C-Capacity Sustainability Plan Survey Results

This document summarizes the results of a survey of usage of the C-Capacity Social and Behavior Change Communication (SBCC) Capacity Strengthening website and the e-newsletter derived from it. The goal of the survey was to ask the C-Capacity users' network about their use of the website and newsletter in their professional work in order to provide The Communication Initiative and C-Change, site partners, with a better sense of the importance of this type of resource for SBCC capacity strengthening, as well as to guide future planning.

C-Capacity is a website dedicated to providing the resources and opportunities needed to strengthen capacity in SBCC by offering:

• Resources, practical tools, and dialogue opportunities to strengthen capacity in the field of health and development communication focusing on SBCC.
• Supplemental training resources, exchange, and mentoring opportunities that support the C-Change learning package.
• Select listings of opportunities for SBCC support and dialogue.
• A bi-monthly newsletter that keeps readers updated on new resources and training opportunities.

Methods

The survey was publicly available on the internet using the service provider survey monkey. It was promoted through the C-Capacity newsletter which is emailed to approximately 9,149  individuals. The survey had 444 responses.

Findings:

Regarding the network's usage of SBCC, 72% described building SBCC capacity as very or extremely important for their organization.  Nearly 77% felt a website providing access to a range of resources is very or extremely useful.  75% felt an email based newsletter would also be very or extremely useful and 77% felt online training resources were very or extremely useful.  This indicates that SBCC capacity strengthening is valued in non-OECD countries (countries of origin of 74% of respondents), across a range of positions and amongst important types of organizations and that the basic tools of online resources, an email newsletter to aid knowledge dissemination and access to training resources are considered fundamental.

Findings with selected supporting comments from respondents:

1. Social and Behavior Change Communication capacity strengthening is highly valued amongst organizations working in non-OECD countries (see graph figures 1-5).
2. Senior management, technical experts, and those in direct implementing roles also see the value of improved SBCC capacity (nearly 50% of respondents). Over half (55%) visited the website at least a few times per month, with 20% visiting weekly or daily.
3. The C-Capacity website has been well utilized, with significant numbers of respondents reporting active engagement through the use and forwarding of resources. When asked about their engagement with the website, more than 50% had used resources for their own SBCC capacity strengthening activities and research.  A respondent asked C-change to keep on "sharing the information with our organisations that I can forward to our networks”.
4. The newsletter was found to be useful and used actively by significant numbers of respondents (nearly 73% of respondents), who reported recommending and forwarding it to others on multiple occasions.
5. The most important sections of the website are those providing access to core SBCC resources and those related to training materials and support. “We need are to train others (at quite a basic level), to advocate in general for SBCC through focused and convincing presentations and pretty much to capacitate ourselves: training and other resources to support this would be invaluable“
6. Respondents felt the C-Capacity Online Resource Center and newsletter should continue, but with a greater focus on core resources and training with relevance across a range of development issues. “theme-based stuff is good”; “M & E and evidence-based SBCC is particularly useful”; “as a BC person that does not work in health or HIV, I would encourage c-capacity to make a concerted effort to seek out the literature in other areas”
7. There is room to streamline the website by removing one or two of the less utilized sections (see graph, figure 6) and to make the newsletter more useful by keeping it short and simplifying its design.

According to network members from their comments in the survey:

• Training: train others and provide information on capacitation resources, including online training which staff can be encouraged to be part of.
• Expand topics and cover more issues: broaden to satisfy growing interest, particularly in fields other than health, so that SBCC can be pushed beyond the boundaries of health into other development areas.
• Newsletter: it is a significant reminder to visit the website. Keep it simple and straightforward.  Email based information is more accessible than trawling a website. Theme-based information is helpful. Monitoring and evaluation and evidence-based SBCC is particularly useful.
• Features for the website: Open an interactive section where questions can be forwarded and answered by the authors or experts in the mentioned field, and have the program working on hand-held devices such as iPad and iPhone.

Click here to read the full report in MS Word format.