For USAID Missions

HC3 offers customized social and behavior change communication (SBCC) capacity strengthening solutions.

As USAID’s flagship global SBCC project, the Health Communication Capacity Collaborative (HC3) strengthens SBCC capacity, in addition to providing SBCC technical leadership and research and evaluation capability. Supported by a five-year cooperative agreement (2012-2017), HC3 can accept funds from any USAID Mission or operating unit, including those outside the health sector.

HC3’s targeted, solutions-based approach to SBCC is designed to extend and enhance the impact of bilateral investments in behavior change and social marketing programs at the country level. HC3 makes it possible for Missions to achieve their objectives in their time frame.

HC3 taps into the strengths and skills of its partner organizations: Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs’ scientific rigor as well as field experience; Management Sciences for Health’s organizational development expertise; Population Services International’s social marketing talent; Ogilvy PR’s creative private sector marketing savvy; NetHope’s ICT and networking skill; and Internews’ on-the ground media knowledge. With this diverse team, HC3 nurtures and supports communities of practice that span a broad range of stakeholders, from SBCC and social marketing implementers to service delivery partners, private sector creative agencies, and Mission staff.

HC3 expands and reinforces its state-of-the-art capacity strengthening work through knowledge management approaches, in particular using information and communication technology (ICT) solutions to ensure that the right information is available to implementers at the right time. In addition, HC3’s gold-standard approach to behavior change research and evaluation can efficiently validate return on investment in current SBCC programming by demonstrating success or identifying areas for enhancement.

HC3’s targeted, solutions-based approach to SBCC is designed to extend and enhance the impact of bilateral investments in behavior change and social marketing programs at the country level.

• While informed by evidence-based models, HC3 offers SBCC innovation – whether using new technologies like mobile phones or a new twist on an old technique to impact behavior.
• HC3 can step in at any point in the timeline of an SBCC or social marketing program to evaluate its progress or provide technical assistance.
• HC3’s quick turnaround allows for efficient mid-course corrections and coordination in SBCC programming across projects and partners.

HC3 provides a blended set of SBCC skills – from social marketing to ICT to private sector partnerships – that can be combined and adapted to the situation on the ground.

• HC3 is a collaborative that considers the strength of each partner when delivering solutions.
• HC3’s diverse set of skills and expertise allow it to identify and address issues that stand in the way of meeting objectives.
• HC3 is staffed by a wide variety of behavioral scientists to offer perspectives from the fields of public health research, sociology, anthropology, political science, education, communication and psychology.
• Because of its flexibility, HC3 offers quick cost-effective results.

HC3 offers a new, agile approach to research and evaluation that can quickly validate return on investment in current SBCC programming by demonstrating success or identifying areas for enhancement. HC3 also strengthens capacity in research and evaluation skills.

• HC3 is well-placed to conduct external impact evaluations of bilateral behavior change projects.
• Research no longer needs to be conducted over a multiple-year timeframe.
• HC3 can quickly deliver research results to help Missions validate their program decisions.
• HC3 can build capacity in R&E to help other implementing partners more effectively measure impact.

HC3’s evidence-based approach to capacity strengthening can provide tailored, multi-layered solutions that combine technical support with organizational development.

• HC3’s capacity strengthening team conducts rapid scans for quick evaluation.
• Capacity strengthening can then be focused and doesn’t need to address an entire system
• HC3’s innovative capacity strengthening tools include the Health COMpass – an online collection of best-practice SBCC tools, resources and program examples – and Springboard – a community of practice for SBCC professionals that lives on the web but is bolstered by face-to-face interaction.