Make Me a Change Agent: An SBC Resource for WASH, Agriculture, and Livelihoods Activities

This page includes training materials, learning briefs, videos, and a newly launched online course and other resources on Make Me a Change Agent.

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PRO-WASH & SCALE

About

The Make Me a Change Agent training is designed for community-level workers who work on agriculture, livelihoods, and WASH-related activities and who engage with communities on behavior change and adoption of new techniques and practices. The resources below aim to help community-level workers strengthen fundamental skills and techniques around communication, negotiation, and facilitation. Although these resources are targeted at supporting the successful and sustainable implementation of agriculture, livelihoods, and WASH activities, the skills can help staff and volunteers in any sector become more effective as an agent of behavior change.

The training manual and corresponding resources are based on the Make Me a Change Agent: A Multisectoral SBC Resource for Community Workers and Field Staff guide (produced in 2015 under The TOPS Program). The resources below were co-created through the USAID Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance (BHA)-funded SCALE and PRO-WASH awards. This page is updated on a regular basis by the PRO-WASH & SCALE Award. 

If you are is interested in learning more about the MMCA training materials or how they can be used to strengthen your WASH, agriculture, or livelihood activities, please contact PRO-WASH & SCALE at (prowashandscale@savechildren.org).

Please visit the PRO-WASH & SCALE page to learn more about additional capacity strengthening, knowledge-sharing, and applied research opportunities.

Resources and Materials

Training Materials

Below are MMCA training manuals available in English, French, and Amharic. The manuals are accessible in both PDF (in high and low resolution) and Word formats. 

Online Course

This 13-hour curriculum explores fundamental skills in social and behavior change for agriculture, livelihoods, and WASH activities and allows users to practice different techniques to strengthen their skills. Each lesson can be completed separately or as a full curriculum, and the course can be completed individually or with colleagues using an accompanying Facilitator’s Guide that is available within the course. The Online Course is available below in English and French.

The Online Course is accompanied by a Facilitator’s Guide that aims to help practitioners bring a group together – after they go through an online MMCA session individually – to practice key skills and reflect, discuss, and receive clarity on the lessons. The Facilitator’s Guide contains an overview of the MMCA Online Course sessions, information on how to organize the group sessions, tips for facilitating the group sessions, and lesson-by-lesson facilitation notes. It is available below in English and French.

Accessing the Online Course through DisasterReady:

  1. Go to DisasterReady.org
  2. In the top right corner, click “Login” (if you already have an account) or “Sign Up”, if you do not have an account.
    1. If you are signing up, fill in your details and click “Create Account.”
  3. Once you are logged in to DisasterReady, visit the MMCA Course Site.
  4. Click "Open Curriculum" and you will see all the MMCA lessons.
Learning Briefs

Tips for Applying Make Me a Change Agent Skills to WASH, Agriculture and Livelihoods Activities during COVID-19

While the MMCA guide was developed primarily for in-person sessions, many of the techniques are equally as important during COVID-19 responses as teams pivot to implementing activities remotely. SCALE and PRO-WASH have produced this tip sheet outlining how skills from the MMCA training manual can be adapted and used in the COVID-19 context. This tip sheet is primarily for program staff who are familiar with the MMCA guide. However, those not previously trained in MMCA can follow the references made to specific content within the guide, and apply these documents into ongoing training and learning activities

Lessons Learned: Make Me a Change Agent for WASH, Agriculture and Livelihoods Activities

In order to inform the adaptation of the Make Me a Change Agent (MMCA) training guide, SCALE and PRO-WASH conducted eight MMCA training sessions and six post-training surveys with WASH, agriculture, and livelihoods staff from Ethiopia, Bangladesh, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), and Uganda. This resource summarizes key results and lessons learned from the MMCA training sessions and post-training surveys and highlights the importance of the newly adapted Make Me a Change Agent (MMCA) training manual. 

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