2013|Facilitator’s Guide
COMMUNICATION AND
INFORMATICS
This publication was made possible in part through the support provided by the United
States Agency for International Development. The opinions expressed herein are those of
the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the US Agency for International
Development or the US Government. USAID reserves a royalty-free nonexclusive and
irrevocable right to reproduce, publish, or otherwise use, and to authorize others to use the
work for Government purposes.
SEAOHUN One Health Course- Facilitator’s Guide
Preface
“One Health” is an important global activity based on the concept that
human, animal and environmental/ecosystem health are interdependent, and
professionals working in these areas best serve the population by collaborating
to better understand all the factors involved in disease transmission, ecosystem
health, the emergence of novel pathogens and emerging zoonotic agents, as
well as environmental contaminants and toxins that are capable of causing
substantial morbidity and mortality, and impacting on socioeconomic growth,
including in less developed countries.
This COMMUNICATION AND INFORMATICS Module is part of a
complete series of One Health educational and training documents designed
to be used in whole or in part, and to be modified as needed to serve as a
context- and culturally-relevant source of information for teaching
undergraduate students and university graduate students, and for training
workshops focused on One Health professionals responsible for human,
domesticated animal, wildlife and ecosystem/environmental health. The goals
are to:

increase exposure to and improve cross-sectoral and inter-professional
collaboration on key disease surveillance and disease outbreaks;

provide practical strategies useful for field investigations of disease
outbreaks, and a realistic exposure for students and faculty interested
in emerging infectious diseases, including emerging zoonotic
infectious agents, newly identified infectious agents capable of causing
pandemic threats, disease management and public awareness
campaigns, environmental and ecosystem health; and

improve cooperation among national, regional and district-level
government health officials interested in the One Health principle,
along with multilateral health agencies (such as the World Health
Organization [WHO], the Food and Agriculture Organization of the
United Nations [FAO], and the World Organisation for Animal
Health [OIE]), as well as non-governmental organizations (NGOs)
and private industry.
For more information
about this course, contact:
Stanley Fenwick
Regional Technical
Director RESPOND
Stanley_Fenwick@dai.com
Felicia B. Nutter, DVM,
PhD, RESPOND Project
Senior Technical Officer
Tufts University
+1 508 887 4921
Felicia.Nutter@tufts.edu
Roberta Talmage
TRG, Inc.
Organizational
Development & Training
Specialist
Arlington, VA 22203
+1 703-875-8909
rtalmage@trg-inc.com
This complete set of One Health modules can be used individually by
professors and trainers, but all users are encouraged to begin the activity by
consulting the introductory module which provides an appropriate context
and background.
1|Page
Module: Communication & Informatics
All of the training material represents contributions by the faculty and leadership of the Southeast Asia
One Health University Network (SEAOHUN), and the input of technical and managerial support from
the partners of the USAID’s RESPOND Project, part of the larger Emerging Pandemic Threats (EPT)
program, including Tufts University, University of Minnesota, Training Resources Group (TRG),
Ecology and Environment, Inc. (E & E), and). Development of these training materials would not have
been possible without the contributions of the following individuals and groups:
Southeast Asia One Health University Network (SEAOHUN)
 Dr. Abu Tholib Aman, Universities Gadjah Mada, Indonesia
 Mr. Irwin Fernandez Chavez, Mahidol University, Thailand
 Dr. Ede Surya Darmawan, Universitas Indonesia, Indonesia
 Dr. Latiffah Hassan, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Malaysia
 Dr. Nongyao Kasatpibal, Chiang Mai University, Thailand
 Dr. Sumalee Lirtmunlikaporn, Chiang Mai University, Thailand
 Dr. Sarmin MP, Universities Gadjah Mada, Indonesia
 Dr. Mohd Rizal Abdul Manaf, Universiti Kenbangsaan Malaysia, Malaysia
 Dr. Roslaini Bin Abd. Majid, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Malaysia
 Dr. Walasinee Moonarmart, Mahidol University, Thailand
 Dr. Pham Hong Ngan, Hanoi University of Agriculture, Thailand
 Dr. Mohd Sham Bin Othman, Universiti Kenbangsaan Malaysia, Malaysia
 Dr. Surachai Pikulkaew, Chiang Mai University, Thailand
 Dr. Trioso Purnawarman, Bogor Agricultural University, Indonesia
 Dr. Agik Suprayog, Bogor Agricultural University, Indonesia
 Dr. Metawee Thongdee, Mahidol University, Thailand
 Dr. Kriangkrai Thongkorn, Chiang Mai University, Thailand
 Mr. Luu Quoc Toan, Hanoi School of Public Health, Thailand
 Dr. Ronald Enrique Morales Vargas, Mahidol University, Thailand
 Ms. Le Thi Thanh Xuan, Hanoi Medical University/Institute for Preventive Medicine and Public Health,
Thailand
RESPOND Project, USAID Emerging Pandemic Threats (EPT) Program
Development Alternatives International (DAI): Dr. Douglas Hatch, Ms. Pornthip Rujisatian
Environment and Ecology, Inc. (E&E): Ms. Louise Flynn
University of Minnesota: Dr. Jeein Chung, Dr. Karin Hamilton
Tufts University: Dr. Stanley Fenwick, Dr. Raymond Hyatt, Dr. Felicia Nutter, Dr. Jennifer Steele
Training Resources, Inc. (TRG): Ms. Kimberly Kennedy, Ms. Roberta Talmage
The following attribution should be used by anyone copying materials or content from the One Health
modules series:
One Health Educational Module, Southeast Asia One Health Network (SEAOHUN), 2014
2|Page
SEAOHUN One Health Course- Facilitator’s Guide
Module: Communication and Informatics
Course Overview
Module Description This module fosters an understanding of effective communication and
and Learning
information sharing across disciplines and sectors. Key outcomes of the
Outcomes
module are the ability to:
 Describe how to effectively use basic communication techniques and
tools in the One Health approach
 Demonstrate familiarity with various information management and
technological applications that may be used in the One Health
approach
Target Learner
Undergraduate University Students; or
One Health Partners, Practitioners or Professionals
Learning Map
Communication Skills
Informatics
One Health Promotion
Communication Strategies
Communicating
With/Through the Media
Introduction to Risk
Communication
Delivering Risk
Communication Messages
3|Page
Module: Communication & Informatics
Course Competencies
Competency #1
Describe basic
communication techniques
and tools (e.g., written
communication, multimedia, social media,
interactive discussion,
listening)
Learning Objectives to Develop Competency
 Demonstrate communication skills that encourage the open
communication needed during an effective One Health
response.
 Understand how a variety of communication techniques may be
used to effectively articulate and exchange ideas on the
implementation of One Health in various situations
 Apply communication strategies for promotion One Health
concepts (including two-way communication)
Competency #2
Understand the
fundamentals of risk
communication
Learning Objectives to Develop Competency
 Identify the designated spokesperson(s) for particular issues
 Demonstrate the ability to communicate risk at multiple levels
 Communicate effectively with the media and public
Competency #3
Learning Objectives to Develop Competency
Understand a variety of
ways to manage and share
Information

Collect, manage, organize and report data to ensure that each
person in the team has the information they need to do their
job

