April 2025 — An inception meeting on the Zambia Social and Behaviour Change (SBC) Learning Platform was held on 4th March 2025 in Lusaka, a landmark event towards fostering collaboration among SBC players in Zambia. This meeting, facilitated through a partnership between the University of Zambia and UNICEF, served as a significant milestone in setting the course for a well-coordinated SBC community. The meeting brought together key stakeholders from various sectors, including ministries, government institutions, academia, and partner organizations. Participants included representatives from the Ministry of Health – Health Promotion, National Food and Nutrition Commission, Ministry of Education, Zambia National Public Health Institute, and the University of Zambia’s School of Public Health and School of Social Work, and several NGO partners. 

Understanding the SBC Landscape in Zambia

Recognizing SBC as an essential driver of progress across critical sectors such as Health, Education, Nutrition, WASH, Social Protection, and Disaster Risk Reduction and Management, UNICEF Zambia conducted an SBC landscape analysis to support the government’s efforts. This analysis aimed to explore the reach, sectoral expertise, and technical capacity among key SBC players and partners. The analysis, which included an online survey, in-depth interviews, and a review of existing data, revealed that while Zambia has made significant progress in integrating evidence-based SBC approaches, several gaps remain in the sector. Among the identified gaps were the fact that while there increasing prioritization of SBC in Zambia, efforts remain fragmented and lack sustained investment, with funding often tied to short-term results and mostly skewed to the health sector. Regarding technical capacity, the analysis highlighted the lack of a standardized training program for SBC practitioners. It also noted that emerging approaches, such as human-centered design and behavioural sciences, are gaining traction in informing the design of interventions. Through the validation of the SBC landscape analysis, it became clear that there is a need to create a platform for the SBC community to foster knowledge sharing, capacity building, and stronger partnerships to achieve meaningful social change.

Committed to a shared vision for SBC knowledge sharing 

During a visioning exercise, participants collaboratively identified both short- and long-term goals for the SBC learning platform. The exercise resulted in the development of a shared vision that underscored the desire for a space where SBC practitioners unite, document and share SBC impact, experiences, expertise, and best practices. Additionally, the platform would allow the SBC community to gain actionable insights to enhance their work in the field. The SBC learning platform is envisioned as a collaborative initiative promoting innovation, research, and the integration of behavioural sciences and human-centered design in the development of SBC strategies. Throughout the meeting, participants worked together to refine the platform’s goals and identified key thematic areas, including capacity building for SBC, human-centered design, and the integration of behavioural science into SBC practices.

Committed to Capacity Building

The Workshop further deliberated on the need for continued learning and capacity building among SBC practitioners. In collaboration with the University of Zambia’s School of Public Health, it was agreed that training needs within the SBC community will be addressed through short courses designed to strengthen the capacity of the in-service workforce. The University of Zambia is leveraging its partnership with UNICEF to respond to SBC workforce needs and contribute to the overall enhancement of the SBC field in the country. By providing relevant skills-building opportunities, the partnership aims to ensure that practitioners are equipped with the knowledge and tools necessary to drive impactful social and behaviour change in Zambia, which was welcomed by participants as cited below. 

“As SBC practitioners working in government, we are open to continued learning and excited to learn of the opportunity for capacity building that we have through a reputable institution such as the University of Zambia.”Participant from the Ministry of Health. 

“This collaborative platform aims to foster knowledge sharing, capacity building, and stronger partnerships among sector ministries, individual experts, and organizations working to achieve meaningful social change” UNICEF Deputy Representative ai.

This shared commitment to capacity building and the ongoing development of the SBC community represents a promising step forward in Zambia's efforts to address critical social and behavioural challenges across multiple sectors.

The Zambia platform will build on the vision and expertise established through the regional academia consortia recently created by the UNICEF Eastern and Southern Africa Office.