"Behavior Change Communication (BCC) interventions have become an integral part of many HIV prevention programs. Monitoring and evaluation is expected to be included in the design of any BCC interventions from the beginning on. However, the know-how on how to demonstrate results and impacts of such interventions in a methodologically sound way often lags behind. This document aims at enhancing program officials' understanding of the importance of evaluations as well as the most important steps to take and decisions to make in the course of an evaluation, and at enabling them to oversee the work done by the evaluators.
It is divided into three parts. The first part presents the main general aspects that need to be taken into consideration when monitoring and evaluating BCC interventions with a focus on HIV-related BCC approaches. More specifically, a general framework for monitoring and evaluation is presented, including among others information on the use of appropriate indicators, the development of an evaluation plan, different types of evaluation, study designs of summative evaluations, statistical analysis and dissemination of the evaluation results. Based on this theoretical background presented in part one, the second part draws conclusions, presents recommendations and gives practical advice on monitoring and evaluating HIV BCC programs. Three types of HIV BCC interventions, relevant to the work of German Development Cooperation (GDC), are also here discussed; these are the tool Join-in-Circuit, peer education programs and mass media campaigns. The third part presents four country examples of M&E of HIV BCC interventions implemented by GDC programs. These were discussed during a short-course on evaluation of BBC interventions offered by GIZ from 9]10 March, 2012 in Johannesburg, South Africa." (Executive summary)