Practice Guide: Behaviour Change Communication during Crisis

Nonprofits such as civil society organisations are challenged with three main communication issues around COVID-19: promoting health behaviours, mobilising resources, and ensuring smooth remote operations. Behaviour science can help to address all these challenges through message framing, design of user experience, and other nudges. Funded by the European Union (EU), this toolbox provides tips, templates, and messages that are based on different behaviour science techniques. Its sections include:

1. Communication about health behaviours - Suggestions for creating a strong message around preventive behaviours include:
   • Instead of motivating people to stay at home/wash their hands/keep physical distance with general phrases, address the reasons why they are not doing it now.
   • Personalise the communication as much as possible, mentioning a specific group of people to which the intended audience belongs, or even addressing specific people by name.
   • Indicate who exactly is addressing the intended audience, and give a brief explanation of why you should be trusted.
   • Visualise the consequences of people's actions as much as possible, and bring them closer in time.
   • Replace the prohibition of an old behaviour pattern with examples of a new behaviour pattern in such a way that people feel confident in their actions and can control the situation.
   • Demonstrate that the vast majority of people are already doing the right thing, and this is valued in society.
   • Divide the generalised requirement into clear specific steps and make them attractive for the intended audience.
   • Reduce the delay between receiving a message by people and the time they can act. Remind your audience of the proper behavioural pattern while they still have the opportunity to perform it.
2. Mobilisation of resources - Suggestions for involving people in supporting those in need:
   • Choose the right moment.
   • Show that charitable aid is the norm in society.
   • Encourage positive personal feelings.
   • Emphasise the specific positive outcomes of charitable aid.
   • Remove possible obstacles to aid giving.
   • Use the default option.
   • Help people plan future charitable aid.
   • Modify the conditions to the option you need.
   • Show appreciation and approval.
   • Show the results of charitable aid.
3. Crisis communication plan - Templates are offered for many of the following steps in the plan: Identify the risks; prepare a message; set up procedures that are easy to follow; assign those responsible; assign a Rapid Action Team; establish internal communication and regularly communicate with your employees; regularly inform your external audiences; keep your partners and donors abreast of developments; stay in touch with the local community; and analyse your actions.
4. Building an internal communication strategy - Suggestions for coordinating and motivating employees and volunteers include:
   • Rotate employees' updates in meetings - give all your employees an opportunity to share their most important news.
   • Initiate informal joint lunches (even if they are virtual now) to listen more deeply to your employees and find out what's happening and what is changing.
   • Introduce tools or programmes for knowledge exchange (for example, special internal direct e-mailing, intranet, video conferences, etc.).
   • Create a monthly official mailout from the management about key updates and developments that the entire team receives.
   • Arrange question and answer sessions with both new and experienced employees to build stronger personal connections.
   • Start the meeting by focusing on the positive characteristics of the organisation - for example, with the phrase "Do you know why I like working here?"
5. Remote work setup - Among the suggestions are: Try to start your morning with good news; do not neglect your own physical or mental health; communicate with your team thoughtfully; set clear targets and meet them; and plan something new and inspiring for the future.
6. Behaviour change resources - Features short descriptions of, and links to, relevant books, online resources, videos, courses, and podcasts.