Documenting and Sharing Learning in Health Communication for Development - A Literature Review

Submitted to Rob Vincent, Learning Coordinator, Exchange

Introduction

This literature review follows the criteria set by the Exchange Project in order to map a wide range of health communication projects for development with a special focus on evaluation issues. It is characterised by three key aspects: a focus in Latin America; experiences featured in this document are most likely unknown in the English literature on health communication; a focus on evaluation and lessons learned from each experience.

First, this literature review focuses on experiences in health communication carried out in Latin America over the past five years. There is a wide range of experiences in health communication in this part of the world, which make this field a very rich one. Moreover, Latin America has been fertile ground to participatory approaches in development communication since the late 1950s, experiences that have been applied in health communication programmes as well.

Second, most of these Latin American experiences are unknown to the international literature on health communication, primarily due to the predominance of the English language in the field. In fact, most of the experiences documented in health communication are written and published in English, which typically leaves out a variety of experiences from Latin America. However, as more and more national and local governments, NGOs, and individuals working in health communication develop health communication programmes, it becomes more necessary to learn about these experiences.

Third, this literature review focuses on evaluation issues and lessons learned from these experiences, both in terms of formative and impact evaluation. Thus, a brief description of evaluation-related issues or lessons learned are included in the discussion of each experience. However, it is worth noting that in many cases there is not detailed information available in terms of impact evaluation, a characteristic of many health and development communication projects not only in Latin America, but also in other parts of the world. However, some of these experiences are included in this exercise given their innovative character and potential for further analysis and follow up.

Section I

A typology of evaluation resources and lessons learned, including areas that have been neglected, or poorly documented.

Section II

List of key resources (10 best) in participatory approaches to evaluation in any of the range of communication mediums and contexts, again with an emphasis on evaluation as an ongoing process of reflection rather than an externally driven management tool.

Section III

A more extensive background list of materials in evaluation, or signposts to any such lists.

Section IV

Other related areas that you may be aware of, such as communication, organisational learning, etc.

Section V

Resources that are on paper, electronic (web-sites, discussion lists), training packs, or institutions engaged in this area of work.