The Context

In 2020, UNICEF’s Communication for Development (C4D) Global Team embarked on an organisation change management journey to redefine itself as a leader in Social and Behavior Change (SBC), in order to address the evolving challenges facing children and young people. To do so, UNICEF established the need to develop a package of capacity development materials and learning products for UNICEF staff and partners so that they can successfully deliver SBC programmes and results. To support UNICEF HQ with this global shift MAGENTA worked with UNICEF HQ SBC and global SBC specialists to design, develop and disseminate online learning products based on UNICEF’s SBC programme guidance. Our team produced an e-learning course, known as the SBC Building Blocks, and led the production of an SBC Expert Film Series.

The SBC Building Blocks course is meant to empower UNICEF staff around the world with a foundational and consistent knowledge of SBC best-practice and how to apply SBC principles to their work. This 19-module course was designed to include theory and operational approaches to ensure engagement and sustainability for internal UNICEF staff as well as key external stakeholders including government officials, civil society organisations, implementing partners and policymakers. The course was made available on UNICEF’s AGORA platform in autumn 2023.

The SBC Expert Film Series included eight SBC global experts from universities, governments and think tanks who shared their learnings and expertise at a strategic, senior level for UNICEF senior staff including the chief of SBC, chief of programmes and executive directors.

Objectives

Foster a common understanding among staff and partners about:

1. What is SBC?

2. How does SBC contribute to UNICEF programme results?

3. Knowledge of key terms and concepts related to SBC

What we did

1. SBC Expert Film Series:

   • The SBC Expert Film Series was developed to engage and motivate senior-level managers around SBC and social and behavioural sciences in order to provide them with a sophisticated learning experience led by an SBC expert to offer their expertise.

   • MAGENTA identified and partnered with eight international SBC experts to participate in the series.

   • The series, “Ten Minutes with an SBC Expert”, shows the experts discussing their own experiences and the relevance to UNICEF’s work around the world, and the opportunities UNICEF can use to enhance their programming.

2. SBC Building Blocks:

   • The SBC Building Blocks Course establishes and defines a common set of foundational SBC terms, approaches, and concepts among UNICEF staff and partners. The course has primarily been designed for non-SBC programme specialists working across a range of development sectors. However, it also strengthens SBC specialists’ engagement and incorporation with SBC into their approaches.

   • The Building Blocks modules complement each other to build internal support for the vision shift from C4D to SBC. The course is comprised of 19 short micro-modules that focus on key SBC-related terms, approaches, methods, and concepts. Based on the objective of the Building Blocks Course, MAGENTA partnered with UNICEF to script, design, develop, and launch the course on AGORA

How we did it

Ten minutes with an SBC expert:

1. In partnership with UNICEF, MAGENTA developed the scope, feel, and look of the SBC Expert Film Series.

2. Leveraging MAGENTA’s network, international SBC experts were identified to participate in the series.

3. . MAGENTA led the filming and production of each SBC Expert film in close collaboration with production partners.

4. UNICEF launched the series on the SBC YouTube channel and amplified the content through the guidance provided in MAGENTA’s PR and dissemination plan.

SBC building blocks course:

1. In partnership with UNICEF, MAGENTA developed an interactive course which included dialogue between two characters - Leila and Kamari – who guided the viewer through each module.

2. . Through the development of the course, MAGENTA created outlines of the key topics and content that each module would discuss.

3. MAGENTA developed scripts and storyboards that included examples and mini quizzes to further explain concepts and definitions.

4. Before publishing the course, MAGENTA conducted user testing with UNICEF to identify any areas that needed to be further developed or revised.

5. Based on the user testing with UNICEF, MAGENTA integrated UNICEF’s feedback into the course.

6. The SBC Building Blocks Course was launched on AGORA and shared with regional and country offices globally.

Impact

The SBC Expert Film Series and SBC Building Blocks will allow UNICEF and their external partners to better understand and imbed SBC principles and approaches to better deliver on behalf of UNICEF’s mandate globally.

They will:

• Strengthen and increase the incorporation of SBC into UNICEF and their external partners’ programmes and initiatives which will promote positive behaviour changes among individuals and communities.

• Support the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals due to their interdisciplinary manner and being conducive to all 17 SDGs.

• Provide reason and explanation to ensure that the viewer understands the importance of behavioural science as well as the information needed to recognise how it can bring about individual and collective change within different industries and contexts.