Organize and analyze data and disseminate findings using
available tools, including databases and social networks
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SEAOHUN One Health Course- Facilitator’s Guide
Module Overview
Time/Length Topic/Activity
190 minutes
Introduction to Communication Skills
95 minutes
One Health Promotion Communication
Strategies
135 Minutes
Introduction to Risk Communication
60 minutes
Delivering Risk Communication Messages
165 Minutes
Communicating With or Through the
Media
120-145
Minutes
60 Minutes
Introduction to Informatics
Learning Reflection and Evaluation
Materials
 Computer, LCD Projector,
Screen/Blank Wall
 Flipchart or whiteboard with markers
 Module PowerPoint
 Video Clips – “Who’s on First?” and
“Mr. Bean”
 Video recording device
 Student Guide
 Computer, LCD Projector,
Screen/Blank Wall
 Flipchart or whiteboard with markers
 Module PowerPoint
 Student Guide
 Computer, LCD Projector,
Screen/Blank Wall
 Whiteboard or flipchart with markers
 Module PowerPoint
 Tech Page or List from Session 2
 Coin
 Student Guide
 Talking Points
 Student Guide
 Computer, LCD Projector,
Screen/Blank Wall
 Whiteboard or flipchart with markers
 Module PowerPoint
 Video Recording Device
 Handout
 Case Study
 Talking Points
 Media Interview Observation Sheet
 Student Guide
 Computer, LCD Projector,
Screen/Blank Wall
 Whiteboard or flipchart with markers
 Module PowerPoint
 Internet Access
 Laptops loaded with Excel Template
 Student Guide
 Student Guide
5|Page
Module: Communication & Informatics
Facilitator Background Resources
Included in Resource Folder
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2007). Crisis and Emergency Risk Communication:
Pandemic Influenza. Retrieved from http://emergency.cdc.gov/cerc/pdf/CERC-PandemicFluOCT07.pdf.
U. S. Department of Health & Human Services, National Institutes of Health, National Cancer Institute.
(2008). Making Health Communication Programs Work (The Pink Book). Retrieved from
http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/cancerlibrary/pinkbook.
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SEAOHUN One Health Course- Facilitator’s Guide
INTRODUCTION TO COMMUNICATION SKILLS
Learning Objective:
Type of Learning:
Timing:
Equipment and
Materials:

Demonstrate communication skills that encourage the open
communication needed in an effective One Health response.
 Understand how a variety of communication techniques may be used
to effectively articulate and exchange ideas during the implementation
of One Health initiatives.
Large Group Discussions; Large Group Activity; Small Group Activities;
Self-Assessment
190 Minutes
 Computer, LCD Projector, Screen/Blank Wall
 Flipchart or whiteboard with markers
 Module PowerPoint
 Video Clips – “Who’s on First?” and “Mr. Bean”
 Video recording device (hand held or digital)
 Student Guide
Detailed Facilitator Notes
30 minutes Introduction to Communication Skills
Welcome students to the module on Communications and Informatics.
Large Group
Discussion
Quickly review the module competencies:
 Describe basic communication techniques and tools (e.g., written
communication, multi-media, social media, interactive discussion,
listening)
 Understand the fundamentals of risk communication
 Understand a variety of ways to manage and share Information
Time/Length
185 Minutes
95 minutes
135 Minutes
60 minutes
165 Minutes
120-145
Minutes
60 Minutes
Module Schedule
Topic/Activity
Introduction to Communication Skills
One Health Promotion Communication
Strategies
Introduction to Risk Communication
Delivering Risk Communication Messages
Communicating With or Through the Media
Introduction to Informatics
Learning Reflection and Evaluation
7|Page
Module: Communication & Informatics
After outlining the competencies and agenda for the module, ask students to
respond to the following question, “What is communication?”.
Have students brainstorm definitions and capture their responses on a
whiteboard of flipchart.
Present a common definition for communication and point out how it relates
to their responses. Some example definitions are:
 …the imparting or exchanging of information or news.
 …means of connection between people or places, in particular.
 …the act or process of using words, sounds, signs, or behaviours
to express or exchange information or to express your ideas,
thoughts, feelings, etc., to someone else
 …a message that is given to someone: a letter, telephone call, etc.
Then ask, “What skills do you need to be a good communicator?”
Add these responses to the flipchart and ensure that the following key
communication skills are listed:


Listening
Speaking


Writing
Interpreting
Finally, ask and record responses to the final opening question: “How do we
communicate in today’s world?” Responses should include phone (cell and
landline), email, social media, internet, newspapers, radio, television, face-toface, etc.
Spend a few minutes on the special challenges posed with emerging modern
methods of communication. Challenges should include privacy, information
overload, piracy, cyber threats, identity theft, limited face-to-face contact, etc.
30 Minutes Face-to-Face or In-Person Communication
Tell the class:
As you have noted, communication can be either in-person or written.
Large Group
Face-to-Face, or in-person, communication involves both speaking and
Discussion
listening and is impacted by the speaker’s tone and the speaker’s and
listener’s body language.
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SEAOHUN One Health Course- Facilitator’s Guide
Introduce the following basic questions that one should consider before
communicating. These questions are relevant in verbal, non-verbal and written
communications.
 What is the intent or purpose of the communication?
 What needs to be communicated?
 To whom is the information being communicated?
 What do you know about the individuals receiving the information?
 How are you going to communicate the information?
Show the video clip “Who’s On First?” Abbott and Costello:
 YouTube – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=airTm9LcoY
 Note: The video clip contains fast speaking and heavily accented
characters which may not be fully understood for non-native English
audience. This clip can be replaced by another video clip that is suitable
for your students.
Ask the class to discuss what they observed in the video, including the essence
of the communication and the listening techniques used by the two characters.
Make sure the students address the content of the discussion, the tone and the
body language adopted by the two characters.
Use this discussion to transition to the review of key components of spoken
communication.
Remind students that spoken messages have 3 components related to the
probability that the message intended is the message received.
 Verbal (7%) – actual words spoken in the message
 Tone (38%) – vocal inflection while speaking (sincere, authentic,
sarcastic, interested, bored)
 Non-verbal (55%) – physical aspects while delivering the message
(facial expressions, gestures, eye contact, posture)
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Module: Communication & Informatics
 Note: The key point here is not that words are unimportant! Words are
very important, however, when they are not paired with supporting voice
tone and non-verbals messages are not as strong or can be misinterpreted.
This is based on a research experiment done by Albert Mehabrian of
University of California Los Angeles where he looked at the relative
importance of verbal and nonverbal communication. His study found that
when non-verbals (body language and tone) were different then the words,
people paid MORE attention to what their non-verbals were saying then
the words.
To ensure words, tone and body language work together to communicate a
congruent message, it is important to think about:
 What is the intent or purpose of the communication?
 What needs to be communicated?
 To whom is the information being communicated?
 What do you know about the individuals receiving the information?
 How are you going to communicate the information
20 Minutes Transition to body language without stating that you are going to focus on
body language. Ask students to find a partner and give them the following
instructions:
Small Group
 You need to give a co-worker a message from your supervisor. Decide
Activity
if the message is going to be good or bad news.
 Turn to your partner and say: “Our supervisor just asked me to let you
know that….” Do not say more than that short phrase.
 Ask your partner to guess if the message was going to be good or bad
news and why they made that assumption.
 Switch roles.
Debrief the exercise with the following questions:
 How many people guessed right? Raise your hands.
 How did you know if the message was positive or negative?
 Has this ever happened to you in real life?
What are the lessons learned from this exercise?
Show the class a short video clip of Mr. Bean. Use one of the clips
below:
 YouTube – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uYCIRoHuKNU
Individual
Activity
‘
10 | P a g e
15 Minutes
Ask students to write a short paragraph in their Student Guides interpreting
the content of the clip based on their observations of:
 Facial expressions
 Body posture/gestures
 Eye contact
SEAOHUN One Health Course- Facilitator’s Guide
Large Group
Discussion
10 Minutes Review students’ responses to the video and discuss the overall message that
Mr. Bean is trying to relay through body-language. You can discuss the whole
video clop or just small sections.
Discuss with students the meaning of the term body-language and how this
type of communication can support or deter effective communication. In this
discussion, capture the following points:
Key Components of Body Language
Posture
How you sit and stand can show your level of confidence as
well as your level of interest in the topic at hand. An erect
posture demonstrates confidence, poise and alertness, while
a drooping shoulders or slouching can reveal insecurity,
apathy or a lack of interest.
Facial
Expressions
Emotional expressions made by faces have a communicative
component. While you might say one thing, your expression
can tell a different story. Make sure you face demonstrates
interest and enthusiasm and be aware of in the moment
expressions of dissatisfaction, anger, etc.
Eye Contact
The appropriate level of eye contact is culturally dependent,
but always aim to demonstrate interest and respect. Keep
your eyes focused on the task and avoid getting distracted
(for example looking at the clock, etc.)
Gestures
Movement of the hands can enhance communication by
supplementing speech. You should avoid continuous
gestures, but you can use short gestures to emphasize a
point. Like eye contact, gestures are culturally dependent and
a gesture in one culture can mean something very different
in another culture.
Movement
Movement such as fidgeting shows disinterest and
disengagement form a conversation. Sit still and focus on the
current task (check phones, emails, etc. after a conversation
is over.)
Head
Motion
The movement of the head plays an important role in
communication. Appropriate nods and shakes of the head
can enhance a point or display understanding and
agreement/disagreement without using words.
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Module: Communication & Informatics
30 Minutes Transition to listening with the following exercise without stating that you
are focusing on listening.
Large Group
Activity
Ask students to generate a few ‘conversation topics’ and write the ideas up on a
flipchart or whiteboard. Ideas might include current events from the news,
current issues at the university, a One Health-related issue, etc.
Ask for 3-5 students to volunteer to give a 3 minute talk on one of the
conversation topics. Give each student just a few minutes to prepare. Do NOT
tell the class that they are supposed to listen when their classmate are
presenting.
After all the students have spoken, ask the class to reflect on the following
questions and write down some notes for each.
 How much do you recall about each of the conversation topics you
listened to?
 Do you feel you listened to the session? Why or why not? If you
listened, what was it like to sit back? If you did not listen, what made
you tune out?
 If you were a presenter, what was it like to be in front of the group?
How did you know people were listening (or were not)?
Stop and discuss their responses to the questions. Remind the class that this
discussion is not meant to be a feedback session for specific presenters/
listeners, but rather a chance to get general observations and reflect on the
outlined questions. Remember to focus on LISTENING and not focus on
PRESENTING.
Then, ask the class:
 Have you ever had someone carefully listen to what you said?
 How did that feel?
 What did that person do that communicated to you that they were
listening?
10 Minutes Tell the class that it is suggested that listening involves four main components:
(Text below is from www.state.gov)
Large Group
Discussion
12 | P a g e
Seek to understand before you seek to be understood.
Be non-judgmental.
Give your undivided attention to the speaker.
Use silence effectively.
SEAOHUN One Health Course- Facilitator’s Guide
Select a student to read each of the following sections outloud. Have the other
students follow along in their Student Guides and take quick
reflections/comments on each section.
1. Seek to understand before seeking to be understood. When we seek to
understand rather than be understood, our modus operandi will be to
listen. Often, when we enter into conversation, our goal is to be better
understood. We can be better understood, if first we better understand.
With age, maturity, and experience comes silence. It is most often a wise
person who says little or nothing at the beginning of a conversation or
listening experience. We need to remember to collect information before
we disseminate it. We need to know it before we say it.
2. Be nonjudgmental. Empathetic listening demonstrates a high degree of
emotional intelligence. There is a reason kids do not usually speak with
adults about drugs, sex, and rock and roll. The kids already know what the
adults have to say. Once a child knows your judgment, there is little reason
to ask the question unless the intention is to argue. If we would speak to
anyone about issues important to them, we need to avoid sharing our
judgment until we have learned their judgment. This empathetic behavior
is an indicator of emotional intelligence as described in Chapter
3. Give your undivided attention to the speaker. The Chinese symbol that we
used to describe listening used the eyes and undivided attention. Absolutely
important is dedicating your undivided attention to the speaker if you are
to succeed as an active listener. Eye contact is less important. In most
listening situations people use eye contact to affirm listening. The speaker
maintains eye contact to be sure the listener or listeners are paying
attention. From their body language the speaker can tell if he is speaking
too softly or loudly, too quickly or slowly, or if the vocabulary or the
language is inappropriate. Listeners can also send messages to speakers
using body language. Applause is the reason many performers perform.
Positive feedback is an endorphin releaser for the giver and the sender. Eye
contact can be a form of positive feedback. BUT, eye contact can also be a
form of aggression, of trying to show dominance, of forcing submissive
behavior. All primates use eye contact to varying degrees. We should be
careful how we use it when listening. If we want to provide undivided
attention to a child, a better way to show your attention is to do a "walk
and talk" as we discussed in Chapter 2. Walk and talk is such a successful
strategy that works well for active listening!
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Module: Communication & Informatics
4. Use silence effectively. The final rule for active or empathic listening is to
effectively use silence. To often a truly revealing moment is never brought
to fruition because of an untimely interruption. Some of the finest police
interrogators, counselors, teachers and parents learn more by maintaining
silence than by asking questions. As an active or empathic listener, silence
is a very valuable tool. DO NOT interrupt unless absolutely necessary.
Silence can be painful. It is more painful for a speaker than for a listener. If
someone is speaking, and we want them to continue talking, we do not
interrupt. Rather, we do provide positive feedback using body language,
eye contact, and non-word sounds like "umh, huh". Silence is indeed
golden especially when used to gather information as a listener.
In fact, the Chinese symbol for listening is:
15 Minutes Personal Listening Assessment
Instruct the students to complete the Personal Listening Assessment, a selfSelfassessment of their learning skills and behaviours, located in their Student
Assessment
Guides. Tell them that you will come back to the assessments later in this
session
Personal Listening Assessment
Instructions: Read the statements below and honestly assess how often you demonstrate these
behaviours, then respond to the open-ended questions:
Rate how often you demonstrate the behaviours described in the statements.
Statements
1. My family and friends say I am a good
listener.
2. I find myself daydreaming while I try to listen.
3. I find myself pretending to listen.
4. I fidget a lot when I am trying to listen to
others.
5. I only focus on the parts of a conversation I
am interested in.
14 | P a g e
Never
Rarely
Sometimes
Often
Always
SEAOHUN One Health Course- Facilitator’s Guide
6. If I disagree with an opinion or statement
someone else has made I have a hard time
listening.
7. I finish peoples’ thoughts and sentences.
8. I listen to part of a story and then start to
think about what story I will tell next.
9. I can accurately repeat back what someone
has told me.
10. I let the people I am listening to know that I
am interested by using verbal and non-verbals.
Which word on the scale below best describes how you rate your listening skills?
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
Explain why you gave yourself this rating.
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
Excellent
Above
Average
Average
Below
Average
Poor
30 Minutes Putting It All Together: Speaking, Body Language & Listening
In this activity, students will evaluate the effectiveness of their oral, bodylanguage and listening skills. They will identify actions or statements that
Small Group
engage their counterpoint in the conversation, as well as those that create a
Activity
barrier.
Divide students into groups of three and give them the following task:
 Assign the following roles: interviewer, interviewee and observer.
 The topic you will discuss is Communication and Culture.
 The interviewer will have 5 minutes to discuss this topic with the
interviewee.
 During the discussion, the observer will take notes on communication
between the interviewer and the interviewee and will capture the
discussion on video (optional).
 Switch Roles (if time permits)
 Note: During this exercise, it is suggested that each small group video tape
the conversation so they can go back and look at the body language. If you
do not have access to a video recording device, the observer will be the
main source of feedback.
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Module: Communication & Informatics
After the 5 minute interview is over, have students review the tape. Depending
on the size of the group, this can be done with the entire class or just done in
trios. If the session is not videotaped, the observer can offer their thoughts
first and have the interviewer and interviewee add in additional feedback.
Have the class, or smaller groups, respond the following questions:
 What did the interviewers do effectively (body language, tone and
words) that helped them elicit information from the interviewee?
What actions created barriers?
 How did the body language of the interviewee portray confidence and
competence? Were they able to get their message and thoughts across
clearly?
 For both the interviewee and the interviewer, what did they do
effectively in terms of their spoken and non-spoken language?
 For both the interviewee and the interviewer, what suggestion do you
have to enhance communication?
 Note: As an optional closing, end with the Forbes magazine 10
communications secrets from great leaders article at www.forbes.com. The
tips include:





16 | P a g e
Speaking not with a forked
tongue
Get personal
Get specific
Focus on leaving-behinds not
take-aways
Have an open mind





Listen
Replace ego with empathy
Read between the lines
When you speak, know what
you are talking about
Speak to groups as individuals
SEAOHUN One Health Course- Facilitator’s Guide
ONE HEALTH PROMOTION COMMUNICATION STRATEGIES
Learning Objective:
Type of Learning:
Timing:
Equipment and
Materials:
Pre-Class
Assignment
Apply communication strategies for the promotion of One Health concepts.
Small Group Activity; Large Group Discussion
95 Minutes
 Computer, LCD Projector, Screen/Blank Wall
 Flipchart or whiteboard with markers
 Module PowerPoint
 Student Guide
 Read Article – Communication Strategies Toolkit, U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency
Detailed Facilitator Notes
Prework
Prior to the session ask students to read and come prepared to discuss the
article following article on communication strategies.

