Benin - Communication Consultants Report

Main epidemiological data:

• Number of case of polio in 2004: 7 cases
• OPV Coverage after the February - March 2004 Round: (Rate adm. 96% to 104% - Rate enq: 82% to 99%)
• OPV Coverage after the October 2004: (Rate adm: 94% to 104% - Rate enq: N/A, Realized Enq the 22 to October 24)

Main sociological data:

• Country anchored deeply in the ancestral beliefs (Vodoun), the revealed religions and the new churches.
• Shares the same cultural-socio region with Nigeria (inhabitants of the border zones Yarouba, Nagos and Batonous).
• Very intense migratory flux all along the border zones with Nigeria
• Three ethnic groups (the Lokpas, the Yoms and the Nagots) live in religious community at risk of passageway spreading from Djougou in Tchaourou.
• Relatively steady peace, with good freedom of speech and multiple spoken and written press institutions. Two private televisions.
• Leadership is between the hands of the traditional authorities, nuns and the healers. Benin has more than sixty nationalities and speak more than 60 different languages.

Communication Objectives:

• To train the staff on the organisation of the National Immunisation Days (NIDs), the responsibilities of the vaccinators, and the risks of non-vaccination.
• To reinforce the capacities of the media staff on the analysis of the behaviour, in order to construct suitable messages so that the populations of their coverage zones vaccinate the children of 0 to 5 years.
• To cover the country in information on the organisation of the NIDs, to the responsibilities of the vaccinators and the risks of non-respect of these responsibilities.
• To contribute to the setting up of an effective material and technical organisation to guarantee quality NIDs.
• To bring the guardians of children of less than 5 years to take the OPV irregardless of their previous vaccination status.

Local Communication Committees

Strengths

• Committees were struck at all department levels involved in the campaign.

Weaknesses

• Committees seem to exist in principle more than in practice. They do not appear functional at the level of the department.

Action Points

• There is fear that there is very little action possible to activate such committees for the 4th round.
• It seems more useful to sustain the collaborations that exist between institutions (enters MSP and MFPSS).

Area Communication

Strengths

• The voluntary vaccinators have been identified (better than in the past) down to the level of their work villages
• They already have a lot of information on the areas of vaccination and on the targets down to the level of every household
• The public criers are always available to play their part

Weaknesses

• In some areas of vaccination it was very difficult to find some volunteers capable to hold the directional/information cards
• The public criers don't always have some just information

Action Points

• Minimising risks by giving training of very good quality (especially with practice of every volunteer)

Interagency Partnerships

Strengths

• The members of the CCIA have all fully participated to the preparation of the NIDs
• This strong involvement facilitated the identification of complementary sources of financing

Weaknesses

• In general, the preparatory meetings of the NIDs began too late
• The meetings of the CCIA didn't permit to consideration about fund on all questions (especially of communication) in order to find adequate solutions

Action Points

• At this level, very few corrective actions appear possible for the 4th round
• Considering a sustained specific initiatives with Unicef for communication activities (e.g. formation of the public criers)

NGO Partnerships


Strengths

• The Benin Rotary is part of the preparation team of preparation

Weaknesses

• There was not a partnership with the local NGOs (budgetary limits)
• The local NGOs specialised in communication are not very visible
• They would need a lot of input, but could be efficient

Action Points

• To identify and to form the NGOs having some capacities in IEC/CCC rigorously and engage them in specific zones

Media

Strengths

• Mass media contributed to the preparation and the coverage of the NIDs
• The training of the main mass media animators has been decentralised (by department)
• Documentation prepared for all organs

Weaknesses

• All press organs have not been approached (budgetary limits) and this has created dissatisfactions
• A system of systematic follow-up of the diffusion of the broadcasts has not been put in place

Action Points

• To do a fast assessment of the broadcasts before the 4th round (tool already conceived)
• To put in place the fast assessment system for the media cover of the 4th round

Interpersonal Communication Module Development

(For vaccinators, supervisors, mobilizers)

Strengths

• Training documents exist for the staff of the proximity medium (1), the persons responsible of the health centres of Township and precinct (2) as well as for the vaccinators (3)

Weaknesses

• These documents are centred more on the organisation of the intervention that on the interpersonal communication training for the vaccinators
• The principles and techniques of adult training are not evoked in these documents (1 and 2) whereas the health staff are training of the vaccinators

Training of the Main Actors Insured

Strengths

• All actors have been trained on the organisation and the stakes of the NID
• Interpersonal communication information has been integrated into the Vaccinator's Guide

Weaknesses

• The time and financial resources didn't permit giving information on interpersonal communication to some actors at the Township and Precinct levels

Action Points

• To make a comparative assessment of the quality of the training and to analyse the main factors of influence

Decentralisation

Strengths

• Microscheduling carried out at the departmental level
• Communication activities were widely discussed but saw limited intervention
• Communication activities specifically targeted at refusal households were the subject of intervention at the national level, cooperation with township leaders was included

