Bangladesh

The Bangladesh Knowledge Management Initiative (BKMI) was a three-year USAID-funded project under the global HC3 project, jointly implemented from 2013-2016 by Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs (CCP) and Bangladesh Center for Communication Programs (BCCP). BKMI worked to strengthen the capacity of the Government of Bangladesh, USAID implementing partners, and other stakeholders in the development of strong, consistent and effective Social and Behavior Change Communication (SBCC) campaigns and interventions to improve the health and well-being of the people of Bangladesh. In addition, BKMI facilitated coordination around SBCC within the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) and with other stakeholders and supported the multi-sectoral BCC Working Group as a forum for coordination, networking and learning.

BKMI’s Successful Approaches to Capacity Strengthening

First, BKMI designed a comprehensive approach to capacity strengthening at three levels in order to:

• Improve the knowledge and skills of individuals who work in the three SBCC units of the Bangladesh Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW)
• Develop tools and establish processes within those units to strengthen organizational capacity
• Work to optimize coordination of SBCC activities and integration of health, nutrition and family planning topics at the system level

Then, BKMI developed digital solutions for SBCC capacity strengthening. Examples include digital archives for the three MoHFW SBCC units (BHE, IEM, IPHN) of their print and audiovisual SBCC materials; an eToolkit and eLearning for SBCC Program Managers; and an eToolkit and eLearning for Field Workers.

BKMI also supported and developed the BCC Working Group (www.bdbccgroup.org), a Community of Practice for SBCC professionals in Bangladesh working in the health, population and nutrition sector. The BCC Working Group was formed in 2011 by Phase 1 of BKMI as a forum for coordination, networking and learning. Members include representatives from government, non-government, private sector, media and academic organizations. The BCC Working Group meets every two to three months, and several sub-groups are active at any given time. Currently, sub-groups are responsible for updating the two eToolkits annually and for identifying best practices for SBCC in Bangladesh.

Since 2015, the BCC Working Group has hosted a Share Fair, known as Safollo Gatha (“Success Stories” in Bangla), each year that presents best practices for SBCC in a festive and entertaining format. Best practices featured during the event are selected based on their innovation, adaptability, potential for scale-up and effectiveness.

Read more about BKMI and its important tips for capacity strengthening for SBCC.

Additional Key Activities of BKMI

• Provided technical assistance on the design, implementation, management and evaluation of strategic, evidence-based SBCC interventions by working directly with Bureau of Health Education (BHE), Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS); Information, Education, Motivation (IEM), Directorate General of Family Planning; and Institute of Public Health Nutrition (IPHN), DGHS.
• Strengthened the IEC Technical Committee, the government body that approves all SBCC materials, by standardizing review criteria and providing training.
• Coordinating the BCC Working Group, a forum for discussing and sharing best practices for SBCC on Health, Population and Nutrition in Bangladesh. This working group encourages coordination, networking and capacity development, and facilitates cross-promotion of messages.
• Strengthened capacity at the individual level by increasing knowledge and building skills on SBCC; at the organizational level by introducing tools and processes to support effective SBCC; and at the system level by promoting strategic, coordinated SBCC by all stakeholders.
• Developed several digital resources including: Digital Archives for BHE, IEM and IPHN Units; eLearning courses for Program Managers (Topics: Monitoring and Evaluation for SBCC and Message and Materials Development) and Field Workers (Topics: Family Planning 1 & 2; Maternal, Neonatal and Child Health 1 &2; Breastfeeding; Complementary Feeding; Integrated Messaging; and Interpersonal Communication and Counseling); an eToolkit for SBCC Program Managers; an eToolkit for Field Workers (it is available online, offline and as an Android app) and a website for BHE.