Article—Communication Strategies Toolkit, Environmental
Protection Agency, United States
10 Minutes Introduction to Communication Strategies
Open by saying that communication strategies are plans for communicating
information related to a specific issue, event, situation or audience. They serve
as the blueprints for communicating with the public, stakeholders or even
colleagues.
Ask students to recall from their pre-reading the key elements of effective
communication strategies. Stress that communication strategies should
identify the why, who, what and how.
Specifically the strategy should:
 Outline the objective/goals of the communication,
 Identify stakeholders,
 Define key messages,
 Pinpoint potential communication methods and vehicles for
communicating information for a specific purpose, and
 Specify the mechanisms that will be used to obtain feedback on the
strategy.
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Module: Communication & Informatics
75 Minutes Promoting a One Health Approach
Divide the students into groups of 3-4 (depending on the size of class) and
give them the 40 minutes to complete the following task:
Small Group
 You have been asked to speak to a community or an organization
Activity
about One Health. Your goal is to promote the One Health approach
as it relates to a recent outbreak.
 Turn to the Communication Strategy Scenarios in your student guide
(taken form ProMED mail). Each scenario contains information on a
current One Health issue, details on key stakeholders and limitations
of communication methods.
 In your group, select one of the scenarios, develop a communication
strategy for the threat and prepare a 5-10 minute presentation to give
to the class.
 Use the Communication Strategies Worksheet to guide your strategy
development process.
 Note: For graduate or professional level students, have students discuss
scenarios that they have been involved with or are aware of.
Communication Strategy Scenario 1
Outbreak of Salmonellosis from Wedding Reception
Laboratory tests on samples collected from victims of the wedding reception food poisoning in
Tanjung Dawai, which claimed 4 lives last week, confirmed chicken served was contaminated with
salmonellae.
State Health Department director Dr Ismail Abu Taat said the 2nd test on the samples confirmed the
presence of the bacterium, which can cause a food borne illness. However, he said that salmonella
bacteria are commonly found in livestock, and the department concluded that those who prepared the
dish failed to clean the chicken properly.
Dr Ismail said earlier investigations revealed that the chicken used for the ayam masak merah dish had
been sent to the host in Kampung Huma a day before the wedding reception. "The chicken was sent
to the house on Friday [4 Oct 2013?] evening, but it was only cooked at 4:00 pm the next day. This
had allowed the bacteria to replicate in the chicken."
"Investigation also revealed that the chicken was contaminated and gave off a foul smell. However,
those who prepared the dish only removed the spoiled portion and cooked the meat," he said.
More than 280 guests, including the bride's family, suffered symptoms such as diarrhea and vomiting;
after the feast, 4 guests died.
Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr S. Subramaniam said illness can also occur when there is a long delay
between preparing and consuming food.
Communicated by: ProMED-mail from HealthMap alerts promed@promedmail.org Source: New Straits Times [edited]
http://www.nst.com.my/nation/general/chicken-dish-cause-of-food-poisoning-at-kenduri-1.370683
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Communication Strategy Scenario 2
Outbreak of Leptospirosis in Thailand
There is an outbreak of leptospirosis in the northeastern part of Surin district [Surin province]. 107
cases have been confirmed and 7 people are dead. Health authorities of the prefecture consider
farmers at great risk and recommend that they wear rubber boots and rubber gloves in order to
prevent infection during farm work.
Leptospirosis is an infection caused by Gram negative bacteria of the genus _Leptospira_ (the natural
host are wild animals such as rats). It is a zoonotic disease and infection occurs orally and
percutaneously from water and soil. In humans, the incubation period is about 3-14 days and
symptoms include chills, fever, headache, malaise, and myalgia. In the mild form, patients soon
recover. However, in the severe form (Weil's disease), jaundice, bleeding, kidney failure, and liver
damage are observed, and the mortality rate is 5-50 percent. Epidemics of leptospirosis occur from
July to October in Southeast Asia, including Thailand.
[Leptospirosis outbreaks occur with some regularity during periods of flooding in Thailand as a result
of people wading through contaminated water. Most cases occur among agricultural workers, notably
rice producers. The principal reservoirs in Thailand are chronically infected rats and dogs that excrete
_Leptospira_ in their urine (see ProMED-mail posts Leptospirosis - Thailand (02) 19971121.2345 and
Leptospirosis - Thailand (Nan)(02): background 20060913.2592).
Communicated by: ProMED-mail from HealthMap alerts promed@promedmail.org
Source: Bangkok Shuho [in Thai, trans., edited] http://www.bangkokshuho.com/article_detail.php?id=137
Communication Strategies Worksheet
Issue/Problem and Key messages
Description of the issue/problem:
The key messages to be communicated for this issue/problem
Planning the Strategy: Audience and Communication Vehicle
Audience
Communication Vehicles
Implementation: Communication Vehicle and Required Resources
Communication Vehicle
Required Resources and Time
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Module: Communication & Informatics
Have each group present their One Health challenge and communication
strategy. Take 10 minutes for feedback and have students respond to the
following questions.
 What pieces of the communication strategy would be effective with
the community or organization? Give specifics.
 What pieces of the strategy need to be enhanced?
Large Group
Discussion
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10 Minutes Concluding Remarks & ‘Tech’ Page Set-Up
Get any final comments on communication strategies and One Health from
the class.
Before closing the session, start a ‘tech’ page on a whiteboard or flipchart with
technical terms, data, statistics and jargon on One Health that students heard
in the communication strategies. These are words that might be understood
fully by the general public. Have the review each term and brainstorm simpler
ways they could relay the information (e.g. in lay terms with simple words and
descriptions). Tell the class that you will keep a running list on the tech page
throughout the rest of the sessions.
SEAOHUN One Health Course- Facilitator’s Guide
INTRODUCTION TO RISK COMMUNICATION
Learning Objective:
Type of Learning:
Timing:
Equipment and
Materials:


