Designing an SBCC Intervention for FBP Behavior Change

Take some time to review what your primary audience cares about, hopes for, aspires to and needs. These represent benefits your FBP audience would respond to. Some examples might include: being respected, making a difference, being seen as a leader in their community, or making money. Think about what you are asking your audience to do, then imagine a FBP asking, “Why should I do this?” or “How will this help me?” Write down responses to those questions keeping in mind what kind of benefits the FBPs would care about. The promise must be true, accurate and of real benefit. The key promise is not the message the FBP will see or hear, but it is the benefit that will be conveyed in all the messages and materials you produce.

After brainstorming benefits, develop the key promise using an “if…then…” statement: “If you (do this new behavior) then you will (benefit).” For example, “If you use rapid diagnostic tests to diagnose malaria, you will be recognized for saving lives.” It can be helpful to develop a few alternative options and pretest them with your audience to see which benefit resonates best with them.

Convey the key promise in all the messages, activities and materials you create.

Your audience needs believable, persuasive and truthful information to support the key promise. These can be in the form of facts, testimonials, celebrity or opinion leader endorsements, comparisons or guarantees. The kind of support points used will depend on what will appeal and be credible to your particular FBPs.

Based on the key promise you developed, identify information that supports the promise. As you develop those support points, consider who your FBPs trust or aspire to be like, where and how they prefer to get their information, and what kind of appeals will best reach them. For instance, would your FBPs trust a promise given by another provider, a government official or a family member?

Some examples of support points include:

• Using rapid diagnostic tests helps reduce the risk of developing resistance to available drugs (fact)
• Testimonial from a respected doctor: “I used to refuse treatment to sex workers. Now I take time to find a confidential place to treat them and listen to their concerns. It is so fulfilling to live up to my responsibility as a doctor.”