Information, Education, and Communication (IEC) materials are critical to implementing any developmental scheme or programme as they ensure effective dissemination of information by educating the citizens about the benefits of a scheme, influencing desired behaviours, and addressing welfare needs. IEC strategies, including Behaviour Change Communication (BCC), and Social and Behaviour Change Communication (SBCC), aim at knowledge creation and sharing. BCC and SBCC are used interchangeably with IEC but there is a difference between the two. While IEC largely remains limited to developing approaches, activities and material with a focus on dissemination, BCC and SBCC aim to influence the behaviour of individuals and societies and is not confined to expansion of knowledge alone.
In this project, we traced the IEC cycle of five Centrally Sponsored Schemes (CSS) that includes agenda setting, implementation and community engagement, monitoring and evaluation, feedback and adaptation. We analysed the planning, prioritisations and utilisation of budgets while also examining the role of community-based organisations (CBO) in the process. Focusing on five thematic areas i.e., Education, Livelihood, Water, Health, and Nutrition, across five states - Assam, Maharashtra, Odisha, Rajasthan, and Tamil Nadu, we studied the below schemes:
- National Health Mission, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
- Saksham Anganwadi and Prime Minister’s Overarching Scheme for Holistic Nutrition (POSHAN) 2.0, Ministry of Women and Child Development
- Jal Jeevan Mission, Ministry of Jal Shakti
- National Rural Livelihood Mission, Ministry of Rural Development
- Samagra Shiksha, Ministry of Education