Understand the fundamentals of risk communication.
Demonstrate the ability to effectively communicate risk to multiple
audiences (public, politicians, media, stakeholders, health workers, etc.)
Large Group Discussions; Individual, Small Group and Large Group
Activities; Lecture
135 Minutes
 Computer, LCD Projector, Screen/Blank Wall
 Whiteboard or flipchart with markers
 Module PowerPoint
 Tech Page or List from Session 2
 Coin
 Student Guide
Detailed Facilitator Notes
5 Minutes Welcome students to the session introduction on risk communication. Have
the tech page hung up to capture any new One Health terms throughout the
session and note that you will stop to discuss the terms at the end of the
Large Group
session. Remind the class that the tech page is a list of jargon, acronyms or
Discussion
technical words that should not be used when communicating with the
general public.
Individual
Activity
10 Minutes Introduction to Risk Communication
Ask the students to think about a time when they:
 Wanted to do something that others considered risky; or
 Saw someone taking a risk that made you worry.
Have them write down the situations they thought of in their Student Guide
and answer the following questions:
 How did you communicate about the risk to the other person? (either
the individual who thought you were taking a risk, or the individual
that you thought was taking a risk)
 Was your communication well received?
 What made your message effective or ineffective?
Give participants 7 minutes and then get a few examples from the group.
Use their examples to transition into a brief presentation on the definition of
risk communication, what makes it important and what makes it effective.
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Module: Communication & Informatics
Lecture
65 Minutes Lecture on Risk Communication
Deliver the presentation on risk communication using the lecture notes in the
notes section of the PowerPoint. You will cover the following points:
 What is risk communication?
 What can risk communication do?
 When is risk communication most effective?
 Risk Paradigms and Emotion
 Risk Analysis Paradigm
 Emotion
 Trust and Fear
After the section on Trust and Fear, break from the presentation to conduct
the following activity which introduces the concept of interpreting risk.
Large Group
Activity
Interpreting Risk – The Coin Toss
Show a coin with two distinct sides and ask students to play a game with you.
Say, “I am going to toss this coin. If it lands on ‘head’ you will win 500 Baht
(or local currency). If it lands on ‘tails’, then you will owe me 300 Baht (or
local currency). Who is willing to play?”
Get a show of hands and then discuss the activity and its results. Ask the
following questions:
 For those of you who don’t want to play, what are some of the
reasons why?
 For those of you who did want to play, what are some of the reasons
why?
After the discussion, tell the students that this is a common game used to
teach risk perception in the economics field. From a purely mathematical
point of view, almost all people should be willing to play this game, but many
are not. While the refusal to play may have nothing to do with odds (for
example some people object to gambling while others fear that the game is
rigged), the overall point of the game is that we interpret risk differently and
most of us are ‘programmed’ to be risk averse even when the facts say that
the odds are in our favor.
Lecture
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Lecture on Risk Communication Continued
Return to the lecture to discuss the following topics:
 Risk Perception
 Interpreting Risk
 Viewing Risk
 Best Practices in Risk Communication
SEAOHUN One Health Course- Facilitator’s Guide
Moving from the basics of risk communication to a discussion on best
practices, ask the students, “Based on our conversation so far, what would
you say are some of the best practices for risk communication?”
Record their answers on a whiteboard or flipchart and then refer them to the
following handout in their Student Guide.
Ask students to review the list and note down any questions they have. Give
them 5 minutes to review and then take questions.
10 Best Practices of Risk Communication
1. Risk and crisis communication is an ongoing process
2. Conduct pre-event (e.g., pre-disease outbreak) planning and
preparedness activities
3. Foster partnerships with public (e.g., involve stakeholders such as
farmers, law enforcement, and health agencies in pre-event planning)
4. Collaborate and coordinate with credible sources
5. Meet the needs of media and remain accessible
6. Listen to public’s concerns and understand audience
7. Communicate with compassion, concern, and empathy
8. Demonstrate honesty, candor, and openness
9. Accept uncertainty and ambiguity (people do not respond well to or
trust someone who says “I know it all”)
10. Give people meaningful actions to do (build self-efficacy) – this may
be as simple as advising people to wash their hands carefully or as
specific as giving people a phone number to call if they have
information/knowledge to share about a disease outbreak.
Taken from the National Center for Food Protection and Defense – A Homeland Security Center of
Excellence (http://www.ncfpd.umn.edu) Katherine Waters, Jaime Umber, and Meredith Ferris w/
NCFPD
Talking Points for Risk Communication
For the remainder of the session, the group will practice creating talking
points for communicating to various audiences. Tell the class that good
talking points:
 Are clear and succinct summaries (often less than one page) of key
messages to communicate to the public. They provide only the most
important information so that the public will not be overwhelmed
with extra information and use familiar, non-technical language or
jargon.
 Give consistent messages from all spokespersons to prevent public
panic. Panic can stem from inconsistent or contradictory messages.
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Module: Communication & Informatics


