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Communication for Change
(C-CHANGE) is USAID's flagship program to improve the
effectiveness and sustainability of behavior change and social
change communication as an integral part of development
efforts.C-CHANGE will expand the field of communication for
health and development, working with global, regional and local
partners to use communication to change behaviors and social
norms for improved health outcomes backed up with evidence-based
strategies, state-of-the-art training and capacity building, and
cutting-edge research. The ultimate goal is the improved
health and well-being of people in the developing
world.
The program works in all the major health
areas, including:
- HIV and AIDS
- Family planning and reproductive health
- Malaria
- Tuberculosis
The program can also provide communication
support to other sectors, including environment (e.g.,
biodiversity conservation and energy use efficiency), civil
society, and water and sanitation.
C-CHANGE works to achieve:
Evidence-based communication
programs carried out at scale. C-CHANGE will achieve
large-scale, population-based impact by applying integrated
communication approaches at national and regional levels. Major
strategies include:
- Enlisting and strengthening the behavior change
communication (BCC) skills and programs of NGO networks
- Engaging the media to stimulate social action
- Strengthening district and community planning for BCC
- Building system-wide coalitions and commitment to BCC
programs
Transfer of communication skills and
knowledge to developing country institutions. In each
country where the program operates, C-CHANGE will build the
capacity of NGOs and networks, using a competency-based approach
to training that includes both technical and management skills.
Major activities include:
- Developing and strengthening communication courses in
academic institutions
- Developing local networks of communication excellence among
research institutions, advertising and public relations firms,
and NGOs
- Supporting the design of tailored BCC strategies with
measurable benchmarks
State-of-the-art information and
research in communication applied to implementation.
Through its global research agenda, C-CHANGE is generating
lessons learned to improve communication for behavior and social
change. A critical challenge for C-CHANGE is how best to
facilitate social change that integrates findings from research,
implementation, and evaluation activities. Major cross-cutting
research questions include:
- Understanding how social norms change and developing ways
to facilitate this change
- Improving interaction and communication among organizations
around common goals and building social capital
- Demonstrating the application of innovative social change
approaches
- Developing valid, reliable indicators
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