Office of Overseas Programming & Training Support (OPATS) Environment Community Engagement No. 1- Introduction to Behavior Change

Choices… 1.Focus only on promoting soccer because that’s what the community wants. 2.Focus on soccer for now because it will build community capacity and trust in you, while enabling you to do work on forestry projects in the future. 3.You know that your job assignment is in forestry, so you decline to work on the soccer project to avoid creating confusion or false expectations about what you are there to do.

Your Choices…

Learning Objectives Terminal Learning Objective: During their first three months at site, participants will effectively gather information they need to obtain about the communities in which they are working and critique the methods used to obtain it. Session Objectives: 1. Participants will work in pairs to analyze a scenario and explain how their roles as behavior change agents fit into the Peace Corps’ approach to development. 2. Working in small groups, participants will decide how to best identify issues which are appropriate for a PCV to focus on according to their sector project plan, combined with an informed understanding of the community’s needs. 3. Participants will use the Behavior Change Framework Handout in their homestay community to collect information and data they need to prepare behavior change strategies.

Identify the Problem Find a Solution/ Behavior to Change Identify the Target Audience What are the reasons people give for their behavior? Content- Bridge to Activities Activities/ Delivery Strategy Key Questions in Designing Environmental Education Activities

Identify the Problem Solution/ Behavior to Change Identify the Target Audience What are the reasons people give for their behavior? Content- Bridge to Activities Activities/ Delivery Strategy Key Questions in Designing Environmental Education Activities

Identify the Problem Key Questions in Designing Environmental Education Activities Did you use PACA Tools to learn about the community? Did you use a participatory process? Is the issue related to the Sector Project Plan? Are you trained/able to address the issue? Will it make a difference if you solve it? Is it a priority for the community/host government?

Identify the Problem Find a Solution/ Behavior to Change Key Questions in Designing Environmental Education Activities What behaviors are causing the problem? Is it a one-time behavior or repeated behavior? Is it feasible to change the behavior? What is the motivation of the person who needs to change the behavior?

Identify the Problem Find a Solution/ Behavior to Change Identify the Target Audience Key Questions in Designing Environmental Education Activities Who needs to change their behavior? Do they control their own behavior? Is there another group that influences their behavior?

Identify the Problem Identify the Target Audience What are the reasons people give for their behavior? Key Questions in Designing Environmental Education Activities What are the reasons? For example, is it: Divine will Perceived benefits/risks Can they do it Etc. Solution/ Behavior to Change

Identify the Problem Find a Solution/ Behavior to Change Identify the Target Audience What are the reasons people give for their behavior? Key Questions in Designing Environmental Education Activities WIIFM?* How to explain the reasons for their actions? Content- Bridge to Activities *WIIFM= What’s in it for me?

Identify the Problem Content- Bridge to Activities Activities/ Delivery Strategy Key Questions in Designing Environmental Education Activities How and what are you going to do to change the behavior? What are the reasons people give for their behavior? Identify the Target Audience Solution/ Behavior to Change

Peace Corps’ Definition of Behavior Change: Behavior change is an approach in which activities are designed to address key determinants that reduce barriers and strengthen people’s motivation and ability to adapt new behaviors.

In every project we should:  Clearly define the target behavior  Find individuals who are ready to make the behavior change, or who practice the new behavior to serve as advocates or leaders  Assess key determinants/motivations  Involve them in developing key messages and materials to promote it to others  Use appropriate communication channels to deliver messages

Participatory Approach to Behavior Change It’s essential to carry out the steps in the planning process together with the people in your community.

Participatory Approach to Behavior Change Why? Ground-truth & Buy-in

Criteria for Selecting an Environmental Problem 1. The problem should be significant to the country, to the ministry to which you are assigned, and to your community. 2. The problem can be effectively addressed by you and your community. 3. Impact ─ you can really make a difference. Identify the Problem

Problems PCVs focus on in [YOUR POST] List the priority environmental problems upon which you want the Volunteers to focus (refer to Environment Core Technical Session 3: Local Environmental Issues) What are some of the important problems you should be on the lookout for in [YOUR POST]? Identify the Problem

Framework for Behavior Change Behavior Priority or Influencing Group Determinants (Reasons for behavior) Bridge to Activities (What we need to do) Activities To promote this behavior: among this audience: Priority Group Influencing Group we will research these reasons: Access, Self-Efficacy, Perceived Social Norms, Perceived Positive Consequences, Perceived Negative Consequences, Perceived Severity, Perceived Susceptibility, Action Efficacy, Perception of Divine Will and address these (priority benefits and priority barriers): by implementing these activities: Content- Bridge to Activities Activities/ Delivery Strategy What are the reasons people give for their behavior? Find a Solution/ Behavior to Change Identify the Target Audience

Example DBC Framework- Fruit Trees Bridge to Activities Activities/ Delivery Strategy What are the reasons people give for their behavior? Find a Solution Identify the Target Audience DecisionResponse Behavior Obtaining fruit tree seedlings, planting them in household yards, and caring for them until maturity Priority Group Women who are chiefly responsible for preparing food for their families, for maintaining the home, and for carrying out small-scale, income-generating enterprises Very low levels of education Low incomes From rural, agriculture-oriented communities Usually alert to new opportunities to supplement the family income Concerned with the nutrition of their children Determinants (Reasons why) Perceived Self-Efficacy, Access, Cues for Action/Reminders, Perceived Susceptibility, Perceived Severity, Perceived Positive Consequences Bridge to Activities Build capacity to obtain fruit tree seedlings and to plant and care for them. (Perceived self- efficacy) Make available a supply of seedlings (Access) Remind the women to water the seedlings and protect them from goats (Cues) Raise awareness about nutritional and financial advantages of growing fruit trees (Perceived positive consequences) Raise awareness of nutritional deficiency in children and how increased fruit consumption can contribute toward its reduction ( Perceived susceptibility and severity) Activities Help the women network with the Forestry Department to learn about how to source fruit tree seeds and saplings. Conduct workshops with the women’s group to show them how to plant and care for the trees and how the fruit trees will benefit them and their families Meet with the village elders to obtain their support for the fruit tree-planting effort Hold a tree-planting event on Arbor Day to educate the community about the benefits to planting fruit trees

XX Sector Project Indicators Teaching Environmental Education: Number of teachers, out of the total number of teachers the Volunteer/partner worked with, who integrated one or more improved environmental education teaching techniques in their lessons. (ENV-008) All New Technologies and Practices: Adoption: Number of farmers and others who have applied improved technologies or management practices as a result of USG assistance. (AG-003 FTF) Adoption of New Crops: Number of individuals, out of the total number of individuals the Volunteer/partner worked with, who cultivated one or more new crops. (AG-007) Individuals Adopting Soil Improvement: Number of individuals, out of the total number of individuals the Volunteer/partner worked with, who adopted one or more soil improvement practices. (AG-013)

Today’s Session Identify a problem, target audience, potential solution, and behavior in homestay community Conduct a barrier analysis in the community Report on the results of the barrier analysis at the end of PST Conduct community assessment during the first three months at site Present the results of the community assessment at IST Revise the work plan and present to the APCD/PM Complete the DBC Framework Implement the activity with the community Session on using the DBC Framework Evaluate & Celebrate

Questions to discuss: In the scenario(s) discussed by your group: Why wouldn’t the proposed activity change people’s behavior? What approach would you take to begin addressing this issue? Bonus Questions (if you have extra time): Can you identify a specific behavior to be changed or suggest a behavior change? Who is the target audience for the behavior change activities?