Should address people’s concerns, clarify mis-information or misconceptions, motivate people to take do-able actions and give them
advice on where to find additional information (e.g. medical care,
frequently asked questions, etc.)
Can be used by a variety of stakeholders and media (e.g. when visiting
an affected community, when talking to a government official, when
being interviewed by the media, or when creating print media, radio
content, or in social media.)
The ‘Rule of Three’
In the case of high stress situations, messages should be based on the ‘Rule of
Three'. Dr. Vincent Covello for the Center for Risk Communication
maintains that in high stress situations people can process 3 information bits.
Rule of Three states in high stress situations, we should:
 Present 3 key messages
 Repeat key message 3 times
 Prepare 2-3 supporting messages for each key message
Have participants review the “How to Write Talking Points” section in the
Student Guide. Give them few minutes to look over the tips and see if there
are any questions.
50 Minutes Applying the Knowledge: Developing Talking Points
 Note: Two case studies are provided below and in the Student Guide, one
Small Group
on Rabies in Bali and one in Leptospirosis in Cambodia. As the facilitator,
Activity
read each case study prior to class and select the one that you would like
to use.
Divide students into small groups of (4-5 people each) and have them review
the selected case study. Assign each group a different target audience and give
them 15 minutes to create a set of talking points targeting their audience.
Have each group (or select a few groups to) share their talking points.
Example target audiences include:
 General Public
 Health Workers
 Local Leaders/Politicians
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Case Study Option 1: Leptospirosis in Cambodia
Part A
Outside a coastal village in Cambodia that lies near a river there has been unusually heavy flooding this
past monsoon season. Farmers growing rice and other crops were temporarily displaced from their
homes, as were their animals, moving from the coastal areas to higher ground.
Flooding has been occurring on a more frequent basis in Cambodia—six times over the last ten years.
This is a sharp increase over previous decades. And floods are becoming more severe.
The process farmers use to plant rice is weather-dependent. The amount of rainfall determines the size
and quality of the rice crop, with a potential for large variations from year to year. When floods occur,
farming is disrupted, crops are damaged, and farmers lose money.
=Many farmers practice agriculture at a subsistence level, using traditional methods that are low in
productivity. They depend on their oxen to help plough the fields, to furrow and turn up the soil, and
to rake the fields before they plant rice. Most farmers have one bull, a couple of steer, and a couple
cows with calves.
After the flooding subsided and the farmers, with their animals, returned to their land from the hills,
they noticed their cows experiencing “abortion storms” one to three weeks later. In addition, the
calves were showing symptoms of illness, such as jaundice and pulmonary congestions. As a result,
many of the calves couldn’t be used to cultivate the soil. Because of this, the farmers turned to
scattering rice seed on the untilled soil. But soon rodents came and ate the seed.
At the same time, many farmers and their families in the area were getting sick with high fevers,
headaches, redness in the eyes, and jaundice. Word of their illness reached the district health office,
which sent out public health workers to investigate the outbreak.
When the health workers visited the farmers, they noticed that some of the animals were experiencing
symptoms of illness.
Part B
Leptospirosis is an infectious disease that is dependent upon the interaction of humans, animals, and
the environment.
Increases in the frequency and intensity of flooding in Cambodia have had an effect on the regularity
of the seasons. Global climate change, including extreme weather events, is resulting in a rise of
leptospirosis outbreaks. Weather conditions and a decline in the population of farm animals are
leading to lower farm productivity. Rural populations, in particular, have a strong dependence on the
regularity of seasons, controlled by the climate, for their well-being.
Because the vast majority of Cambodians live in rural areas, the flooding of their farms makes them
more vulnerable to poverty. Other factors, such as industrialization, deforestation, and changes in land
use also contribute. Cambodia has one of the highest rates of deforestation in the world. Flooding
and mudslides are caused by the deforestation of the mountain ranges. Without vegetation to help
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Module: Communication & Informatics
hold the soil together, mountain ranges can erode by wind and water. These factors present serious
challenges to reducing poverty, ensuring equity, and securing people’s livelihoods.
Part C
Only 30% of Cambodians have access to safe drinking water and 19% to adequate sanitation. Most
get their drinking water by walking long distances to rivers. About 75% of the rural population
practice open defecation. People use rice paddies, banana groves, and other water sources to dispose
of their own waste, thus polluting the water on which they depend. A lack of proper sewage and
waste-water treatment, coupled with poor standards of hygiene, results in many people being forced to
drink contaminated water.
Persistent poverty, limited sources of land management, institutional and governmental constraints,
poor sanitation and rodent management all contribute to the risk of spirochetes such as leptospirosis
causing disease in humans and animals.
Case Study Option 2: Rabies in Bali
Introduction
Bali Island is one of the most important tourist destinations in Indonesia. Every year more than one
million foreign and domestic tourists visit this Island. Tourism businesses now become primary
income for people in this Island. This island is one among 35 Provinces in the Republic of Indonesia.
With a total of 3,890,000 inhabitants, Bali Province consists of 9 Districts and 54 sub districts. Despite
most of the Indonesian is Muslim, Hinduism is the religion of the majority of Balinese. Due to their
practice and belief, Balinese show high compassion to animals, particularly dogs. In their belief, dog is
the animal who will accompany their souls to enter the heaven. As a result of that belief, dogs are
easily found in the streets because most of the owned dogs are roaming freely (74%), whereas the rest
are kept in houses resulting the vaccination coverage is low.
Bali was historically rabies-free, but in 2008 rabies was detected on a peninsula on the South of the
island, probably introduced by infected dogs travelling on fishermen’s boats. Balinese government is
very concern about this disease especially as it happens on the island of tourist holiday hotspots as it
will ruin the tourism industry. Starting December 2008, the Balinese government began culling using
strychnine-laced baits or blow darts to unconfined dogs in areas of big towns like Denpasar and
Badung with confirmed rabies cases and began vaccinating dogs at fixed posts. It was estimated from a
survey in Badung, where the ratio of human to dog ratio was 8.3 human to 1 dog.
Chapter 1
Made, 27 years old, is a father of three children who lived in Village Api-api of Bali Island. On August
11th 2011, he was bitten by his dog’s neighbour. The dog bite on Made’s right heel and caused small
laceration. His family later brought him to Private Practice Midwives nearby as there was no medical
facility in the village. The midwife washed the wound according to the standard operating procedures.
Made started to developed flu-like symptoms such as discomfort, fever, and headache. On December
3, 2011 Made developed delirium and seizures. He was taken to the sub-district health center by his
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SEAOHUN One Health Course- Facilitator’s Guide
family members who later referred him to the district hospital. However, on December 5, 2011 Made
died.
Chapter 2
The same dog who attacked Made somehow escaped to the nearby village which is Bota village, and
attacked new victims including a human, a dog and cattle. Eventually, the dog died after being hit with
stones by the angry Bota villagers and the body of the dog was thrown into the nearby bushes. The
new victim, Wayan, was taken to the district hospital for anti-rabies treatment. The wound of the
victim was cleaned with disinfectant and was given anti-tetanus along with HRIG and initiated rabies
vaccine. Wayan recovered 15 days later after being treated with anti-rabies treatment. The district
hospital notified the case to the District Health Services, and District Livestock Services for the them
to conduct further investigations.
Chapter 3
The veterinarians from District Livestock Services conducted an investigation at Bota village by
gathering the dogs with bite marks on the body inclusive the owned dogs, to be observed in a
quarantine facility for 14 days. The villagers were very angry at the authorities and becoming less
cooperative. Nevertheless the villagers obeyed the authority’s advice after a public dialogue was carried
out. At the same time, the District Livestock Services observed the bitten cattle for any abnormal
behavior and clinical symptoms.
On the 10th day of the quarantine, the bitten dog were found dead at the quarantine facility. A sample
from the unfortunate dog’s brain was sent to the laboratory for microscopic examination. At the same
time, the health authority conducted an enquiry of the history of the patient and found out that Wayan
was bitten by a dog without prior provocation from the victim. They also found out that the dog was
new to the area. Fortunate enough, the cattle did not show any sign of rabies infection.
Chapter 4
At the Api-api village, more dogs were seen having abnormal behaviour and some villagers were
getting bitten by these dogs. Most of the victims seek treatment at Private Practice Midwives and the
same advice given to Made that they should go to the subdistrict health center at South Kuta to get
anti-rabies vaccine. The victims complied with her advice and took the anti-rabies treatment. The
victims recovered after 15-25 days and return to their daily activity soon after. The subdistrict health
center notified the cases to the District Health Services, and District Livestock Unit, where the same
actions to the dogs were applied.
Meanwhile, the result of laboratory examination showed positive rabies infection on sample of dog’s
brain that bitten Wayan. The District Livestock Services took the action of launching rabies control
program in the areas by mass vaccination to the owned dogs and culling of the stray dogs. This
program created conflict between District livestock authority and villagers to the extent that the
villagers hide some dogs to other areas. Mass dog vaccinations substantially reduced rabies incidence in
Bali.
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Large Group
Discussion
Compare and contrast the messages between the different groups. Some
things to look for and reflect on are:
 Who is affected and how?
 What is the target group’s role in mitigation? What role does an
individual in this constituency play?
 What actions must the target group take?
 How can the target audience access medical or other emergency
services?
Debrief with the following questions:
 What made it difficult to write the talking points?
 What made it easier to write the talking points?
 What additional information would have helped you write the talking
points?
 What questions do you have for your target audience?
 How confident are you that your messages will be accepted by the
target audience? Why?
Be sure to have students save the talking points to use in the next session on
risk communication messaging.
5 Minutes Concluding Remarks and Tech Page Update
Wrap up the session and return to the tech page. If any new terms, etc. were
added, have the group review each term and decide how they could make the
Large Group
concept clear to the public.
Discussion
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SEAOHUN One Health Course- Facilitator’s Guide
DELIVERING RISK COMMUNICATION MESSAGES
Learning Objective:
Type of Learning:
Timing:
Equipment and
Materials:
 Demonstrate ability to communicate risk at multiple levels.
 Communicate effectively with the media and public.
Individual Activity; Role Play; Large Group Discussion
60 Minutes





Computer, LCD Projector, Screen/Blank Wall
Whiteboard or flipchart with markers
Module PowerPoint
Talking Points from Introduction to Risk Communication
Student Guide
Detailed Facilitator Notes
10 minutes
Introduction to Delivering Risk Communication Messages
Welcome students back and introduce them to the topic of today’s session:
Delivering Risk Communication Messages. Recap their learning from the
previous session on developing talking points and connect their learning to
the delivery of risk messages.
Pre-prepared talking points are extremely useful and allow you to be
prepared to speak with the public about what should be done during an
outbreak. After they are developed, you are armed with the words and
facts to motivate and help others. The next step is learning how to
deliver a message in the most effective and efficient manner.
Research shows that showing competency and empathy, as well as giving
the public specific actions to take, helps avoid panic and allows the public
to better handle a crisis or an emergency.
In this next activity, you will consider how to word messages to best
show empathy and competency. These two qualities of messaging are
key, because they motivate individuals to accept and act upon your
recommendations. Review the following points with students:
 Research shows that trustworthiness is established in first 9-30
seconds of a conversations
 Trust, caring and empathy are shown through both body and
verbal language.
 It is important to say that you are concerned and acknowledge
your audience’s uncertainty fear, and/or pain.
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

Using simple language, or common words and terms familiar to
the general public, helps the speaker establish a connection with
a broad audience.
The public is more likely to listen to and believe in a speaker who
establishes trust and empathy immediately.
10 Minutes
Ask the students to take a few minutes to read through their talking points
from the previous session. Have them consider the following
additions/revisions:
 Add elements that establish empathy and a caring tone
 Simplify words and language
 Explain actions being taken to solve the problem
25 Minutes
Have the students partner with someone with the same audience type if
possible and give them the following activity:
 Decide who will share the message first and have that individual take
three minutes to deliver the message. During the delivery, the other
partner will play the role of the target audience.
 Once the first individual finishes, the member of the target audience
will write done observation notes on the sheet found in the Student
Guide. S/he will consider the following questions:
Individual
Activity
Role Play
– Was the communication effective?
– What made it effective? What could be enhanced?