Weaknesses

• The information, interdictions and injunctions associated Interpersonal communication activities are unclear
• Cartography activities have not been integrated into the microplans

Action Points

• To evaluate the impacts of the interpersonal communication activities on the 3rd round and to draw from it lessons and action plans appropriate for the 4th round
• To assess the importance, the shape and the implementation of the cartography activities

Involvement of all partners

Strengths

• WHO and the Unicef participated in the scheduling exercises

Weaknesses

• The CCIA did not participate in the scheduling exercises within various departments
• Local partners (departmental and local administrative) did not participate in scheduling either

Action Points

• To lead reflections on the most suitable strategies to integrate the set of the partners (local and international) to the processes of multi-tiered scheduling

Financial Allocation to Microplanning Activities

Strengths

Resources placed at disposal are;
• essentially financial (by the financial backers in the CCIA),
• logistical and technical by the MSP
• financial (left) by the Government

Weaknesses

• These resources have been placed very late at disposal
• The identification of the complementary resources was very uncertain
• Resources have not been allocated until the last days that precede the NIDs

Action Points

• The actions to lead are a matter for the governmental action. But it is indispensable that the NIDs get ready so that resources are identified before the dates of the NIDs

Internal Level (UNICEF)

Strengths

• The Consultants have a supervisor that helps to plan and manage the relations with Unicef (national and regional)

Weaknesses

• The communication with regional Unicef was not more possible after the briefing of Dakar

Action Points

• To use the local consultants to push the government
• To answer the requirements of Unicef (office and computer) to raise the difficulties of communication.

External Level (Coordination between UNICEF national partners)

Strengths

• Unicef seems to be the ''leader'' of the vaccination in Benin
• Coordination of the activities between Unicef and the national partners are very fluid and very efficient
• Coordination with the CCIA makes itself by the government (the MSP)
• The coordination of the actions seems better than the NIDs of February and March

Weaknesses

• The difficulties of communication that exist are bound to the delays observed in the transmission of the project documents for review before decision making
• The weight given to the quality of the NIDs and the credibility of the results to the local level would be difficult to reach due to a lack of work resources at the level of the local medical staff (e.g. townships without vehicles, the supervision and the coordination of interventions is impossible)

Action Points

• The quality of the training is not only bound to resources but also to the capacities concerned for scheduling
• The setting up of resources involves advocacy to the government's level, of the Unicef, of the WHO

Central Level: Positioning of Inputs

Strengths

• Timely delivery of the vaccines by the partner institutional UNICEF to the level central DNPEV

Weaknesses

• Delay in the intermediate distribution of the vaccines
• An excessive centralisation in the management of the mobilisation documents, training, fuel and the DSA
• Effective distribution of the inputs did not occur until the eve and for some zones, the very day

Action Points

• Effective empowerment of the chief logistical service of the DNPEV
• Dispersion of rolling stocks in time

On the Ground Level

Strengths

• Marking of the children’s houses is globally satisfactory
• Recruitment and formation of the vaccinators occurred on time
• Cold chain is well maintained

Engagement of the leaders (religious, administrative, celebrities)

Strengths

• Elected politicians, religious leaders and local heads participated massively in the activities
• Artist ZOULE SANGARE composed a song of engagement in favour of the OPV

Weaknesses

• Some persons responsible of the FAITH APOSTOLIC BATINGUE continue to resist
• Some elected politicians that are weary have opted for the violence and strength to defeat this religious community

Action Points

• Organisation of a meeting of exchange and advocacy with the Pasteur of the apostolic Faith and about ten of his immediate evangelists
• Invitation of the considerable and elected premises to the patience facing the behaviours of the adepts of the Apostolic Faith

Development and Diffusion of the messages by the Media

Strengths

• Even some no-contracted media outlets provided airtime and space in their pages

Weaknesses

• There is a lack of tools for control and monitoring of the diffusion of messages (days, frequencies, hours, etc.)
• Inadequate financing limits the number of media outlets that can be employed
• Health agents were largely unavailable for interviews with the press

Action Points

• Securing of better prices form most operational media
• Organisation at the departmental level of work lunches with representatives of the media organisations under contract

Fast Assessment System

Strengths

• The follow-up this round was very close and very efficient concerning correction of the mistakes, of provision in cards, chalk, accumulators, vaccines, etc
• The fast assessment system of data gathering and computerisation has been put in place

Weaknesses

• There was not a efficient system of notification of the difficulties in the interpersonal relations

Action Points

• To inform and to instruct the vaccinators on the immediate notification of the cases of refusal
• An assessment of the broadcasts distributed by the media of proximity will be made (a tool of collection of the information exists)

Budget

Weaknesses

• Financial resources destined for the financing of the activities of information and communication started at the earliest on the eve of the 1st day, while in general these resources arrived to the level of the Townships, after the NIDs

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