Professional Documents
Culture Documents
programme is funded by
the European Union
Introduction
Follow-up workshop on strategic communication planning applying the Communication for
Behavioral –Impact (COMBI) planning methodology, with a special focus on gender equality and
ending violence against women.
Event held in Istanbul, Turkey from 9-11 May 2019 within the framework of the EU-UN Women
regional programme on ending violence against women in the Western Balkans and Turkey
“Implementing Norms, Changing Minds”.
UN programs and agencies, including UN Women, have adopted and used the COMBI methodology
to tackle a number of health and development issues. More recently it has been explored to
address gender inequality, gender discrimination and violence against women. This particular
methodology has been implemented for years.
The full COMBI training consist of a two-week program teaching behavioral results, called
Integrated Marketing Communication for Behavioral Impact (IMC/COMBI).
There are 10 steps to create a communication plan (COMBI) in order to achieve behavioral results
with the aim to get behavioral results.
“We change people attitudes, but when you look at their behaviors, they’re still marrying out their
13 year old daughters and are circumcising their children. Look at communication, not only in terms
of raising awareness, but how do we get behavioral results.”
Types of communication: One of the most powerful forms of communication is non-verbal
communication, face expressions and body language; other forms of communication are
interpersonal communication and face-to-face communication instead of virtual tools like social
media and mass media. None of these new social media communication tools can beat the power
to communicate face-to-face, called personal marketing in the US.
Dr. Hosein conducted a number of practical interactive exercises to illustrate verbal and non-verbal
communication.
He stressed the importance of having great technical reasons to why people should follow our
advice, and great technical solutions for the issues we’re addressing (gender-based violence,
mutilation, and child marriage).
Dr. Hosein highlighted the importance of connecting with the individuals and the so-called
competitor. Failing to connect, jeopardizes the ‘sell’ of a behavioral change. (Banana plantation
example).
The trainer also pointed out that as communicators we should listen to the ‘consumer’. Listening to
individuals, families and the community tells us whether our behavioural recommendations are
realistic and appropriate. It is in listening to people that we learn how they wish to be engaged. It is
in listening to people that we learn how to connect. It is in listening to people that we learn how to
offer in a more realistic way what at first seems unrealistic.
10 COMBI steps
The 10 steps essential to the creation and implementation of an effective Communication for
Behavioural Impact (COMBI) plan were briefly introduced. The first four steps where covered more
in depth during the training.
1. State the overall goals.
2. State tentative specific behavioural objective(s) (SBOs).
3. Conduct a situational “Market” analysis for the communication keys (SMACK).
4. Vis-à-vis preliminary specific bheavioural objectives.
5. Develop the COMBI strategy for achieveing stated behavioural objective(s).
6. Detailed action plan.
7. Management of the plan/implementation of the plan.
8. Monitoring – Part of the management.
9. Evaluation – about processing. The important thing to remember when talking about
evaluation is the “M”=Measurable in Smart.
10. Scheduling – Linked to the action plan. Step 5 can be combined with step 9.
11. Budget – “How much is this going to cost?”
Step 1 - STATE THE OVERALL GOAL
Present the projects’ overall goal. Providing the context – setting the stage
Stating an overall long-term goal provides the context within which the specific COMBI plan is
meant to be developed.
STEP 2 - STATE (SPECIFIC BEHAVIORAL OBJECTIVE(S) (SBOs).
Mantra #1: make no posters, no videos, no pamphlets, no t-shirts, until you have figured out what
you want to achieve behaviorally. Do nothing until one has set out precise specific behavioral
objectives, has carried out a situational “market” analysis in relation to preliminary specific
behavioral objectives (SBOs).
We need to change the norms, but how? The only way to change the norms is behaviorally.
Making behavioral objective specific and precise
Apply the criteria and tools: the 4+1 Ws
1) Who…
2) Where…
3) What...
4) When...
5) Why...
Make it SMART
1) S = Specific
2) M = Measurable
3) A = Appropriate – raise of use the term of competitor.
4) R = Realistic
5) T= Time
Step 3 - CONDUCT A SITUATIONAL "MARKET" ANALYSIS FOR THE COMMUNICATION KEYS
(SMACK) VIS-À-VIS PRELIMINARY SPECIFIC BEHAVIOURAL OBJECTIVES (SBOS).
SMACK the behavior – Listen to people.
