Developing Effective Communications Materials Training

This training report and guide, published by the GBV (gender based violence) Prevention Network, offers an overview of processes and strategies related to producing communications materials. It was developed as a result of a four and a half day communications materials workshop that took place from the October 6-9 2008, which included 27 participants from Uganda, Sudan, Ethiopia, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Tanzania, Rwanda, and Kenya. The goal of the workshop was to strengthen the knowledge and skills of members of the GBV Prevention Network in developing effective communication materials.

The workshop was designed to:

• increase understanding of participants about the various approaches and trends within the field of communication materials;
• strengthen capacity of participants to analyse strengths and weaknesses of existing GBV prevention communication materials;
• build practical skills in developing effective, positive communication materials for GBV prevention; and
• practice how to transform communication materials into programme tools that can be used to further the aims of GBV prevention programming.

The publication includes information about:

• communication theories;
• different communication strategies such as social marketing, information, education, communication (IEC), Behaviour Change Communication (BCC), and Communication for Social Change;
• the Stages of Change Theory;
• diversifying strategies, such as using print, electronic, and popular communications; and
• analysing communication materials according to the core principles, of see, feel, think, and do.