Strategic Communication is key to make a difference in improving the lives of people in Bangladesh. Behavior Change Communication (BCC) makes use of an expanding mass media, new technologies, and creative ideas in communication to influence social behavior change towards a positive life.
BCC is therefore, particularly effective in the arena of health and other social development sectors of the country since these are the areas where millions of people need to understand, approve and actually use services. The role of BCC is thus crucial in-
• Creating awareness
• Increasing knowledge
• Building approval
• Influencing behavior
As the leader in the field of Strategic Communication, Bangladesh Center for Communication Programs (BCCP) provides expertise in conceptualization, development, management, implementation, and evaluation of BCC programs to meet existing and emerging social challenges. BCCPÕs programs are coordinated through national policies and program strategies that promote multisectoral collaboration, efficiencies of scale, and sustainable social behavior change.
BCCP: The Journey begins
Since its formation in 1996 BCCP, as the successor to the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health/Center for Communication Programs (JHU/CCP) in Bangladesh, has been making impressive strides in the field of behavior change communication with the same mandate to design, manage, implement, monitor and evaluate large-scale strategic communication programs for various social development sectors in the country.
BCCP offers "One-stop" services
BCCPÕs teams with a cluster of highly qualified and experienced professionals offer a full range of technical expertise in all aspects of BCC programming to its various stakeholders, donors, related NGOs and the GOB. Thus, BCCP helps improve lives of millions by introducing them to a positive behavior change approach through cutting-edge and innovative communication.
The Process behind success
The "P" Process" is a tested and proven communication project planning process and an effective tool for designing, implementing and evaluating more scientific behavior change communication programs. Following the ÒP ProcessÓ process in every step of the communication programs, BCCP specializes in:
• Developing comprehensive national BCC strategies
• Designing and implementing national media campaigns
• Conducting communication training programs and workshops
• Facilitating collaboration among public and private sector agencies and NGOs
• Leveraging resources to extend the reach of programs
• Conducting formative and evaluative research to facilitate program development
• Advocating for effective and target-specific programs at all levels
• Managing programs, including contracts for private-sector agencies
• Monitoring community-based programs
Areas of Expertise
National Communication Strategies: BCCP's senior professionals have long experience in
developing national communication strategies. While
they were with JHU/CCP, they actively participated
in developing the National FP-MCH IEC Strategy 1993-2000,
the first ever IEC strategy in the country involving
41 key partners and the Government. BCCP along with
key Government and NGO partners played a significant
role in developing the National Integrated BCC Strategy
for Health and Population Sector and the National
HIV/AIDS BCC Strategy. BCCP also developed a comprehensive
National Integrated Population and Health Program
BCC Strategy as well as communication strategies for
NSDP, Immunization and Other Child Health, Prevention
of Trafficking in Children and Women and Strengthening
Local Government through National Union Parishad Network.
In addition, BCCP contributes to strategy development
in other areas of social development sectors.
Mass Media: BCCP is skilled in designing, implementing and evaluating
large scale mass media campaigns including radio,
television, print advertisement and outdoor media.
Optimizing the growing reach of the media in Bangladesh,
BCCP promotes 'brand building' and 'category building'
campaigns aimed at improving lives through positive
changes in behavior and increasing customer flow in
the 'Smiling Sun' clinics.
Community-Based Programs: BCCP has years of experience in developing, field-testing
and replicating community mobilization approaches.
''Jiggasha : A Social Network Approach to Community
Mobilization and Sustainability" is one such
approach that involved the community in providing
information and services in health. BCCP facilitates
replication of community-based programs by the Government
and NGOs in urban and rural areas. It also utilizes
innovative approaches such as "Future Search
Conference" for effective community mobilization.
The Future Search Conference approach involves local
community stakeholders in large group planning meetings
to bring the "whole system" in one room
to develop local action plans on specific health and
family planning, and other social issues.
Enter-Educate Approach: BCCP applies JHU/CCP's ground-breaking enter-educate
approach to produce entertaining programs with educational
messages about social issues. Some successful projects
include Shabuj Shathi, a television drama serial designed
to create trust in service providers, and other two
very popular drama serials Shabuj Chhaya, & Eyi
Megh Eyi Roudro, designed and produced to promote
ESP services and service sites. All the serials were
produced with technical support from the Ministry
of Health and Family Welfare and JHU/CCP. Renowned
multi-national companies bought prime time television
slots for these serials. A number of popular programs
were also broadcast on the radio, such as Under the
Green Umbrella, a weekly magazine that used humor,
interactive sessions, and drama to enhance knowledge
and counseling skills of health and family planning
service providers. Another weekly magazine program,
Jante Chai Janate Chai, featuring quiz programs, celebrity
interviews, short plays, band music and question &
answer sessions was designed exclusively for adolescent
boys and girls to help them look after their physical
health, develop morally and acquire a positive outlook
on life.