To “SMACK” the proposed behavioral objective is to take the suggested behavior to the
“consumer” (opponent), smack it around as if in tennis between you and the consumer and explore
in the “smacking” conversation what are those facilitating constraining factors with regard to the
possible practice of the behavior. In the progress, we discover the communication keys, which will
enable us to open the door of engagement with the “consumer” for considering the
recommendations behavior.
The communication keys in turn lead to the communication objectives, which need to be
accomplished in order to achieve the desired SBO(s).
• Situational Market Analysis (SMA) – to discover the communication with the “consumer”
and facilitate the consideration of the suggested behavior.
• It is difficult if not impossible, to cover all forms of violence in one communication plan. We
need to tackle a specific: psychological, physical, sexual, economic, etc.
• SMACKing: listening to the consumer, meaning listening to people.
• Communication plans (COMBI plans) are not developed in the office; they are developed in
the field.
• SMACKing tools: Force Field Analysis (FFA); SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities,
Threats) Analysis; DILO (Day in the Life Of) Analysis; MILO (Moment in the Life Of) Analysis –
Do a Role Play, etc.
• To do a SWOT of the Ministry of Women’s affair or of your own agency, etc.
• Another communication key is to be able to always answer to the questions and be
prepared during the SMACKing.
Step 4 - DEVELOP THE COMBI STRATEGY FOR ACHIEVING STATED BEHAVIOURAL OBJECTIVE(S)
The overall COMBI strategy points to the broad approach that the COMBI programme will take to
achieve its behavioural objectives. It is made up of a judicious, integrated, synchronised blend of
specific communication activities directed towards the expected behavioural results. The COMBI
strategy should include key messages, their sequencing, the overall tone for the strategy, the blend
of communication actions (administrative mobilisation/public advocacy/public relations,
community mobilisation, advertising, personal selling/inter-personal communication, point-of-
service promotion), the relationships between these different communication actions, and an
overview of how the plan will be managed and evaluated. From a strategic perspective the first four
steps are the most important to create a COMBI Plan.
Working Group Sessions - Presentations
Participants at the Gender Lab Training
Working Group Presentation – Refining SBOs
-When talking about behaviors, there is a difference between norms and
behaviors.
-The project tries to raise the number of reports on GBV, including
Kosovo1 neighbors or any other witness close to the survivor of violence.
-In municipalities of Kosovo, the helplines are not promoted in the public.
-We try to make this more visible, raising awareness by providing
education and information.
1
All references to Kosovo in this document shall be understood to be in full compliance with United Nations Security Council
Resolution 1244 (1999).
-Project working to change behavior in the media.
-We developed SBOs: when it comes to the media we found a problem
with daily reporting regarding cases of violence against women.
-Most of media are reporting in a stereotypical way, not an isolated case of
Serbia:
Serbia, it is a global phenomenon.
-The baseline for developing a COMBI plan is based on cases of women
that experienced violence and reports of femicides by the media. The
perpetrator in these cases is the media itself, by reproducing stereotypes
and victimizing the family, in a sensationalistic way.
-SBO is to raise awareness about the reporting scale of the cases of
violence.
-Using innovative tools to reach people, subjected to cases of GBV.
Albania -Create an interactive platform to send a message and give the opportunity
to people give feedback.
-We will have different field meetings at the regional and national level to
raise awareness.
-Working on a project to prevent early marriage of Syrian girls in Turkey.
-To approach 100 teachers in total and 100 Syrian families in the school, to
make sure that the children will continue their education in school.
-This is a 9-months project in the region of Mersin, where the Syrian
refugee population is higher.
10 workshops about gender equality and information about the legal
system and the discrimination that Syrian girls are exposed to, with 100
teachers and 100 persons.
Turkey -Change and tackle the perception of early marriage. Tackle what teachers
do against a discriminatory behavior.
-Focus group: Syrian girls aged 12 or 13. “What is the percentage of girls
continuing in school?”.
-To connect to their needs. Economic reason and safety are the reasons for
which parents give away girls to early marriage or don’t let them go to
school.
-Long-term project with teachers since they have an influential role for
children especially in primary schools. Teachers have a key role.
-Aims to break the silence about women that experience psychological,
verbal, emotional, physical and other forms of violence.
-Women don’t talk about gender-based violence with their daughters;
despite young girls have an understanding of when abuse is happening
Bosnia and inside the household.
Herzegovina -Necessary to break the silence regarding violence against women.
-To reduce violence against women by talking to daughters about this.
-SBO – Break the silence
-We want women to seek help, to reduce long-term violence against
women.
