Audience research for improving family planning communication programs

This manual, part of a 3-part series, describes how to carry out audience research, analyze the results, and incorporate them into an IEC program for FP. Following a discussion of the validity and importance of the IEC concept, an indepth explanation is provided in Chapter II of the practical purpose of audience research as an aid in developing an IEC strategy for increasing voluntary contraceptive use. Audience research assesses the current household FP situation and factors that influence acceptance of FP, and identifies the most effective channels of communication. Chapter II concludes with a review of the uses of data collected with a sample questionnaire (provided in Chapter III). Methodological considerations in audience sampling and encoding of the data are then pointed out. Ultimately, the value of research lies in careful analysis and application of the data in designing an IEC strategy, as discussed in the final two chapters.