Suggested Items for a Communication for Development (C4D)
Emergency Preparedness and Response Checklist
UNICEF C4D Unit, NYHQ
Technical support to Government:
Clarify with national government UNICEF’s role in emergency communication:
 Primary technical support from the UN agencies to the Government?
 Social mobilization?
 Community-level behaviour change?
 Training of health sector personnel?
 Media/press relations?
Coordination and partnership arrangements:

What is the status of a national level communication coordination body?

Does it have a TOR? Is the body formed and functional?

Which UN agencies take part?

Which government agency takes the lead role?

What is UNICEF’s role? In light of the current emergency, does its membership need
to be revised?

Is there a roster of C4D partners from among government, CSOs, media organizations
and independent media practitioners, and academe who can be deployed at short
notice?

Are roles and responsibilities for emergency preparedness for communication clear
among UN agencies?

Are roles and responsibilities, terms of partnership with bilaterals; NGOs; civil
society organizations; private sector and UN agencies clear for emergency
preparedness for communication? Need for capacity building in C4D among
partners?

What opportunities for partnership have yet to be explored?

Has the special role that radio, TV channels, cellphones and other ICTs can play for
an emergency been clarified? Have examples of good practices from other countries?
Need for media capacity building, etc. in C4D?

Has the role of C4D for emergency preparedness and response within the UNICEF
country office been clarified? Coordination function, responsibility for C4D
leadership among UN agencies and other humanitarian actors; resource mobilization,
etc.
UNICEF
January, 2010
Suggested Items for a Communication for Development (C4D)
Emergency Preparedness and Response Checklist
UNICEF C4D Unit, NYHQ
Formative research and strategic planning

Has a national strategy for emergency preparedness and response been developed and
approved by the government?

Does it need to be re-activated/reviewed/modified? Is there a communication
component in the strategy or is communication for emergency preparedness and
response in a stand-alone document?

Are there sub-national plans for advocacy, social mobilization, community action and
district and community media mobilization (preparedness and response) including
strategies to reach the marginalized, socially excluded and hard-to-reach groups (such
as those out of reach of national broadcast media)?

What formative research has been done to support a C4D strategy? Additional
research might be needed for:
a) Converting recommended behaviours into feasible actions and appropriate
language
b) Special needs of children and women (eg., psycho-social impact; healthy
behaviours)
c) Developing community-level strategies for home care
d) Role of women in home care (increased vulnerability)

Formative research plan developed? Research institutions identified to undertake
research? Terms of reference prepared? Competent staff member assigned to
oversee the research? Contact made with regional office/HQ for technical support?
(See planning/evaluation criteria for conducting KAP research, C4D-NYHQ April
2010).

Have adequate resources been mobilised to implement formative research (KAP
survey, focus group discussions, PRA, etc.)?

Have workshops been planned to utilize formative research findings for strategy and
materials development?
Materials and message development

What print materials have been developed and pretested (production depending on
emergency)
a) General public,
b) Specific vulnerable/marginalized groups,
c) Social mobilizers,
d) Field workers (health and other),
UNICEF
January, 2010
Suggested Items for a Communication for Development (C4D)
Emergency Preparedness and Response Checklist
UNICEF C4D Unit, NYHQ
e) Journalists, radio/TV announcers, ICT companies, private sector and
Government spokespersons

What national broadcast programming (radio and TV) has been developed and
pretested (production and broadcast depending on emergency)? PSAs, promotion of
priority behaviours, documentaries, etc.

Has a strategy and programming been developed and pretested for new technology
(SMS, internet, etc.)—if appropriate for at-risk audiences?

What community-level communication initiatives (local theatre, community radio,
involvement of religious leaders, meetings, household visits, school programmes,
etc.) have been developed with community members? Scripts, messages, plans pretested.

What capacity building (preparedness) and contingency/implementation plans
(response) need to be addressed related to the above?

What work has been done with child and adolescent participation in communication
initiatives (planning and implementation)?

What materials and activities for children and adolescents have been
planned/pretested/implemented—in schools and through other channels?
Monitoring and Evaluation for C4D in Emergencies

Has an implementation monitoring plan been developed to track:
o Inputs
o Activities implemented according to plan,
o Reach of communication interventions
o Resources mobilized to cover implementation,
o Technical assistance.

Has an outcome monitoring plan been developed (measuring defined behaviour and
social outcomes by sector and other outcomes from communication initiatives with
affected populations).

Are these two types of monitoring and evaluation indicators incorporated into the
over-all Emergency Response M&E plan?
Resources:
Behaviour Change Communication in Emergencies: A Toolkit. UNICEF ROSA, 2006.
Essentials for Excellence: Researching, Monitoring and Evaluating Strategic Behaviour
and Social Change. UNICEF NYHQ, 2008.
UNICEF
January, 2010