Targeting Behavior: Designing Conservation Behavior Change Programs
Session Organizer: Shannon Earle
When: July 11-13, 2008

Description:
Targeting Behavior: the Methodology
We know that simply increasing people's knowledge is not enough to affect what they actually do. We may know that renewable energy is better than fossil fuels, but do we use it? In reality, behavior is influenced by a complex set of factors, including what we know and care about, what our culture and peers tell us is right, what we have time for, what our personal economic situation is and market pressures. Behavior is also determined by policies and laws that deter or enable certain practices, and by the availability of alternatives and the resources and skills to adopt those alternatives. Education should be a driving force to achieve behavior change for conservation; however most education and communication programs continue to focus on general awareness or school-based programs, rather than integrated initiatives targeting measurable behavior change.

Conservation International (CI) recognizes that to be successful, education initiatives must be integrated with other conservation disciplines such as biology, economic alternatives and incentives, policy and resource management. CI's Targeting Behavior methodology offers a systematic approach to designing behavior change programs that focus on change at all levels - including rural communities, businesses, government, and urban publics. The approach deliberately forges interdisciplinary connections so that resulting education tools and activities leverage and support other tools in the conservation toolbox. Targeting Behavior uses a set of participatory assessment tools to determine:
*Conservation problems
*Behaviors that are root causes of these problems
*Target groups that either drive these problems or influence the drivers
*Alternatives that can replace unsustainable behaviors
*Barriers that hinder adoption of alternatives
*Knowledge, attitudes and skills needed to shift behavior 
*Socio-economic and culturally appropriate learning tools

The result is a holistic approach that delivers conservation results.