15 Minutes
Large Group
Discussion
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Then switch roles and repeat steps 1 and 2.
After you are both done, share your observations. (3 minutes for each
person, 6 minutes in total)
Ask participants to share their experiences and observations. Use the
questions below to guide the discussion.
 How did the limited amount of time affect which messages you were
able to say?
 What makes it hard to show empathy or competence?
 What makes it easier to show empathy or competence?
 What makes it hard to use simple language?
 Who else can assist you in talking with people to establish trust and
credibility?
 What differences do you notice between the different audiences?
SEAOHUN One Health Course- Facilitator’s Guide
COMMUNICATING WITH OR THROUGH THE MEDIA
Learning Objective:
Type of Learning:
Timing:
Equipment and
Materials:
Pre- Class
Assignment
 Identify the designated spokesperson(s) for particular issues
 Communicate effectively with the media and public
Recorded Interview Activity (Individual, Small and Large Group Activities)
165 Minutes










Computer, LCD Projector, Screen/Blank Wall
Whiteboard or flipchart with markers
Module PowerPoint
Video Recording Device
Handout – Common Questions Asked by Reporters During a Crisis
Case Study from Introduction to Risk Communication session
Talking Points from Introduction to Risk Communication session
Media Interview Observation Sheet (one per student)
Student Guide
Review Handout – Questions Asked By Reporters During a Crisis (if
necessary)
Detailed Facilitator Notes
If possible, invite current or retired members of the press or media to come
interview students during this session. If you are unable to do so, then prior
to the session, identify and prepare volunteers to serve as media interviewers.
Interviewers should be given the Case Study selected for this activity and
asked to review the set of questions in the Common ‘Questions Asked By
Reporters During a Crisis’ handout. Encourage interviewers to be as realistic
as possible.
 Handout – Common Questions Asked by Reporters During a Crisis
Pre-Class
Preparation
45 Minutes
Large Group
Discussion
Introduction to Communicating With or Through the Media
Welcome students to the class on communicating with or through the media.
The group will apply their new skills and knowledge in this session.
Hold a brief discussion about a health event your local community, such as
H5Nw influenza, etc. Outline the basic information of the event and then
ask:
 How did the public get information on the health event?
 How did the media present the information? Was it done well or
poorly?
 What spokespersons were involved? Were they credible? Why or why
not?
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Module: Communication & Informatics
Lead a discussion regarding spokespersons and individuals involved on a
communication team in a disease outbreak scenario. Examples of people who
might become spokespersons or interviewed are local or regional NGO’s,
local leaders/politicians, veterinarians, doctors, nurses, health
officers/epidemiologists, security/police officers/first responders.
Ask the class, “What makes for a good spokesperson?” You should get
responses like: they are experts, seen as technically credible, good
communicators – have clear messages, effective body language, come across
as trustworthy to the audience, may be someone the audience can relate to
(e.g. one of their own!)
Follow up with another question, “Why is the media so important for One
Health communications?”
Take some of their responses and connect them to the importance of
working with and through the media. Highlight the following points:
 Media can reach many people
 Media can quickly get out emergency information
 Media can give the public resources to turn to, such as phone
numbers or addresses to go for help
 Media can provide a forum for the public to voice their concerns
Then ask, “What might be some of the challenges of working with the
media?” Some examples might be:
 Media does not always present a story in positive light
 Media can misrepresent a situation or provide misinformation
 Media only looks for “bad” news
 People do not always trust the media
 Journalists ask trick questions
Have students review the “Six Ingredients for Successful Interviews” section
in their Student Guide. Follow up by answering questions and highlighting
the points outlined below. As a One Health representative you must:
 Be prepared to meet the press and get your message out first
 Meet and work with journalists before an emergency or outbreak so
you can establish a working relationship based on trust and respect to
better inform the public.
- Having a positive relationship with the media is important in
getting out correct information in a timely way.
 Have your messages ready and feel confident in your presentation.
 Select the best spokesperson(s).
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10 Minutes
Individual
Activity
Media Interview Activity: Preparation
In this activity, the class will use thee talking points developed in the previous
session in a media interview setting.
Tell the class that they will be using the scenario and related talking points
from sessions three and four. Assign students to represent a variety of
individuals who might be involved in a One Health communications team.
This can include a mayor/local leader, community health worker, emergency
responder, etc. Then, give students the following instructions.
 You have been selected as the One Health representative responsible
for speaking with the media. You will be interviewed by a local media
representative and have a three minute time slot (or 10 minutes if
you are working with small groups) that will be shown on the
evening news.
 Take 10 minutes to review and revise your talking points as needed
before the interview.
90 Minutes Media Interview Activity: Practice
 Note: Depending on the size of your group this activity can be
Pair Activity
conducted with an individual or a small group. The time allocated for this
activity is representative of 10 students who go through an individual
interview. Adjust the time depending on your class size. In addition, we
suggest that you video tape each interview in order to review it after the
activity. If you are not able to video the interviews, please have each
interviewer write down their observations on the Media Observation
Sheet after each interview.
Introduce the group to the media interviewer(s). For fun, you may want to
include which news outlets they are from (e.g. local or international news
station, etc.).
Then give the following task:
Individual Interview
A media representative will
interview each One Health
representative about the current
outbreak. Each individual will
have three minutes to answer.
Each interview will be videotaped
for review.
Small Group Interviews
A media representative will conduct
panel interviews with teams of One
Health representatives. Each
individual will receive a different
question to answer. Each group will
have 6 minutes to answer
questions.
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Module: Communication & Informatics
Large Group Discussion – (5 minutes per person)
Review the videos in the large group and have students identify one strength
and one area of improvement for each interviewee. As the facilitator, track
the comments on the Media Interview Observation Sheet (found in the
handout section of this guide) and then share your own reflections. If you
did not videotape the interviews, then share your observations with the
group—sharing one strength and one weakness with the group.
Large Group
Discussion
Ask each group to share their observations and recommendations for one
strength and one area of improvement for each student. Have the volunteer
media interviewer serve as the facilitator of the conversation. Be sure each
student receives the copies of their observation sheets to review after the
session is over.
20 Minutes
Media Interview Activity: Discussion and Debrief Summary
Facilitate a discussion with the group on their overall observation and lessons
learned from this experience. Use the following guiding questions:
 What made it easy to use the talking points?
 What was challenging about using the talking points?
 Was there more information that you wanted to provide? If so, what
and why?
 What questions did the interviewer have that were off topic for you?
How easy or difficult was it to redirect?
 What questions do you have about the skills on the observation
sheet?
 If you had the opportunity to select the best spokesperson(s) for this
topic, who would you choose? Why?
5 Minutes
Concluding Remarks
Wrap up the session and be sure to see if there are any One Health terms to
add and define on the tech page.
Large Group
Discussion
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SEAOHUN One Health Course- Facilitator’s Guide
INTRODUCTION TO INFORMATICS
Learning Objective:
Type of Learning:
Timing:
Equipment and
Materials:
Pre-class
Assignment

Collect, manage, organize and report data to ensure that each person in a
One Health team has the information they need to do their job.

Organize and analyze data and disseminate findings using available tools
including databases and social networking.
Individual or Small Group Activity; Group Discussions
120-145 Minutes







