Sangjog

In recent years, with the introduction of the Internet, a wealth of information can be made readily available to the audience in an instant. Taking this advantage, strategic communication has shifted from its previous position as a helpful promoting tool, to an essential one. It is increasingly important for businesses to clearly communicate their values and purpose through strategic communication, while this is an invaluable tool for growth and success if utilized effectively. 

 

As a social development organization, BCCP believes in improving Strategic Communication capacity in a holistic manner, and as a part of its effort, BCCP offers various training and workshops to enhance organizational as well as individual capacity, including ‘Advances in Strategic Communication Workshop,’ which is being offered to develop future leaders in the field of Strategic Communication in Bangladesh. We successfully completed this 2-week workshop on March 15, 2018. Since 1994, we have been offering this workshop to promote more effective, comprehensive and audience-centered SBCC programs via enhancing the capacity of the relevant program planners, designers, and implementers. The content and design of this workshop is being updated every year with the state-of-the-art tools and techniques. 

 

We express our commitment to continue our Strategic Communication efforts in the future as well. We believe that our partners and well-wishers will be with us as in the past to support and encourage our endeavors.

Bangladesh Center for Communication Programs (BCCP) and the Institute for Global Tobacco Control based at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health (JHSPH), Baltimore, USA jointly organized a Research Findings Dissemination Conference on Tobacco Control in Bangladesh. The conference was held on January 22, 2018, at Lakeshore Hotel, Gulshan-2, Dhaka.

 

The findings of the ten research projects of the previous year’s ten research grant programs were presented in the conference through three scientific sessions. Among the 10 research projects, five were undertaken by five student researchers of different public and private universities and institutions while the other five were conducted by five experienced researchers of different public and private universities and organizations. 

 

In the opening session of the conference, national Professor Dr. Brig. (Rtd.) Abdul Malik, President, National Heart Foundation of Bangladesh chaired the inaugural program while Mr. Saber Hossain Chowdhury, MP and Honorary President, Inter Parliamentary Union was present as the Chief Guest. In addition, Dr. AM Parvez Rahim, Coordinator, National Tobacco Control Cell, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare; Prof. Dr. M. Shamsher Ali, Founder Vice Chancellor, Bangladesh Open University and Southeast University, Dr. Bardan Jung Rana, WHO Representative a.i. to Bangladesh and Dr. Naseeb Kibria, Research Program Manager, Institute for Global Tobacco Control attended in the opening session of the conference as Guests of Honor.  

 

Along with the other guests, Prof. Dr. A.H.M. Enayet Hussain, Additional Director General (Planning & Development) and Line Director, Non-Communicable Diseases Control, Directorate General of Health Services; and Dr. Sohel Reza Choudhury, President, Bangladesh Tobacco Control Research Network attended were attended as the Guests of Honor in the closing program. Mr. Mohammad Shahjahan, Director and CEO, BCCP presided over the program. 

The USAID Ujjiban SBCC Project has made available an online eLearning course on Basic Contents on Tuberculosis (TB) for Field Workers in health, population, and nutrition sector. This is a video-based eLearning course which includes illustration and animation.

 

The course is designed to enhance the knowledge and skills of field workers on TB. The course comprises of six modules. These are  Basic Concept of TB, Child TB, Multiple Drug Resistance (MDR) TB, Prevention and Treatment of TB, Role of Social and Behavioral Change Communication (SBCC)  in TB Control Program and Roles and Responsibilities of Field Workers in TB Control Program.

 

This no-cost eLearning course is available at bdsbcc.org All online users will need to register. Participants who will enroll as Learner will get a certificate after successful completion of the course and obtain a minimum score.

Bangladesh Center for Communication Programs (BCPP) has developed a training manual on escalating nutrition services for pregnant and lactating women, adolescent girls and children under 5 years of age. The training manual was modified based on the findings of the desk review and consultations with health professionals from Nutrition International (NI) and Institute of Public Health Nutrition (IPHN). The manual will be used by the frontline health workers in Thakurgaon district to implement the activity of Enhancing Nutrition Services to Improve Maternal and Child Health (ENRICH) project of NI. BCCP has also developed a policy brief on nutrition to increase the quality of nutrition services for pregnant & lactating mother and young children in Bangladesh. Besides, BCCP has organized and conducted a 5 days ToT for a group of Master Trainers from DGHS and IPHN at the national level who will be facilitated the ToTs for district level health personnel to cascade the training at field level. Innovative participatory methods and techniques were employed to conduct the training for master trainers. It is expected that the training manual and training will be able to enhance the skills of health workers to ensure better health and nutrition services in the country.

  

 

BCCP organized and conducted 3days TOT on IPC skills in six batches for the UNICEF partner’s organization and one refresher training for PULSE Bangladesh staff in association with JHU under UNICEF project from January 16- March 20, 2018 at Cox’s Bazar. A total of 20-25 participants attended each batch. The objective of the TOT was to enhance knowledge and skills on IPC and foster conduction skills of facilitating and managing training for the Community Mobilization Volunteer.

 

Patrick Coleman, COP, UJJIBAN, Neha Kapil, Chief, Communication for Development, UNICEF. Saiful Islam Chowdhury, Chief Executive, PULSE, Shah Alam, Technical lead, BRAC, and other representatives of UNICEF were present and delivered their speech in the TOT several times.  Throughout the activities, a set of key messages have been developed and finalized on 5 issues like health, WASH, Nutrition, Education and Child Protection and GBV & Psycho-Social Support for Rohingya community through pretesting with different audiences by 6 FGDs at Cox’s Bazar.

BCCP’s 23rd Advances in Strategic Communication Workshop was held from 03 March to 15 March 2018. Sixteen communication professionals from different Government Directorate, NGOs, and private organizations participated in this two-week long workshop.

 

BCCP organizes this workshop every year to promote more effective and state-of-the-art communication programs via enhancing the capacity of the program planners, designers, and implementers. The workshop is designed for senior to mid-level program managers and concerned professionals.

 

The workshop is modeled after the annual Leadership in Strategic Health Communication Workshop, which is conducted by the Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs (CCP), Baltimore, USA. It explores the essential elements of successful communication in the context of social development programs. The workshop has proven critically important in making a positive change in the communication behavior of professionals concerned with implementation, management, and supervision of BCC activities. Advances workshop is an exclusive opportunity for professionals in Bangladesh to receive comprehensive training on SBCC.

 

The highly participatory approach of the workshop helps participants to develop effective advocacy, social mobilization, and program communication strategies while strengthening their ability to implement dynamic communication programs.