The creation of communication programs follows a standard set of guidelines and principles that include formative research, audience definition and segmentation, a participatory design process and partnering for greater reach, among others. Given the urgent backdrop of emergencies, the design of your communication for behavior change program requires a special focus on framing, inclusion, and sense making.

Positive framing is a tool for behavior change

• What positive aspects can be salvaged from this crisis to use positive framing to encourage behavior change?
• What is the most critical information people need to stay safe at different stages of the crisis?

Reaching Your Audience
If it’s about me, it should include me

• Who needs to be reached in this crisis and what do they need to know to be safe?
• Are they represented in the content?
• Does the impacted audience have access to the content?
• Are you communicating in the local language of the audience?
• Are you communicating on platforms used by the audience?

Sense Making
Conversation facilitates behavior change

• Have you provided ways for people to exchange opinions, thoughts, emotions and questions so that the audience has a way to make sense of new information and changing realities?