Compelling, credible, recent, direct impact data
After nearly 28 years, The Communication Initiative (The CI) Global is entering a new chapter. Following a period of transition, the global website has been transferred to the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) in South Africa, where it will be administered by the Social and Behaviour Change Communication Division. Wits' commitment to social change and justice makes it a trusted steward for The CI's legacy and future.
 
Co-founder Victoria Martin is pleased to see this work continue under Wits' leadership. Victoria knows that co-founder Warren Feek (1953–2024) would have felt deep pride in The CI Global's Africa-led direction.
 
We honour the team and partners who sustained The CI for decades. Meanwhile, La Iniciativa de Comunicación (CILA) continues independently at cila.comminitcila.com and is linked with The CI Global site.
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INTRODUCTION: Policy, Strategy, and Investment Implications - SBC Direct Impact Evidence

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UNICEF, with support from The Communication Initiative (The CI), is leading a process to identify the most compelling and credible research data that demonstrate the direct impact of social change and behaviour change (SBC) strategies on priority development issues, including for UNICEF. That growing collection of evidence - and the criteria for that evidence to be included (e.g., must be published in a high-quality journal and have an extensive randomised controlled trial (RCT) or systematic review methodology - can be reviewed at this link.



The natural questions that flow from that evidence are:

  • What are the policy implications for organisations?
  • What are the strategy implications for SBC initiatives?
  • What arguments flow for increased investment in SBC by bilaterals, foundations, UN agencies, and other funders?

This brief, initial set of notes seeks to identify and source from that impact data what should be those social change, community engagement, and behaviour change policy, strategic, and investment priorities.



These notes are presented for discussion and debate. We would encourage everyone to review the data (including monitoring it as the collection grows) and draw their own conclusions.



There are 6 major areas of focus below. For each, we have identified the key evidence and impact data that result in these themes being chosen and the policy, strategy, and investment argument implications that flow from those data.

WOMEN'S NETWORKS and GROUPS - Policy, Strategy, and Investment Implication 1 from the Direct Impact Evidence

VOICE, CONVERSATION, DIALOGUE - Policy, Strategy, and Investment Implication 2 from the Direct Impact Evidence

PARTICIPATORY ACTION - Policy, Strategy, and Investment Implication 3 from the Direct Impact Evidence

DIGITAL NETWORKS - Policy, Strategy, and Investment Implication 4 from the Direct Impact Evidence

STRUCTURAL CHANGE FOCUS - Policy, Strategy, and Investment Implication 5 from the Direct Impact Evidence

OVERVIEW AND GAPS - Policy, Strategy, and Investment Implications - SBC Direct Impact Evidence

... and this specific look at the implications for action on a 2 key child protection concerns. 

FEMALE GENITAL MUTILATION and CHILD MARRIAGE: Impact Data with Action Implications

 

 

Why the focus on direct impact data?

A common challenge from policy makers, funders, community members, people directly experiencing development issues, and governments is: Demonstrate your Impact. Prove that what you are doing works. The high quality, highly credible data presented on the cards below is designed to help you answer that question for your social change, behaviour change, community engagement, communication and media for development, strategy formulation, policy engagement and funding initiatives. At this link filter the research data to your specific interests and priorities

Why a playing cards design?

There is a physical pack of cards with this data (to get a copy please request through the comment form for any card). The card approach allows for easy identification and selection of relevant direct impact data in any context. For example if talking with a donor and you need to identify proof of impact say "take a look at the 7 of Hearts". Quick access can be provided to high-quality data for many areas of your work – funding, planning, policy, advocacy, community dialogue, training, partner engagement, and more. A card deck is also engaging, easy to use and share, a conversation starter, and a resource - and they are fun and different. So we kept that design for the online images as it can serve similar purposes. 

What are the criteria for inclusion?

The impact data presented meets the following high standard for inclusion criteria:

  • Positive change or trend in a priority development issue;
  • Social change or behaviour change strategy or process;
  • Randomized Control Trial or Systematic Review methodology;
  • High quality peer review journal published;
  • Numeric impact data point
  • Published since 2010.