Communication for Behavioral Impact (COMBI): An overview of WHO's model for strategic social mobilization and communication

Communication for Behavioral Impact (COMBI) is a behavior communications model for social mobilization directed at the task of mobilizing societal and personal influences on individuals and families and, consequently prompt individual and family action with respect to specific recommended behaviors in health and social development. The 10-Step COMBI planning methodology emerged from work started in 1994 at New York University on integrated marketing communication applied to social development challenges, with the input also of UNICEF and UNFPA. It was later absorbed by WHO in its social mobilization work in Geneva in 2000. COMBI is a process, which blends strategically a variety of communication interventions intended to engage individuals and families in considering, adopting and maintaining recommended behaviors. Its methodology effectively integrates health education, information-education-communication (IEC), community mobilization, marketing and consumer communication techniques, as well as market research (listening to the consumer) in a way that it's all focused sharply and smartly to specific, precise behavioral outcomes in health and social development. A fundamental COMBI planning principle is: Do nothing – produce no T-shirts, no posters, no pamphlets, no caps, no websites, until one has a precise fix on the behavioral outcome. This presentation will provide an overview of the history and development of the COMBI approach as well as present the COMBI 10-step planning process. It will explore reasons for COMBI's increasing utilization in over 60 countries worldwide and feature key lessons learned over recent years, with specific reference to case studies of COMBI application in Moldova and Tamil Nadu/India.