Behaviour Change Program Gets Five Step Process Implemented
COI reveals new five step plan for behaviour change.
A new five step process for behaviour change communications planning is at the heart of new guidance from the Central Office of Information (COI). It also recommends a practical behavioural model to be defined at the start of any new behaviour change initiative, and refined throughout the life of the campaign. These measures will help maximise the effectiveness of – and define the role for – government marketing activity on integrated behaviour change campaigns.
Government makes a significant investment in encouraging people to give up risky or unhealthy behaviours, take up new behaviours, or obey the law. Communications often play a pivotal role in helping to tackle some of society’s most difficult and costly problems, from climate change to stopping smoking. This could be through reframing an issue and promoting norms, to building up people’s belief and confidence in their own ability to change.
While some campaigns, such as the Department of Health’s Change4Life anti obesity initiative, are already applying behavioural theory, the guidance has been developed to enable a consistent framework to be applied and ensure that behavioural theory is embedded in the communications process.
Developing or adopting a single, behaviour specific model would enable a deeper insight into the reasons behind a particular behaviour and how to change it, and allow for a clearer view of the role for communications within the context of the other policy interventions taking place.
This has a number of benefits:
- It makes it easier to identify where communications can play a role, and have the biggest impact;
- It allows for more realistic communications objectives to be set, driving more robust and meaningful evaluation;
- It makes it easier to select the most efficient and cost effective communications channels
- It provides a unifying platform for both policy and communications.
There are, however, wider implications for how government marketing is developed. By placing communications in the wider range of interventions, the implication is for a shift away from discreet campaigns towards multiple messaging and propositions, stimulating ongoing relationships with the groups Government needs to engage for sustained and successful behaviour change.
COI Chief Executive Mark Lund commented:
“Government communication must be as efficient and effective as possible, and this guidance underpins COI’s commitment to making this happen. Our aim is to stimulate debate and dialogue on this important issue among all those working in government and public sector communications.”
Matt Tee, Permanent Secretary for Government Communication added:
“I very much welcome this guidance which complements, and contributes to, a wider Cabinet Office led initiative on behavioural change. It’s important that government communicators have a deeper understanding of the principles of behavioural change theory and how these can be applied to the whole communications cycle.”
The guidance has been written by a team of specialists from across COI, in consultation with industry experts.
COI is now in the process of setting up an approved suppliers list of behaviour change experts that Government can call upon to help solve behaviour change challenges. It is expected to be available for use by the end of this year.
COI is also currently developing a new best practice approach to the holistic evaluation of all government communications, which will take account of the findings made in this report.
Topics: 2009, behavior, behaviour, Britain, campaigns, climate cahnge stop smoking, COI, communication, evaluation, Governance
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