Program Briefs: Changing Attitudes to Shift Contraceptive Demand (En Français, Aussi)

*Keep scrolling for the French version, below.

By: Beth Brogaard, Regional Project Director, PSI

When it comes to family planning and reproductive health (FP/RH) programming, encouraging behavior change starts by understanding what shapes consumer decisions.

Because when we truly understand the core attitudes that influence – and at times, limit – how people perceive contraception, we can better design and deliver solutions that serve their needs.

Transform/PHARE (PHARE), a USAID-funded and PSI-powered social and behavior change program, worked across Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire and Niger to break down social barriers as an entry point to generate demand for voluntary FP/RH services.

A series of process and technical briefs capture PHARE’s experience – the successes and failures over the project’s five-year lifespan– presenting considerations for application in future FP/RH social behavior change (SBC) programs.

1. When we understand our audiences, we can tailor programs to speak directly to their needs. How can we segment our populations – and what benefit can programs derive?

PHARE’s work in Côte d’Ivoire and Niger demonstrates how audience segmentation helps implementers to better understand the attitudes, behaviors, needs and desires of consumers beyond their demographic characteristics – including identifying those most likely to change their attitudes or behaviors around FP/RH. As the PHARE team learned: merely providing information about FP/RH does not guarantee behavior change.

What is data segmentation? Start by reading this process brief in English or French. Then, explore this technical brief in English or French to dive deeper into why and how teams can look beyond demographic indicators (such as age, gender, and marital status) to identify segments by using values, beliefs, and religious, economic and social backgrounds to tailor FP/RH work.

2. How can SBC campaigns break down the barriers between consumers and their FP/RH choices?

This technical brief in English or French provides country examples, best practices, and lessons for engaging key secondary audiences and influencing social norms.

3. How can we leverage existing and emerging technologies to reach young people with FP/RH information?

From applying interactive voice responses (IVR) to social media channels like Facebook, digital platforms allow programs to meet consumers exactly where they are with tailored FP/RH information. This process brief in English or French documents the challenges and benefits of using technology in building support for FP – offering a case study of PHARE’s experience using an interactive comic book, radio services and IVR to engage young people in FP/RH conversations.

4. How can we break down power dynamics to drive program success?

Continuous programmatic adaptations are key to addressing gender and power dynamics that arise from design through delivery and scale. This process brief in English or French charts how PHARE, through its Human Centered Design process unearthed and responded to the power dynamics as a first step to priming the project for success.

Questions? Drop Beth Brogaard ([email protected]) a note!

The Transform/PHARE project was made possible by the generous support of the American people through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). This blog was prepared by PSI for USAID, Contract No: AID-OAA-TO-15-0037. The contents are the sole responsibility of PSI and do not necessarily reflect the views of USAID or the United States Government.

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Dans les programmes de planification familiale et de santé reproductive (PF/SR), encourager le changement de comportement commence par une bonne compréhension des facteurs qui sous-tendent les décisions des consommateurs. C’est lorsque nous comprenons vraiment les attitudes fondamentales qui influencent, et parfois limitent, les perceptions à propos de la contraception que nous pouvons concevoir et proposer des solutions qui répondent véritablement aux besoins. Transform / PHARE (PHARE), un programme de changement social et comportemental financé par USAID et mis en œuvre par PSI au Bénin, au Burkina Faso, en Côte d’Ivoire et au Niger, a consisté à éliminer les barrières sociales afin de trouver un point d’entrée pour créer la demande pour les services volontaires de PF/SR.

Une série de fiches, techniques ou décrivant différents processus, décrivent l’expérience de PHARE – les réussites aussi bien que les échecs au cours des cinq années du projet – et présentent des réflexions pouvant être appliquées à de futurs programmes de changement social et comportemental (CSC) en PF/SR.

1. Lorsque nous comprenons nos différents publics, nous pouvons adapter les programmes pour répondre directement à leurs besoins. Comment segmenter les populations – et quels bénéfices les programmes peuvent-ils en retirer?

Le travail de PHARE en Côte d’Ivoire et au Niger montre comment la segmentation aide les exécutants à mieux comprendre les attitudes, les comportements, les besoins et les désirs des consommateurs au-delà de leurs caractéristiques démographiques – et en particulier permet de mettre en évidence ceux qui sont les plus susceptibles de changer leurs attitudes ou leurs comportements en matière de PF/SR. L’équipe PHARE a appris que: le simple fait de fournir des informations sur la PF/SR ne garantit pas un changement de comportement.

Qu’est-ce que la segmentation des données? Commencez par lire cette fiche processus.

Ensuite, consultez cette fiche technique pour mieux comprendre pourquoi et comment les équipes peuvent aller au-delà des indicateurs démographiques (comme l’âge, le sexe et l’état matrimonial), pour faire émerger différents segments, en utilisant les valeurs, les croyances et les différentes caractéristiques religieuses, économiques et sociales, ce qui permettra de mieux adapter le travail en PF/RH.

2. Comment les campagnes de CSC peuvent-elles surmonter les obstacles entre les consommateurs et leurs choix en PF/SR?

Cette fiche technique fournit des exemples de différents pays, des meilleures pratiques et des leçons pour impliquer les publics secondaires clés et influer sur les normes sociales.

3. Comment pouvons-nous tirer parti des technologies existantes et émergentes pour atteindre les jeunes avec des informations sur la PF/SR?

Des serveurs vocaux interactifs aux canaux de médias sociaux comme Facebook, les plates-formes numériques permettent aux programmes d’accéder aux consommateurs exactement là où ils se trouvent avec des informations FP/SR personnalisées.

Cette fiche processus recense les défis et les avantages de l’utilisation de la technologie dans le renforcement du soutien à la PF – et constitue une étude de cas de l’expérience de PHARE lors de l’utilisation de bande dessinées interactives, des services de radio et de serveurs vocaux interactifs pour impliquer les jeunes dans des conversations PF/SR.

4. Comment briser les dynamiques de pouvoir pour favoriser le succès du programme?

Des adaptations programmatiques continues sont essentielles pour minimiser les dynamiques de genre et de pouvoir qui se manifestent, de la phase de conception à l’exécution et à la mise en œuvre à grande échelle.

Cette fiche processus décrit comment PHARE, par le biais de son processus de conception centrée sur l’utilisateur, a mis en évidence les dynamiques de pouvoir et y a répondu dès les premières étapes pour amener le projet vers le succès.

Des questions? Envoyez un message à Beth Brogaard ([email protected])!

Le projet Transform / PHARE a été rendu possible grâce au généreux soutien du peuple américain à travers l’Agence des États-Unis pour le développement international (USAID). Ce blog a été préparé par PSI pour USAID, Contrat No: AID-OAA-TO-15-0037. Le contenu relève de la seule responsabilité de PSI et ne reflète pas nécessairement les vues de USAID ou du gouvernement des États-Unis.

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