Computer, LCD Projector, Screen/Blank Wall
Whiteboard or flipchart with markers
Module PowerPoint
Internet Access (for student computers—optional)
Laptops loaded with Excel Template (for students)
Student Guide
Complete the Personal Data Table (if selecting the “quick activity”)
Detailed Facilitator Notes
If you decide to go with the “quick activity” at the end of this session have
students fill in the chart below at the end of the previous session and send it
to you before class begins.
Prework
& Facilitator
Set Up
Be sure to let students know that this data is optional. They may provide as
much or as little information as they choose.
Gender
Height
Weight
Age
Birth
Month
Year in
Program
Ethnicity
Insert the data into an Excel document so that students can manipulate the
data during the exercise.
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Module: Communication & Informatics
10 Minutes Introduction to Informatics
Welcome learners to the session on informatics. Start off by showing the
following video on Health Informatics and sharing the following general
definition of informatics.
 YouTube —Health Informatics
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rFxewUq1cE4
 “Informatics studies the application of information technology to
practically any field, while considering its impact on individuals,
organizations, and society. It uses computation as a universal tool to
solve problems in other fields, to communicate, and to express ideas.”
– Illinois Informatics Institute
Ask participants for their general reactions to the video and the definition.
Then ask them, “How is your everyday life touched by informatics?” Get a
few responses before moving on.
See the Facilitator Quick Notes section on page 37 for background
reading informatics.
Lecture
10 Minutes Give a brief, interactive presentation on the basics of informatics that
addresses the points outlined below. Detailed facilitator notes can be found in
the notes section of the PowerPoint:
 Why Informatics is Important?
 How Informatics Already Impacts Us
 The Goal of Informatics
 The Flood of Information
 The Key Elements of Informatics
 Informatics & One Health
This information is adapted from a presentation by Dianne Hansford and a presentation by
Mark H. Spohr, World Health Organization.
Individual
Activity
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40 Minutes Informatics Activity (Short/Basic Option)
Tell students that the class is going to put the information they just learned
about informatics into practice. Split participants into small groups and give
them 20 minutes to complete the task outlined below. If possible, be sure that
each group has a person who knows Microsoft Excel to help make the task
easier.
 Your job is to “analyze” the data collected in this class and decide
how you will share the information back with the group.
SEAOHUN One Health Course- Facilitator’s Guide
Give each group a computer with the excel file on it containing the data entry
template and check periodically to see if the groups have any questions or are
stuck.
At the end of the exercise, have each group share what additional data point
they collected and the one new piece of information/knowledge derived from
their data. Then ask some processing questions:
 Do you believe the data you gathered is credible? Why or why not?
 What was it like to use Excel for data storage and manipulation?
 What process did you use to decide on your information/knowledge
point? How did you move from data to information to knowledge?
 How might your experience with this exercise relate to real challenges
and opportunities for One Health Informatics?
Small Group
Activity
60-75
Minutes
Informatics Scavenger Hunt Activity (Extended/Advanced Option)
Assign participants to groups for a web-based scavenger hunt. Give each
group a One Health topic to focus on and give the following task:
 For the topic assigned to you have 45 minutes to acquire, store and
develop a 3 minute presentation on current data available via the web.
 Each group should hunt for the following at a minimum:
- One human health related data source
- One animal health related data source
- One environment related data source
- One country related resource
 Note: You can assigned different countries or suggest a website with this
kind of open data if available)
Give participants computers/laptops with internet access. At the end of the
40 minutes have each group present. After all groups have presented discuss
the following questions:
 How easy or hard was it to acquire data? Why or why not? Do you
believe the data you gathered is credible? Why or why not?
 How did you “store” your data? Would your storage option work to
share information with others? How about 6 months-1 year from
now?
 What process did you use to create the presentation? How did you
move from data to information to knowledge?
 How might your experience with this exercise relate to real challenges
and opportunities for One Health Informatics?
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SEAOHUN One Health Course- Facilitator’s Guide
Detailed Facilitator Notes – What is Informatics?
Retrieved from: The Illinois Informatics Institute at www.informatics.illinois.edu
Informatics studies the application of information technology to practically any field, while considering
its impact on individuals, organizations, and society. It uses computation as a universal tool to solve
problems in other fields, to communicate, and to express ideas.
Formally, informatics is the study of the structure and behavior of natural and artificial systems that
generate, process, store, and communicate information. Informatics also includes (1) the study of the
cognitive, social, legal, and economic impact of information systems; (2) research and development of
technologies needed to implement artificial information systems that enhance our cognitive abilities; and
(3) the development and use of advanced information systems in science, engineering, arts, humanities,
education, and business. Because so much information can be stored digitally, we can manipulate it by
computer. And because there is so much information, computing is often the only way to make
information beneficial to humanity.
The ability to handle vast amounts of information cheaply has changed the way we live. Advances in
computing power, the World Wide Web, search engines, and large-scale collaborative initiatives like
Wikipedia have revolutionized the way knowledge is created and shared. We have new forms of social
interaction — from email, IM, and blogs to eBay, Facebook, and YouTube — and collaborative art and
entertainment - from Limewire and podcasts to Guitar Hero and Second Life. Information technology
(IT) has become a ubiquitous, indispensable component of our everyday lives, helping — or hindering
— us as we manage information, create knowledge, and make decisions.
Within the humanities, digital content is changing the way we visualize, present, understand, and
experience history and literature. Within the fine arts, artists are using high-tech tools to construct virtual
worlds, produce animations, and make music. Within the social, biological, and physical sciences, pattern
analysis, data mining, visualization of massive data sets, and large-scale simulation of biological and
physical processes, are enabling new discoveries and insights.
To leverage these advances to solve problems across all disciplines requires knowledge of how to
represent problems and domain-specific data, how to structure processes, how to handle work-flow, how
to manage complexity, and how to interpret results. To fully participate as an informed member of
society, we must appreciate the historical, ethical, and social ramifications of these accelerating changes.
Informatics addresses all of these issues and provides tools for handling them.
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SEAOHUN One Health Course- Facilitator’s Guide
LEARNING REFLECTIONS & EVALUATION
Learning Objective:


Type of Learning:
Timing:
Individual Assessment; Group Feedback
60 Minutes
Equipment and
Materials:
Student Guide
To reflect on learnings in the Communication & Informatics Module
To get feedback from participants on what they felt were the
strengths of the module and areas that the module could be improved.
Detailed Facilitator Notes
Evaluate/
Create
Apply
How would you rate your level of the following
Communication & Informatics Module competencies:
Understand
Individual
Learning
Assessment
Have your students complete the Communication and Informatics module
learning assessment in their Student Guides. Once they are done, collect the
responses to inform future deliveries of the module.
Describe basic communication techniques and tools (e.g., written
communication, multi-media, social media, interactive discussion,
listening).
Understand the fundamentals of risk communication.
Understand a variety of ways to manage and share Information.
Write down two or three things that you learned from the session. Think
about:
 What was new or surprising to you?
 What have you changed your mind about?
 What you are still unsure about?
 What was interesting to you/what would you like to study in more
details?
 Are there new behaviors that you will try based on this class?
 What topics from the class will you share with others outside the
class?
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Module: Communication & Informatics
10 Minutes In small groups, have each student share:
 Their key leanings from the module.
Small Group
 How they will apply the concepts, knowledge, skills they gained from
Dsicussion
the module.
Group
Feedback
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10 Minutes Ask the students:
 What is one element of the module they like/felt was a strength?
 What is one thing in the module they suggest be changed?
 Any additional comments.
SEAOHUN One Health Course- Facilitator’s Guide
REFERENCES FOR STUDENTS
Included in Resource Folder
Communications
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2007). Crisis and Emergency Risk Communication:
Pandemic Influenza. Retrieved from http://emergency.cdc.gov/cerc/pdf/CERC-PandemicFluOCT07.pdf.
United States Department of Health & Human Services, National Institutes of Health, National Cancer
Institute. (2008). Making Health Communication Programs Work (The Pink Book). Retrieved from
http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/cancerlibrary/pinkbook.
United States Environmental Protection Agency. (n.d) Communication Strategies. Retrieved from
http://www.epa.gov/superfund/community/pdfs/toolkit/comstrats.pdf
Informatics
The Rockafeller Foundation. (2010) Public Health Informatics. In From Silos to Systems: An Overview of
eHealth’s Transformative Power (Chapter 2). Retrieved from: http://www.rockefellerfoundation.org/
uploads/files/7d1832b5-96a1-4a70-8089-288f0b3235e7-silos-to.pdf.
Additional Resources
Communication
United States Agency for International Development PREVENT Project. (2011). Outbreak Response
and Risk Communication Guide. http://h1n1vax.aed.org/docs/Outbreak%20Response%
20and%20Risk%20Communication%20Guide.pdf.
United States Agency for International Development PREVENT Project. (2011). Risk Communication
Planning and Action Guide. http://h1n1vax.aed.org/docs/Risk%20Communication%20Planning
%20and%20Action%20Guide.pdf
Informatics
Spohr, M. H. Health Informatics Series: Introduction to Health Informatics [PowerPoint Presentation]. Retrieved
from University of Pittsburg website www.pitt.edu/~super4/36011-37001/36991.ppt.
Center for Disease Control, Public Health Surveillance and Informatics Program Office. (2012). The Role
of Public Health Informatics in Enhancing Public Health Surveillance by T. G. Savel and S. Foldy. Retrieved
from http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/su6103a5.htm.
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