Change Magazine: Why Don't You Just Behave!

"UNICEF staff and SBC experts have not been shy, pouring into these pages the early triumphs, the bumps along the way and the challenges that lie ahead."

Produced by Common Thread and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), this magazine explores the evolution of social and behaviour change (SBC) at UNICEF and beyond, looking at where SBC has come from, the current situation, and what it should look like going forward. In particular, it charts the organisational change process launched within UNICEF in 2020 that led to the evolution of the communication for development (C4D) approach to an approach that focuses more on science-driven change programmes and the complexity of human decision-making. Through case studies, data on SBC's growing prominence and impact, and articles that focus on what is needed, the magazine seeks to underscore the role of community engagement, behavioural science, system strengthening, and data collection to address ongoing development and humanitarian challenges, especially as they affect children.

The short articles and contributions, which include infographics, staff correspondence, colourful illustrations, and fun components (such as an "agony aunt" column and a crossword puzzle), represent the reflections and perspectives of UNICEF staff and SBC experts from across the globe. As Omar Abdi, Deputy Executive Director, Programmes, UNICEF HQ, explains in the Foreword: "With the largest institutional workforce in this field, UNICEF has the potential to influence SBC policy and practice. We can support governments and operational stakeholders to reshape national systems to leverage behavioural innovations and community-driven solutions. We can pave the path towards social and relief services that align with the needs, values, dynamics and norms of communities. Most of all, we can do this while building trust to better prepare us for the crises to come... The efforts described in this publication illustrate the dedication of our staff: to innovating relentlessly, challenging ourselves endlessly and striving for technical excellence in the fight for children's rights. I hope these pages inspire partners and spark investments that recognize SBC's critical role in accelerating progress and closing the gaps towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals - securing a better future for children and families all over the world."

The contents of the magazine are as follows: 

The World Ahead
 

• Wake up! We Need to Change the World
• When Kids Worry about the Future...
• The Road to 2030
• A Dispatch from Down the Line (Part I) 
   

Are the Kids Alright?
 

• Fated to Fall, Republic Fighting to Rise
• Is UNICEF Really Listening to Children?
• Kids in Crisis Means Kids in Charge

Decoding SBC
 

• Please Proceed to the Gate: Towards More Empathetic Social and Behaviour Change
• Think You Know SBC Backwards and Forwards?
• Where Are They Now? SBC's missing 'C'
• Recommended Reads and Listens from SBC Experts

SBC in Action
 

• Married off in Mozambique
• Talking in Circles (SBC In Depth)
• Reserved for Health - How SMS [short messaging service, or text] Could Boost HPV [human papillomavirus] Vaccination in Georgia
• Tuning into Parenthood - Nepal's Rope Guna Fal Takes on the Toughest Parenting Issues through Radio

UNICEF's Gear Change
 

• We Need More than Hammers to Rebuild the World!
• Tell Me, What's Changed
• SBC's Paper Trail
• A Tale of Two Apollos - Navigating Change within WHO [World Health Organization] and UNICEF
• Ask Aunty Shifty
• Three Stages of Change - Talking (Organisational) Shift at UNICEF

The State of the Sector
 

• Steps Forward and Backward for SBC
• Social Change at Scale: So Much More than LIP Service
• The Shift that Keeps on Giving: SBC Is More than Just in the Air at UNICEF
• BeSci or B.S.?
• All Song and No Dance? Making the Promise of SBC a Reality

Hot Topics
 

• Whose (De)fault Is It Anyway? Why Willpower Alone Won't Win the Battle with Your Skinny Jeans
• Reimagining Progress - Decolonization Wisdom from the Amazon

SBC in Action II
 

• SBC Works (UNICEF's Direct Impact Card Deck)
• Signs of Progress - Wayfinding Finds Its Way to Vaccination in Ghana
• Harvesting Hope - How Collective Action Is Tackling Chronic Undernutrition in Malawi

Next Frontiers for SBC
 

• Dodging the Silver Bullet - Why One Method Can't Solve It All
• You, Me and SBC
• Innovation for Everyone: 3 Ways to Go Further, Faster
• A Spoonful of HCD [human-centred design] - Helping Nutrition Spread with a Community-led Utensil Tweak
• New Kid on the Block or Invaluable Building Block? - Human-Centred Design in International Development

Forward Perspectives
 

• Drawing a Better Future for Our Planet: Can We Really Leave It up to Power Junkies and Status Addicts?
• All in the Face of the Digital Divide
• Farewell Beneficiaries, Welcome Change-Makers
• Stockpiling Trust

Closing Thoughts
 

• Three Letters, Six Actions, No Excuses
• A Wishlist for the Way Forward
• A Dispatch from Down the Line (Part 2)
• A Page of Applause