-SBO – To reduce violence against women and girls targeting boys and
young men in school, to prevent discrimination and violence.
-The project aims at working with young men in secondary schools, and for
them to be active in their local communities. Third class in secondary
school.
Serbia -Research shows that approx. 60 % of girls experience some form of
violence and they show and remark the most frequent behavior of men
they experience is the lack of respect for women.
-To find the correct formulation to teach men the meaning of respect.
-The project wants to smack specifically with men and boys (like a men
manual).
General Recommendations
• To be careful while smacking not to generalize focus groups or countries.
• Behavioural models are underlined as follows:
- HICDARM
Getting the behavioral result. Include these definitions:
- Hear about the desired behavior.
- Informed about it.
- Convinced that is worthwhile.
- Decision to do something about our conviction.
- Action on the new behavior.
- Re-confirmation that our action was a good one.
- Maintain the behavior.
HICDARM: Needs and Goals – Priority Market Segmentation.
“Are you well informed about the behavior? Are you convinced it is a good idea?”.
Questions to consider for the development of future communication plans.
Try CAR
C =Cue
A= Action
R=Reward.
Communication is MS. CREFS:
- Message
- Source
- Channel
- Receiver
- Effect
- Feedback
- Setting
Mistakes in communication: there are three critical phenomena and challenges:
- Selective attention
- Selective Perception/Interpretation
- Selective Retention
People will forget your recommendations!
There are four C’s of integrated marketing communication:
C1 = Consumer Need/Want/Desire
We do not sell a production/service/behavior
We offer a solution to your Need/want/desire
We do not create Needs/Wants/desires; we respond o what is there; if latent, we bring to the top-
of-mind.
C2 = Cost
Not just price; but time, effort, etc.
Reducing cost by incentives affects cost/value ratio
Increasing value by branding affects cost/value
Example: You have a logo for your behavior – to remind people to call the hotline
Using branding can help you increase value.
C3= Convenient to get product or service to carry out behavior.
C4 =Communication plan
The trainer explained the challenges of communicating the SBO to the ‘competitor’ and to convince
at a human level the targeted group or competitor to change its behavior.
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs:
• Self-Actualization
• Esteem needs
• Belongingness and Love Needs
• Safety Needs
• Physiological Needs
Cross Cultural Consumer Characterization:
Do not treat all poor people in the same way, there are two types: the Constrained resigned poor
and its goal is survival and struggling poor its goal is improvement.
The Middle Majority, include mainstreamers, aspires and succeeders and their goals are in order:
security, be perceived as successful and last one material success.
The Innovators include transitional and innovators.
Cost, not just price, it includes also time and efforts.
Every decision is based on this calculation, regarding the competitor.
Reducing cost by incentives affects cost/value ratio.
Increasing value by branding affects cost/value.
Convenience, to get product or service or to carry out behavior. (No longer the “P” for Placement).
How convenient is it to pick up the phone and call the police to denounce the
Communication
Integrated Engaged Communication
Using the Five-Point Stars
The five starts include:
• Administrative Mobilization/Public Relations/Advocacy for behavioral impact (ABI) +
Business partnership.
• Community Engagement
• Advertising
• Personal selling/Interpersonal Communication
• Point of service promotion
SECOND GROUP PRESENTATION
2
All references to Kosovo on this document shall be understood to be in full compliance with UN Security Council Resolution 1244 (1999).
In addition, a mapping was conducted of awareness-raising and advocacy initiatives undertaken by civil
society organizations (CSOs) in programme-participating countries over the last 5 years. This exercise
identified a number of initiatives and tools that were shown to be influential at country level, while also
highlighting limitations in existing knowledge and expertise on behavior change initiatives in the region.
As part of the process to establish the Gender Lab, UN Women will work to increase the capacities of CSOs
to develop and implement strategic communication programmes for achieving specific behavioral results
with regard to reducing violence against women in selected communities within programme-participating
countries.
UN Women began by organizing the first of a series of trainings with this objective, holding a 2.5-day
workshop on the methodology called Communication for Behavioural Impact (COMBI). The workshop, held
in Skopje, was attended by 15 representatives of 11 CSOs from 6 programme-participating countries in
December 2018.
This workshop introduced participants to the 10-step planning method of COMBI, with special emphasis on
defining clear Specific Behavioural Objectives (SBOs), instead of focusing on general objectives of increasing
awareness. At the end of the workshop, participants expressed a desire for a follow-up workshop to pursue
the practical aspects of actually designing a strategic communication plan with a behavioural focus.
