Indicator Level
Indicator Wording
Indicator Purpose
How to Collect and Analyse the Required Data
Determine the indicator’s value by using the following methodology:
1) List the main messages promoted by the project's SBC activities. Where possible, select messages specific enough to distinguish them from similar messages promoted by other organisations. Avoid counting slightly different versions of the same message as separate messages.
2) Decide in advance how many of the selected messages a respondent must have heard or seen to meet the indicator (for example, at least 4 out of 8 messages). Base this minimum on the campaign's communication objectives and consider pre-testing to avoid setting this benchmark unrealistically high or unnecessarily low. When comparing results across surveys, use the same selected messages, minimum threshold and recall period. Otherwise, the results may not be directly comparable.
3) Conduct individual interviews with a representative sample of the target group members assessing whether they recall hearing or reading the promoted messages and from which source they heard / read them:
RECOMMENDED SURVEY QUESTIONS (Q) AND POSSIBLE ANSWERS (A)
Introduction: I will ask you whether you remember hearing or seeing some messages in the past [specify timeframe]. It is fine if you have not heard or seen them or cannot remember. There are no right or wrong answers.
Q1: In the past [specify the time frame], have you heard from someone or have you seen somewhere the following message: [specify the message]?
A1: yes / no / does not remember
Ask the following question only if the previous answer is “yes”.
Q2: Where did you see or hear this message? Probe: Did you hear or see it anywhere else?
A2: Pre-define the answer options based on the communication channels your activities used (such as an extension worker, radio or billboard). Include other possible sources, such as the respondent's friends and relatives, and the option “does not remember”. Do not read out the answer options. Always use the neutral probing question in Q2, even if the respondent has already mentioned one source, as they might remember additional sources only after probing. Record all sources mentioned.
4) Replicate the same questions for the other selected messages.
5) For each respondent, count the number of selected messages they report having heard or seen through one or more communication channels used by your SBC activities. Count each message only once, even if the respondent mentions several sources. Do not count messages reported only through other channels or when the respondent does not remember the source. However, keep these respondents in the denominator when calculating the indicator.
6) To calculate the indicator’s value:
Count the number of respondents whose number of messages counted in Step 5 meets the minimum threshold set in Step 2;
Divide this number by the total number of eligible respondents with sufficient answers to assess whether they met the threshold (include those who did not recognise any selected messages or could not remember their sources);
Multiply the result by 100 to convert it to a percentage.
Disaggregate by
This data can be disaggregated by gender, age group and location, and, if relevant and feasible, also by disability status and preferred language.
Important Comments
1) An alternative way of measuring the indicator is to ask respondents to recall messages about a given topic without first telling them what the messages were. For example: “What messages about child nutrition have you heard or seen in the past [specify timeframe]?” Then use Q2 to ask where they heard or saw each message. When calculating the indicator, count only responses that match the meaning of the project's selected messages, even if expressed in different words. The advantage of this approach is that respondents are less likely to claim that they encountered a message when they did not. However, they may forget to mention some messages even if they previously heard or saw them. If you use this alternative approach, always use neutral probing, such as “What else have you heard or seen about child nutrition during that period?”, to help respondents remember additional messages without suggesting answers. This approach measures spontaneous (unaided) recall, while the main methodology measures prompted (aided) recall. The two methods can produce different results, so use the same approach when comparing findings across surveys.
2) Plan the data collection when planning your SBC activities. Collect the data soon after the messages were promoted, while respondents are still likely to remember them. For short campaigns, collecting data within approximately 2–3 weeks is often sensible, but this is not a universal limit. For longer or ongoing activities, choose a recall period that matches when the messages were promoted. Avoid collecting the data only during the project's endline survey if this takes place long after the communication activities. Remember that the indicator measures reported recognition of messages through communication channels used by the project, not verified project reach, increased knowledge or behaviour change. Other organisations may use the same channels, and people may also encounter project messages indirectly through friends or relatives.
3) If the same survey also measures respondents' knowledge, attitudes or behaviours related to the promoted messages, ask those questions before the message recall questions. Otherwise, reading out the promoted messages may influence respondents' subsequent answers.
Relevant Cross-cutting Indicators
Also consider using the following indicators:
Understanding of the Promoted Messages (assesses whether respondents correctly understand the messages, beyond recognising them)
Information Through the Preferred Channel (helps assess whether the communication channels used match the preferences of the target audience)