach large
populations, particularly
gain support from
during emergencies (e.g. governments and
outbreaks). donors, validate the
Social marketing for relevance of a
audience segmentation, subject, and put
identify perceived
benefits, build program issues in the public
brand and create agenda.
demand.
Popular/folk media to
Social mobilization to
bolster participation from generate dialogue and
a variety of organizations activate information
and support outreach networks.
efforts.
4. Combine media and interpersonal
communication
Media
Important to raise awareness and knowledge.
Massive reach.
Stimulate social networks and peer conversation.
Mobilize those predisposed to engage in desired
behaviors
Interpersonal communication
Decisive for behavior change.
5. Community empowerment
Community empowerment should be the goal
of interventions.
“Ciudadania en salud” – community ownership of
health projects in Peru.
How is empowerment measured?
Need to develop and refine indicators.
Next challenges
Measure long-term impact of
communication programs.
Measure different effects
“Delayed effects”
“Indirect effects” – “social diffusion” model
“Unexpected effects”
Changes in social norms
Replicate results and scale up.
How to reach the “hard to reach” and
convince the “hard to convince”?
Thanks
Silvio Waisbord, PhD
Senior Program Officer
The CHANGE Project
Academy for Educational Development
IDB Forum on the Americas, July 1, 2003
