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The IMMPaCt (International Micronutrient Malnutrition Prevention and Control) Program at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has developed and is ready to distribute the Micronutrient Edition of CDCynergy.

CDCynergy provides a systematic approach to planning a successful communication intervention. CDCynergy is a CD-Rom based tool, created by CDC, which provides a framework for planning, implementing, managing, and evaluating health communication programs within a public health context. The Micronutrient Edition of CDCynergy contains a basic planning framework with an action-oriented workbook plus a micronutrient library and specific case examples from micronutrient communication programs throughout the world.

Each of the case examples was adapted from actual international micronutrient communication projects conducted by various agencies. The case examples include:

• Social Marketing of Multiple Vitamin/Mineral Supplements in Bolivia (AED and PSI)
• Vitamin A supplementation in Ghana - MOH Nutrition Unit and USAID Micronutrient Program (MOST)
• Iron supplementation in Indonesia - Program for Appropriate Technology in Health (PATH)
• Iodized salt national campaign in Pakistan -MOH and Population Services International (PSI)
• Vitamin A diet diversification in Thailand- Institute of Nutrition, Mahidol University (INMU)

Outline of CDCynergy

Phase 1: Problem Definition and Description (Descriptive Epidemiology)
• Identify and define health problems that may be addressed by your program interventions.
• Examine and/or conduct necessary research to describe the problems.
• Assess factors and variables that can affect the project's direction, including strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT).

Phase 2: Problem Analysis (Analytic Epidemiology)
• List causes of each problem you plan to address.
• Develop goals for each problem.
• Consider strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats, and ethics of health engineering, communication/education, policy/enforcement, and community service intervention options.
• Select the types of intervention(s) that should be used to address the problem(s).

Phase 3: Identifying and Profiling Audiences
• Decide whether communication is needed as a dominant intervention and/or as support for other intervention(s).
• Conduct necessary audience research to segment intended audiences.
• Select audience segment(s) and write communication objectives for each audience segment.
• Write a creative brief to provide guidance in selecting appropriate concepts/messages, settings, activities, and materials.

Phase 4: Developing Communication Strategies and Tactics
• Develop and test concepts, messages, settings, channel-specific activities, and materials with intended audiences.
• Finalize and briefly summarize a communication implementation plan. The plan should include:

-Background and justification, including SWOT and ethics analyses
-Audiences
-Communication objectives
-Messages
-Settings and channels for conveying your messages
-Activities (including tactics, materials, and other methods)
-Available partners and resources
-Tasks and timeline (including persons responsible for each task, date for completion of each task, resources required to deliver each task, and points at which progress will be checked)
-Internal and external communication plan
-Budget
-Produce materials for dissemination.

Phase 5: Developing an Evaluation Plan
• Determine stakeholder information needs.
• Decide which types of evaluation (e.g., implementation, reach, effects) are needed to satisfy stakeholder information needs.
• Identify sources of information and select data collection methods.
• Formulate an evaluation design that illustrates how methods will be applied to gather credible information.
• Develop a data analysis and reporting plan.
• Finalize and briefly summarize an evaluation implementation plan. The plan should include:
— Stakeholder questions
— Intervention Standards
— Evaluation methods and design
— Data analysis and reporting
— Tasks and timeline (including persons responsible for each task, date for completion of each task, resources required to deliver each task, and points at which progress will be checked)
— Internal and external communication plan
— Budget

Phase 6: Launch/Feedback
• Integrate, execute, and manage communication and evaluation plans.
• Document feedback and lessons learned.
• Modify program components based on feedback.
• Disseminate lessons learned and evaluation findings.

Summary of CDCynergy

After completing all of the phases of CDCynergy the user will have an integrated plan that outlines communication activities, evaluation of the planned activities, and management of the efforts to ensure that everything stays on target, on time, and on budget. Mechanisms will be in place that allow for anticipation, identification, and attention to potential threats to program efforts. A strategy for using evaluation findings to inform and improve your ongoing efforts will have also been created. Managing threats, and using evaluation feedback to improve program efforts, requires effective communication with partners and other stakeholders so that everyone is aware of adjustments being made to original plans.

For more information contact:

Micronutrient CDCynergy Manager (ebobrow@cdc.gov, and/or bga7@cdc.gov)
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
4470 Buford Highway, Mail stop K-25
Atlanta GA 30341 USA

 

Iron Deficiency Project Advisory Service International Nutrition Foundation Web site: http://www.micronutrient.org/IDPAS Email: idpas@inffoundation.org Phone (1-617) 636-3770 Fax: (1-617) 636-3781 Project Office: 150 Harrison Street, Boston, MA, 02111 Gerald J. & Dorothy R. Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University