mBCC Field Guide
Click here to download the mBCC Field Guide
Click here to download the mBCC Field Guide Worksheets
Click here to download the mBCC Field Guide Evaluation Form
The “mBCC Field Guide: A Resource for Developing Mobile Behavior Change Communication Programs,” is a new tool that helps users guide the design of mobile applications for health and provides insights about what works in mobile behavior change communication is now available. Compiled by Abt Associates, examines what is known about the power of mobile communication tools to influence health behaviors for consumers and health care providers. The guide was developed under the auspices of the mHealth Working Group, a global health forum established in 2009 for members to provide and share guidance on mHealth implementation. It is supported by the United States Agency for International Development’s Knowledge for Health project.
Mobile behavior change communication (mBCC) is defined here as the use of mobile phones to promote behavior change. This definition encompasses health and clinical behaviors for clients and health providers (e.g., reminders to take a pill or quizzes to improve health workers’ counseling skills) rather than operational behaviors (e.g., shifting from a paper-based survey to a mobile survey).
The primary audience for the mBCC Field Guide is practitioners experienced in developing BCC strategies who are considering employing mobile solutions but need guidance on key issues and on questions to consider in the design process. Evidence-based examples and tools are highlighted wherever possible, although we recognize that few programs have published impact or outcome data.
The authors hope that this Field Guide will be a “living document.” We welcome your feedback and suggestions for improving the guide’s usefulness. We plan to issue updated versions as mobile platforms and the evidence base evolves. Contacts and references to relevant organizations and resources are noted wherever possible to facilitate communication and collaboration. Please use the evaluation form at the end of the guide to provide specific comments and recommendations.
This is a great initiative.
Could organisations utilising mobile technology and not necessarily specialsing in BCC also be a target audience?
(By the way we are talking about mobile behaviour change communication, correct? This could be a helpful addition to the opening page and glossary for a wider audience.)
Thanks,
Josh
Greetings from PCI Bangladesh
mBCC sounds very strategic! I am sure Mobile Phone is a one of most effective communication channel. Recently we developed a BCC strategy in Bangladesh. Many of program participants asked about mobile channel as they gets regular educational message through mobile phone.
In Bangladesh about 50 million people are using mobile phone. There is no other channel in Bangladesh like mobile which can reach the huge population. I think 50 million mobile channels could cover at least 100 million populations. On the other hand, English text is challenge for Bangladeshi general people. If we address the issues to using Bangla text or pictorial message, that will be one of the best popular, effective and largest area coverage channel.
I am very much interested to work for mBCC and contribute to field guide field test. Please let me know next steps.
Best wishes to you.
Sincerely,
SAM husain
Excellent initiative and the guide is very clear. The guide will be especially useful to those organisations that are using mobile phones primarily for Behaviour Change Communication. I wonder if it might be useful to develop a complementary guide for those organisations that are using mobile phones primarily to meet the healthcare information and learning needs of citizens and healthcare providers. Clearly there is an overlap between BCC and ‘meeting information and learning needs’, but the approaches also have important fundamental differences. With thanks, Neil Pakenham-Walsh, Coordinator HIFA2015.org (Healthcare Information For All by 2015)
Great guide! Really readable and useful. Only suggestion for the next version would be to include some more pros/cons of the various software platforms, as well as likely costs to implement
As one who served as evaluation officer at PHS this Field Guide is GREAT for those who have lack of knowledge not only in terms of mobile communication but in terms of mobile behavior assessment.
My concern is the use and implentation of the tools for mobile behavior change. For 25 years serving on international projects for USAID, ADB and W Bank etc. evaluation is given limited resources to apply not only in the project itself but in evaluation. Project funding leaves little resources for evaluation by the governmental agency and the “contractor” thereby the project assessment by other entities indicate poor project success. Myself tried on many occassions to see evaluation resources be integrated into project development etc. as well as Governments to establish evaluation resources to perform assessment but sad to say it hasnt happenned yet! Field Guide is needed and congrats to Abt.
We look forward to an open discussion on the mBCC Field Guide
Friday, March 16th, 2012
9:30 – 11:30 am EST
Abt Associates
4550 Montgomery Avenue, Suite 800 North
Bethesda, MD
Conference Call: US Toll Free: 1-888-232-0371
International Callers: 805-240-9832 (not toll-free)
Participant Code: 484046.
Meeting materials and notes will be provided at: http://www.k4health.org/toolkits/mhealth/march-16-2012
Great Resource. I found the sections on Smart Objectives and M&E really interesting. Great Inititiave. Abt.
This is a wonderful initiative. In Malawi the FLSMS basically covers information sharing and highly serves issues of HMIS ( Health Management Information Systems). An aspect of behaviour sounds quite important and innovative.