Our approach
Our SBCC Methodology: Discover, Design, Deploy, Measure
Our SBCC methodology is a clear four-step process: WE Discover the barriers, WE Design with EAST and human-centered design, WE Deploy toolkits and nudges, and WE Measure impact with rigorous MEL.
Our SBCC methodology in one view
Behavior change work goes wrong when teams jump straight to messages. Our SBCC methodology slows down the start and speeds up the end. We spend time understanding people, then move quickly to tested, practical solutions.
The four steps are simple to remember:
- WE Discover (behavioral insights & barriers)
- WE Design (applying EAST & human-centered design)
- WE Deploy (communication toolkits & nudges)
- WE Measure impact (rigorous MEL)
Each step answers one question before we move to the next, so decisions are made on evidence rather than habit.
The process works at any scale, from a single clinic or product launch to a multi-country program. What changes is the depth of research and the size of the team, not the logic behind each step.
Step 1: WE Discover
01
Behavioral insights & barriers
We start by understanding the behavior and the people. We review your data and materials, then spend time with your audience and the people who influence them.
Questions we answer
- Who needs to do what, and when?
- What helps them act, and what gets in the way?
- Where in the journey do people drop off?
What you get
A clear behavioral problem statement, a ranked list of barriers and drivers, and audience insights your whole team can use.
Step 2: WE Design
02
Applying EAST & human-centered design
We turn insight into ideas, and ideas into prototypes. We use the EAST framework (Easy, Attractive, Social, Timely) together with human-centered design, so solutions are shaped with the audience, not just for them.
Questions we answer
- Which barriers matter most to solve first?
- What would make the behavior easy and natural?
- Do people understand and trust the idea?
What you get
Tested concepts, a message framework, nudge designs and a clear plan for rollout.
Step 3: WE Deploy
03
Communication toolkits & nudges
We help you launch. That can mean finished communication toolkits, redesigned forms and scripts, digital prompts, or guidance for frontline teams and partners.
Questions we answer
- What does each partner need to deliver well?
- How do we keep quality high across sites or countries?
- What should we watch closely in the first weeks?
What you get
Ready-to-use toolkits and nudges, plus launch support so your team is confident from day one.
Step 4: WE Measure impact
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Rigorous MEL
We measure behavior, not just reach. Monitoring keeps rollout on track, evaluation shows what changed, and learning reviews decide what to do next.
Questions we answer
- Did people actually change?
- For whom did it work, and for whom not?
- What should we keep, change or stop?
What you get
Behavior-based indicators, evaluation findings and a learning plan. See SBCC monitoring and evaluation for detail.
Why the order matters
It is tempting to start with the fun part: the campaign, the app, the poster. Skipping Discover is the single most common reason behavior change programs underperform.
When teams design before they understand the barrier, they often solve the wrong problem. A beautiful message about the benefits of a service won't help if the real issue is that the service opens after people have gone to work.
Equally, launching without a plan to measure leaves you guessing. You may never know which part of the program made the difference, or whether anything did.
Our four steps protect against both mistakes. Discover keeps design honest. Measure keeps deployment accountable. And because the process is a loop, what we learn at the end feeds straight into the next round of discovery.
That loop is also why the approach scales well. A small pilot in one county or market can be tested, improved and then expanded with confidence, because each round leaves behind evidence the next team can build on.
Grounded in global practice
Our SBCC methodology is consistent with widely used guidance from the field, including the strategic approach shared by Breakthrough ACTION and RESEARCH and the socio-ecological view of behavior used by many major programs.
What we add is practicality. Every step of the SBCC methodology ends in something you can use, and every recommendation is tested against the realities of the places you work.
How the methodology connects to our services
You can use the full process end to end, or bring us in for a single step. Either way, the pieces connect, so a strategy leads naturally into design, and design into measurement. Each of our four services applies the SBCC methodology with a different emphasis:
- SBCC Strategy & Campaign Design leans on Discover and Design.
- Behavioral Audits & Nudge Design focuses on Design and Deploy.
- Capacity Building & Workshops teaches the full SBCC methodology to your team.
- M&E & Impact Assessments delivers the Measure step.
Want to see how it would apply to your program? Book a discovery call.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
What is an SBCC methodology?
An SBCC methodology is the step-by-step process used to plan, design, deliver and evaluate social and behavior change communication. Ours has four steps: WE Discover, WE Design, WE Deploy and WE Measure impact.
Do we have to use all four steps?
No. Some clients bring us in for one step, such as an evaluation or a design sprint. The SBCC methodology still guides the work, so each piece connects to the others and nothing important is skipped.
How is your SBCC methodology different from others?
It is deliberately simple and practical. It blends global frameworks like EAST and human-centered design with the field sense of an Africa-based team, and it always ends with measuring real behavior, not just reach.
Is the methodology only for communication campaigns?
No. The same SBCC methodology applies to service design, product adoption, policy implementation and digital tools, anywhere results depend on people doing something differently.