USAID Advancing Nutrition sponsored the 2022 International Social and Behavior Change Communication (SBCC) Summit as part of USAID’s global commitment to combating malnutrition and safeguarding the lives of women and children. Nutrition social and behavior change (SBC) communication resources, innovations, and learning were featured at the SBCC Summit, including project-led events and presentations. The global gathering in Marrakech, Morocco took place from December 5–9, 2022, and brought together SBCC practitioners across disciplines to focus creativity, technical expertise, and innovation on sustainable development goals including hunger and nutrition to achieve significant and sustainable change.
USAID Advancing Nutrition staff convened experts to showcase and discuss "What Works in Nutrition SBC" and lead skill-building sessions on nutrition-specific and nutrition-sensitive innovations, facilitated discussions on quality SBC and capacity strengthening, and delivered presentations highlighting the project’s work.
Auxiliary Event
What Works in Nutrition SBC?
An event for nutrition SBC practitioners and those interested in nutrition led participants to together reflect on what works, identify resources and share experiences. Facilitated by Laura Itzkowitz, Nutrition SBC Advisor, USAID; Mike Manske, nutrition advisor, USAID; Meghan Anson, senior nutrition advisor, USAID; Qwamel Hanks, nutrition advisor, USAID; and Kelsey Torres, program specialist USAID Advancing Nutrition and Kate Dickin, associate professor, Cornell University and USAID Advancing Nutrition.
Skills-Building Workshops
Generating Demand for Healthy Diets: Practical Lessons from Private Sector Marketing
A hands-on session to identify and apply insights from the private sector to generate demand for healthy diets. Facilitated by Meghan Anson and Qwamel Hanks, nutrition advisors, USAID; Shaneka Thurman, SBC advisor, USAID Advancing Nutrition, and Amelia Giancarlo, program officer, USAID Advancing Nutrition.
Adapting High-Quality Illustrations from the IYCF Digital Image Bank—No Art Skills Necessary!
Interactive workshop to adapt IYCF Digital Image Bank image files for use in your program’s local context. Facilitated by Laura Itzkowitz, nutrition SBC advisor, USAID; Meghan Anson, senior nutrition advisor, USAID; and Andrew Cunningham, specialist, USAID Advancing Nutrition; and Peggy Koniz-Boohr, senior technical advisor, USAID Advancing Nutrition.
The Keys to Quality SBC from Start to Finish: Practice with Nutrition
Interactive, hands-on workshop to learn and practice quality SBC processes using examples related to young children’s diets. In the digital workbook for program practitioners on Enhancing Complementary Feeding. Facilitated by Laura Itzkowitz, nutrition SBC advisor, USAID; Kelsey Torres, program specialist, USAID Advancing Nutrition; and Shaneka Thurman, SBC advisor, USAID Advancing Nutrition.
- What is Social and Behavior Change? Video
- New Tools for High-Quality Nutrition Social and Behavior Change Programming
- Measuring Social and Behavior Change in Nutrition Programs: A Guide for Evaluators Nutrition
Blue Skies Presentations
Seeking Shared Meaning in Social Norms Approaches for Sustained Behavior Change: The Challenge Dialogue Continues
Following a 2020 challenge dialogue and paper on social norms and (SBC), this dialogue will grapple with four remaining challenges. Laura Itzkowitz, nutrition SBC advisor, USAID summarized the key learning across the challenges. Review a related guide on responding to social norms within nutrition-sensitive or nutrition-specific programming for more information on the topics covered.
Supporting Local Leadership Skills Development for Social and Behavior Change
This dialogue explored opportunities to strengthen local leadership for SBC in nutrition and other programming. Andrew Cunningham, specialist, USAID Advancing Nutrition, led the discussion.
Oral Presentation
Less is More: Prioritizing Behaviors for Effective Multi-Sectoral Nutrition SBC
Mike Manske, nutrition advisor, USAID, shared a donor’s perspective on prioritizing behaviors in multi-sectoral programs and how this works in practice. Co-authors of the presentation are Laura Itzkowitz, nutrition SBC advisor, USAID; Andrea Warren, nutrition research advisor, USAID; and Kelsey Torres, specialist, USAID Advancing Nutrition. The prioritization tool helps multi-sectoral nutrition program planners and implementers achieve effective social and behavior change by sharpening their focus on fewer behaviors.
Poster Presentations
Getting It Right! Stepwise SBC Best Practice through User-Tested Tools
A suite of stepwise, user-tested tools to help programmers achieve high-quality nutrition SBC across the program cycle. Presented by Kelsey Torres, specialist, USAID Advancing Nutrition; and Amelia Giancarlo, program pfficer, USAID Advancing Nutrition. Mamoudou Djibo Khaled, USAID Advancing Nutrition Niger’s SBC advisor, also shared experiences testing and refining the Using Research to Design an SBC Strategy tool with a focus on increasing intake of vitamin A and iron in Niger.
Learning from Health Providers: Quality Counseling for Child Nutrition
Recommendations from health workers in Ghana and Nepal to improve counseling during growth monitoring and promotion (GMP) services, recognizing their high capacity and need for more enabling environments. Presented by Kelsey Torres, specialist, USAID Advancing Nutrition.
What Does It Take to Provide Nurturing Care? Measuring Caregiver Resources
An online toolkit of measures of caregiver resources—intangible resources linked to caregivers' physical and psychological well-being—help programmers and designers understand and improve program outcomes. Presented by Kate Dickin, associate professor, Cornell University and USAID Advancing Nutrition.
Learning from Experience: Findings from an SBC Review of USAID Development Food Security Activities
Shifts in how the USAID Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance supports partners to strengthen SBC based on a review of social and behavior change methods and approaches used in 11 programs carried out by the Office of Food for Peace. Presented by Mike Manske, nutrition advisor, USAID. Co-authors of the presentation are Andrea Warren, nutrition research advisor, USAID and Mary Packard-Winkler, independent consultant.