Counting on Communication: The Uganda Nutrition and Early Childhood Development Project

Meaningful messages matter. This was one of many lessons learned from the Uganda Nutrition and Early Child Development Project (NECDP) experience. The incorporation of a strategic communication program was a key project innovation designed to support the adoption of new behavior needed to achieve positive health and development outcomes. Explicitly integrated early in the project design phase, the communication strategy grounded on empirical research, helped in framing the development issues, in understanding and identifying barriers to positive behavior, in segmenting target audiences and in crafting persuasive and relevant messages conveyed through effective channels of communication. Equally important, the communication strategy also focused on securing policy and political commitment at the national level through advocacy efforts to increase awareness, to build consensus among parliamentarians and policymakers who can provide the leadership and to marshal resources needed for long-term support to nutrition and child development initiatives. Evidence from the project’s longitudinal evaluation study confirms positive impacts of improved health and nutritional status, improved knowledge and practices in childcare, increased demand for schooling and health and nutrition services. Reinforcing messages from both upstream and downstream communication activities were designed to support successful project outcomes. This was achieved through building coalitions of support and developing national champions of nutrition and child development programs while at the same time educating and motivating parents and caregivers to adopt positive behavior change in the care, feeding active learning of children. This case study documents the project experience in integrating communication in the project design, in developing the overall communication strategy, and in evaluating communication activities that helped achieve project outcomes.