NOURISH Project SBCC Strategy

The project aims to reduce malnutrition among women and children under two years of age in 555 under-served rural villages across Battambang, Pursat, and Siem Reap provinces. NOURISH works to improve the nutritional status of women and children through four complementary strategic objectives: strengthening community delivery platforms, creating demand for health, WASH, and agriculture practices, expanding the supply of agriculture and WASH products, and enhancing the capacity of government and civil society for integrated nutrition. Social and Behavior Change Communication (SBCC) is a core project approach to reaching these objectives. The development of the SBCC program and activities will be guided by the strategy laid out in this document. The project followed the Behavior-Centered Programming (BCP) process to develop its SBCC strategy and plan. This process combines an understanding of evidence-based behaviors linked to improving overall program health and nutrition outcomes with what is acceptable and feasible for program audiences. NOURISH initiated the BCP process in 2014 by mapping the pathways to reaching the program goal: reduced prevalence of stunting in NOURISH's three provinces. For each critical program area or pathway, NOURISH defined a set of evidence-based behaviors proven to impact poor growth in young children. A literature review on childcare and feeding practices in Cambodia illuminated underlying cultural and religious beliefs, practices, and evidence of what has worked from recent nutrition programs. To fill remaining gaps, NOURISH conducted a qualitative inquiry to understand actual perceptions, beliefs, and practices, especially in the households of particularly vulnerable families. The project identified barriers and motivations for families to realize the full spectrum of key nutrition-enhancing behaviors within NOURISH's specific catchment area. Based on this inquiry, additional reviews of research and other project assessments, NOURISH developed detailed program plans to ensure that all barriers (including those that are structural, financial, and social/psychological) are addressed so that vulnerable families have every opportunity to benefit from project offerings. NOURISH's key social and behavior objectives include promoting rural families' knowledge and active role in improving nutrition and young child growth. The project aims to create a social norm where community agents, community leaders, and local entrepreneurs are aware of and actively involved in improving nutrition and young child growth. The project also seeks to promote the consumption and utilization of adequate nutrients, as well as the abnormal loss of nutrients due to illness, and the environment in which a child develops. The project will implement various SBCC activities to support the overall NOURISH project and its aim to reduce stunting. These activities will be guided by the strategy laid out in this document and will focus on promoting evidence-based behaviors, social factors, and social and behavioral analysis. The project will also conduct audience analysis and segmentation, feasible and acceptable social and behavior change objectives, barriers to and facilitators for change, and the role of communication in achieving social and behavior change objectives.