Documenting and communicating results

Why document results of CSE implementation

Documenting the results is important for a number of reasons:

• It communicates the impact the support of community leaders and members had on a programme, and therefore the need to maintain and strengthen this support.
• It reinforces for community leaders and stakeholders, including funders, that their investment of time and resources were well spent.
• All implementations should be considered steps in an ongoing process. Documenting results, in addition to lessons learned, sets the stage for continuing and additional implementations, as well as scale-up plans and processes.

As progress and results are documented, it is important to communicate them to members of the community. There are a few things to consider when communicating about CSE programme implementation:

• Timing: Create a plan for how often the programme plans to communicate with the community, and share that plan up front. This will set the expectation for how often stakeholders will hear from the programmers. The plan should be flexible; for example, if a programmer plans to offer one update midway through the implementation but questions are raised from the community, the programmer should respond to the community needs and offer an additional update.
• Level of detail: Until a programme is completed and impacts assessed or evaluated, it is best to wait to share whether a particular implementation can be considered ‘successful’, based on the original goals and objectives.
• Number and focus of messages: Messages about a programme can be both primary and secondary. The primary message is the most universally compelling statement to all audiences (e.g. the need to reduce HIV). When a particular audience needs reinforcement, a primary message is often supported by secondary messages. Secondary messages often explain how the objectives of the primary message will be met. There may be several secondary messages tailored to the specific needs of an audience. For example, ‘The learners in the CSE programme all demonstrated knowledge about and facility with using condoms.’

[Adapted from: UNICEF. 2010. Advocacy toolkit: a guide to influencing decisions that improve children’s lives.]

Suggestions for communicating about a CSE programme

• Use evidence to write a ‘briefing paper’ on CSE to outline why it is relevant for young people in a specific country or community. This paper should include recommendations of how CSE can be improved by future programmes. Briefing papers can be written in collaboration with complementary, local health or youth organizations.
• If working with a civil society organization (CSO) or other such group, create an official organizational position statement on CSE and encourage other complementary organizations to do the same.
• Organize public launches for any papers or position statements as an opportunity to bring together decision-makers and young people to share expertise and support. Use the Internet and social media to create hashtags, Instagram stories, and live-tweet the event to open it up to an even bigger audience.
• Engage with the media by sharing articles and press releases with local/national TV, radio, and newspapers, being sure to include young people who can speak to the impact of the programme as well as the importance of CSE.
• Engage with other CSE advocates worldwide by sharing actions and experiences on online communities such as the Global Online Hub for Advocacy in Comprehensive Sexuality Education.

[Adapted from: IPPF; The PACT. 2017. We demand more! A sexuality education advocacy handbook for young people.]

The following table can be used to identify the messages that would be useful to communicate to community groups and organizations:

[UNICEF. 2010. Advocacy toolkit. A guide to influencing decisions that improve children's lives, p. 46.]