What is Information, Education and Communication (IEC)?

Question

What are the benefits of Information, Education and Communication (IEC) in Ecological Solid Waste Management?

Answer 1

IEC is a new field in mass communication. I'm no journalist nor a PR practitioner but despite my Economics degree, I've done a few years back.

IEC is increasing awareness not just through information dissemination but also in terms of education.

Information deals with the facts. Education deals with the intent (i.e., increase awareness). Communication is the mechanics (i.e., bring down the medium to a level that the target audience can immediately appreciate and comprehend).

In rural areas, you have to target a specific population cluster whose level of comprehension you could meet and then provide the facts using the appropriate medium that they could understand. A consultation-assembly is invariably what they prefer, together with a local communicator who can explain the information and the facts in their local vernacular. Supplementary media such as published materials as well as "air-time" broadcast should be precise and concise. All other doubts, questions and collateral issues are raised in the consultation-assembly.

How do you measure? A scientifically formulated random questionnaire is an immediate tool. Just make sure it has item-validity and tool reliability.

Benefits? You make the target audience participants to the IEC process and not just plain listeners to lectures and all and the interactive nature of the process enhances greater appreciation, belief-development and conversion, and immediate practice-experimentation.

Answer 2

Information, education and communication (IEC) combines strategies, approaches and methods that enable individuals, families, groups, organisations and communities to play active roles in achieving, protecting and sustaining their own health. Embodied in IEC is the process of learning that empowers people to make decisions, modify behaviours and change social conditions. Activities are developed based upon needs assessments, sound educational principles, and periodic evaluation using a clear set of goals and objectives. IEC activities should never be developed or implemented independently from a broader reproductive health programme that is being designed and executed in the country. IEC activities not only need to have an appropriate context in which they are shaped, but it is crucial that health services providers be prepared to respond to any demand that may be created as a result of effective IEC activities. The influence of underlying social, cultural, economic and environmental conditions on health are also taken into consideration in the IEC processes. Identifying and promoting specific behaviours that are desirable are usually the objectives of IEC efforts. Behaviours are usually affected by many factors including the most urgent needs of the target population and the risks people perceive in continuing their current behaviours or in changing to different behaviours.