Robust RCCE capacities are urgently needed, not only to end the current COVID-19 pandemic, but also to build back better and ensure countries are prepared when the next influenza pandemic strikes.
The new RCCE capacity building platform builds on EURO’s innovative five-step package for RCCE, which has been in use since 2017, and integrates lessons learned during the COVID-19 pandemic. Developed with support from the Pandemic Influenza Preparedness (PIP) Framework Partnership Contribution, the new platform blends existing tools and tactics with a wealth of new RCCE evidence, experience, cutting-edge research and best practices to provide a practical interactive and online tool that RCCE teams can use to create strategic and tactical plans.
The platform comprises ten simple steps that begin with developing situational awareness, identifying core capacities, setting goals and objectives and identifying stakeholders then move on to segmenting audiences, choosing channels and creating key messages before organizing activities, measuring and evaluating them and ending with testing the plan (see Figure).
The RCCE platform features:
- A step-by-step interactive template that teams can use to write a practical RCCE plan.
- A hands-on tool for building RCCE capacities and capabilities.
- A resource library.
The platform aims to function as a central hub for information and planning, as well as a companion website for in-country RCCE capacity building missions and sessions. It is designed to help communication and emergency management professionals in national and local health authorities rapidly develop tactical RCCE plans and to understand the resources, capacities, and capabilities needed to implement them.
The new 10-Step Risk Communication and Community Engagement Capacity Building Platform is scheduled to be launched in English at the end of April 2022 and in other languages soon after.
