Integrating Conflict Perspective into "Behavioral Strategy": Planning Tools

"Integrating a conflict lens requires a good understanding of the conflict context, its actors and its impact on the Immunization Program."

This planning tool is designed to ensure the integration of a conflict perspective into social and behaviour change (SBC) programming for polio eradication, taking into account the unique challenges and facilitating factors that exist in insecure and conflict-affected environments. It seeks to equip programme staff with actionable tools and strategies to overcome the barriers that exist in fragile environments and to ensure that all children are reached with polio vaccines.    

As explained in the document, "Of the 541 children affected by polio worldwide in 2023, 85% live in 31 fragile, conflict affected or vulnerable countries. Polio cases in these countries have more than doubled over the past five years. Inaccessibility, insecurity, political instability and logistical complexity are key factors contributing to the transmission of the polio virus in conflict-affected countries such as Nigeria, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Somalia and Yemen. There is a need to be more specific when developing SBC strategy to meet the unique challenges of vaccine demand in security-compromised contexts. To do this, a conflict perspective needs to be integrated into the SBC planning process."

The planning tool is designed to:  
 

• Ensure that behavioural issues related to the conflict context are considered when developing the SBC strategy and that context-specific and tailored interventions are implemented in security-compromised areas; and
• Ensure that the challenges/barriers to immunisation in the context of security compromised areas are identified and addressed through specific, tailored, and targeted strategies to reach all children.

The planning tool provides a number of practical frameworks and templates, or adjustments to existing frameworks and templates, for tailoring interventions in insecure settings. They include:
 

• A mapping and conflict analysis framework
• A stakeholder prioritisation framework that takes into consideration different stakeholders that may exist within conflict settings
• A social profiling framework to develop an accurate picture of a community
• Suggested adjustments to an existing behavioural strategy template that follows these four steps: defining the problem, identifying solutions, determining how (which communication channels and partnerships), and taking action - adjustments that are meant to be applied to an existing template for designing an SBC strategy, which is outlined in "Behavioural Strategy to Prepare and Respond to cVDPV and Introduction of nOPV2" [PDF]
• Suggested adjustment to an existing microplanning template that takes into consideration the mapping of insecure areas, addressing cross-border challenges, and aligning budgets with operational needs in security-compromised settings.

To learn about real-world applications of conflict-sensitive SBC programming, see the "SBC in Conflict: Training Module for Polio Outbreak Response" under Related Summaries, below.