Social change action with informed and engaged societies
After nearly 28 years, The Communication Initiative (The CI) Global is entering a new chapter. Following a period of transition, the global website has been transferred to the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) in South Africa, where it will be administered by the Social and Behaviour Change Communication Division. Wits' commitment to social change and justice makes it a trusted steward for The CI's legacy and future.
 
Co-founder Victoria Martin is pleased to see this work continue under Wits' leadership. Victoria knows that co-founder Warren Feek (1953–2024) would have felt deep pride in The CI Global's Africa-led direction.
 
We honour the team and partners who sustained The CI for decades. Meanwhile, La Iniciativa de Comunicación (CILA) continues independently at lainiciativadecomunicacion.com and is linked with The CI Global site.
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INTRODUCTION: Policy, Strategy, and Investment Implications - SBC Direct Impact Evidence

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UNICEF, with support from The Communication Initiative (The CI), is leading a process to identify the most compelling and credible research data that demonstrate the direct impact of social change and behaviour change (SBC) strategies on priority development issues, including for UNICEF. That growing collection of evidence - and the criteria for that evidence to be included (e.g., must be published in a high-quality journal and have an extensive randomised controlled trial (RCT) or systematic review methodology - can be reviewed at this link.



The natural questions that flow from that evidence are:

  • What are the policy implications for organisations?
  • What are the strategy implications for SBC initiatives?
  • What arguments flow for increased investment in SBC by bilaterals, foundations, UN agencies, and other funders?

This brief, initial set of notes seeks to identify and source from that impact data what should be those social change, community engagement, and behaviour change policy, strategic, and investment priorities.



These notes are presented for discussion and debate. We would encourage everyone to review the data (including monitoring it as the collection grows) and draw their own conclusions.



There are 6 major areas of focus below. For each, we have identified the key evidence and impact data that result in these themes being chosen and the policy, strategy, and investment argument implications that flow from those data.

WOMEN'S NETWORKS and GROUPS - Policy, Strategy, and Investment Implication 1 from the Direct Impact Evidence

VOICE, CONVERSATION, DIALOGUE - Policy, Strategy, and Investment Implication 2 from the Direct Impact Evidence

PARTICIPATORY ACTION - Policy, Strategy, and Investment Implication 3 from the Direct Impact Evidence

DIGITAL NETWORKS - Policy, Strategy, and Investment Implication 4 from the Direct Impact Evidence

STRUCTURAL CHANGE FOCUS - Policy, Strategy, and Investment Implication 5 from the Direct Impact Evidence

OVERVIEW AND GAPS - Policy, Strategy, and Investment Implications - SBC Direct Impact Evidence

... and this specific look at the implications for action on a 2 key child protection concerns. 

FEMALE GENITAL MUTILATION and CHILD MARRIAGE: Impact Data with Action Implications