BCCP recently produced its fourth TV drama serial
Enechhi Shurjer Hashi for its partner organization
NSDP to encourage people from different socio-economic
strata to take quality health services from the 'Smiling
Sun' clinics and other recognized service centers.
ARH Skills Development Approach: BCCP is taking the lead in coordinating an Adolescent
Reproductive Health (ARH) Working Group to implement
the National ARH BCC Strategy. The ARH program uses
the mass media and mobilizes community participation
through NGOs and adolescent groups. It also emphasizes
interpersonal communication and counseling (IPC/C)
with service providers to sensitize adolescents to
ARH issues and teach them risk reduction life skills.
The program aims to predispose adolescents to seek
more information and discuss ARH issues including
puberty, delayed marriage, delayed pregnancy, dual
protection, HIV/AIDS, risk reduction and RH for young
married couples. The technical program content is
reinforced with life skills videos and video guides
for facilitators and question & answer booklets
for adolescents.
Capacity Building: More
than 500 Bangladeshis have been trained to use the
"P Process" a systematic, research-based
planning tool pioneered by JHU/CCP.
BCCP is continuing to organize the annual international
"Advances in Family Health and Social Communication"
workshop and by 2006, BCCP will complete its 13th
Advances workshop. The workshop integrates theory
and practice through the use of an interactive computer
software called SCOPE (Strategic Communication Planning
and Evaluation). BCCP is also continuing to hold "Message
Development Workshop" to cater to BCC needs of
the Health, Nutrition and Population Sector Program,
and other development sectors.
Client-Provider Communication: Under the NIPHP and other projects, BCCP is developing
materials to strengthen interpersonal communication
and counseling (IPC/C) skills of NGO and government
providers. These include the revised Service Providers'
Guide and the Modern Contraceptive Methods Booklet.
BCCP plays a key role in assisting NGOs and the Government
in the use of Generic IPC/BCC Curriculum and training
videos to enhance providers' skills.
Research and Evaluation: BCCP is using its expertise in managing large scale
research studies, both qualitative and quantitative,
including national surveys, to guide the design of
BCC programs and evaluate their impact. BCCP professionals
have experience in conducting major studies and evaluations,
undertaking exploratory and formative research, assessing
BCC and training needs and pre-testing messages and
materials. BCCP, in collaboration with UNICEF, JHU/CCP
and the Social Marketing Company, has also conducted
three national media surveys.
Technical Assistance: BCCP
provides technical assistance to national committees
in supervising different programs including health
and family planning programs, and to NGOs and other
development partners on a variety of BCC related programs
and issues.
Resources: BCCP maintains
a close working relationship with JHU/CCP, Baltimore,
USA and has access to its resources including Population
Reports, an international review journal of population
and family planning issues. BCCP has a Photo Bank
and a Media Material Center (MMC) which adds to the
organization's cutting edge communication expertise.
Specimen of all communication materials produced by
BCCP are stored and exhibited in the MMC. A highly
skilled and dedicated team works at generating both
materials and public interest. Its forte is its modern
high-tech apparatus support. In the photo bank, photographs
along with their negatives are systematically preserved.
Foreign and local visitors or interested individuals
are welcome to browse or order BCC materials from
the MMC.
The Vision
It is BCCP's vision and its expert workforce that
helped this fledgling organization to grow over the
years into a sustainable organization fully adept
at meeting the growing demand of various partners.
BCCP plans to continue with its mission of meaningful
contribution to the improvement of social behavior
through more strategic, innovative and dynamic programs
in future.
FOR MORE INFORMATION,
CONTACT
Mohammad Shahjahan
Director & CEO
House # 3A, Road # 74
Gulshan-2, Dhaka-1212, Bangladesh
P.O. Box 6046
Tel : (880-2) 9893362, (880-2) 9891354
Fax : (880-2) 8854512
E-mail: info@bangladesh-ccp.org
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