Participants were expected to return to their home countries and begin the process of developing draft
communication plans.
UN Women now plans to pursue a follow-up workshop bringing together some of the original and some new
participants from each country for another 2.5-day workshop to look more carefully at the details of
planning a strategic communication plan for behavioural results and review the communication plans
developed by the CSOs.
Expected Outputs
A practical follow-up workshop for CSOs
on how to continue their work towards
Programme Objectives
developing and implementing a strategic
communication programme to reduce 1. To design and conduct a follow-up capacity building
violence against women in target training workshop for CSOs on how to develop and
communities. implement strategic communication programmes for
achieving specific behavioral results with regard to reducing
CSOs communication plans will be violence against women. The follow-up workshop will focus
reviewed, assessed, and revised in group on applying the 10-step planning process of COMBI
exercises. (Communication for Behavioural Impact) in practical
sessions leading ultimately to the development,
implementation and assessment of strategic communication
Duration
initiatives for reducing violence against women.
2. To review, assess and provide feedback to the strategic
3 days communication plans developed by CSOs in a group review
exercise.
Date and Venue 3. To enhance the capacity of CSOs to develop and
implement strategic communication programmes aimed at
9th – 11th May, Istanbul, Hotel Hilton reducing violence against women in selected communities
Bomonti, Conference Room MR23 within their respective countries.
Workshop Objectives
Participants will review the 10-step COMBI approach (with special emphasis on the first four steps) and
apply them to re-designing a strategic communication plan for behavioral impact with regard to VAW via
workshop sessions, leading to a draft communication plan for reducing VAW in their selected communities.
The workshop will review existing communication plans developed by CSOs under the regional programme.
By the end of the Workshop, participants working in teams will present their draft plans on the final half-day
of the workshop.
AGENDA
After the first workshop on strategic communication planning using the COMBI planning approach (held in
Skopje, North Macedonia, 29, 30 Nov and 1st Dec 2018.) participants requested a follow-up workshop to
pursue in a practical way the exercise of designing a communication plan for achieving concrete behavioural
results. This workshop aims to advance the work on designing such communication programmes.
As part of the workshop, the facilitator will conduct a series of group exercises to review, assess and provide
feedback to the strategic communication plans developed by CSOs.
Representatives from CSOs attending the meeting, who are implementing -or will implement- strategic
communication plans under the regional programme, are expected to prepare a 10-minute presentation of
their respective plans (including key elements) to share with the facilitator and the rest of the participants at
the start of this follow-up workshop.
Each presentation should include:
• CSO introduction
• SBO (Specific Behavioural Objective
• Situational Market Analysis for Communication Keys/SMACK/Market Research leading
Communication Keys
• Communication Actions: Target audience(s), Channels, Messages, etc.
DAY 1 – May 9
8.00 Registration
8.30 Welcome by UN Women
8.45 Introductions
9.00 Workshop Objectives
17.30 Close
DAY 2 – May 10
9.00 Recap: What stood out from yesterday
SMACK – Situational Marketing Analysis for Communication Keys
9.15 – 10.40 • Introduction to the SMACKing Step in COMBI Planning
17.00 – 17. Working Groups/Clinic: Work on Draft Communication Plan Outline – SBO(s),
30 Communication Keys/Messages, Communication Action Plan
17.30 Close
DAY 3 – May 11
8.30 Recap: What stood out from yesterday
9.00 – 10.00 Working Groups (Final Preparation)
Annex II
List of Participants at the Gender Lab Training: Ahmet Cetin, Aida Cipurkovic, Alba Agolli, Beti
Pejeva, Blagorodna Shopova, Diego De la Rosa, Elma Tershana, Eridjona Vallja, Erma Mulabdic,
Everold Hosein, Fana Delija, Feda Mehmedovic, Gertjana Hasalla, Irena Cvetkovic, Jelena
Milovanovic, Jovana Mirkovic, Katerina Shojikj, Kosana Beker, Linda Sanaja, Luljeta Demolli, Maja
Atanasova, Maja Šaćirović, Marija Djajic, Natasa Medjedovic, Nazime Ceren Erol, Nisan Kuyucu, Nita
Zogiani, Pinar Yildiz, Radmila Veskovic, Rumeysa Camdereli, Velida Hodzic, Yolanda Iriarte, Giulia G.
Angelini.