Looking back, looking forward: lessons from COVID-19 communication measurement, evaluation and learning (MEL)

Authors

  • Oxana Onilov Communication Unit, Regional Director’s Office, World Health Organization Regional Office for the Western Pacific, Manila, Philippines
  • Dexin Gong Health Emergencies Programme, World Health Organization Regional Office for the Western Pacific, Manila, Philippines
  • Kimberly Chriscaden Communication Unit, Regional Director’s Office, World Health Organization Regional Office for the Western Pacific, Manila, Philippines
  • Jargalan Tsogt Communication Unit, Regional Director’s Office, World Health Organization Regional Office for the Western Pacific, Manila, Philippines
  • Maria Socorro Melic Communication Unit, Regional Director’s Office, World Health Organization Regional Office for the Western Pacific, Manila, Philippines
  • Rosemarie Urquico Communication Unit, Regional Director’s Office, World Health Organization Regional Office for the Western Pacific, Manila, Philippines
  • Anna Biernat Communication Unit, Regional Director’s Office, World Health Organization Regional Office for the Western Pacific, Manila, Philippines
  • Anna Postovoitova Health Emergencies Programme, World Health Organization Regional Office for the Western Pacific, Manila, Philippines
  • Lieke Visser Health Emergencies Programme, World Health Organization Regional Office for the Western Pacific, Manila, Philippines
  • Nancy Wong Health Emergencies Programme, World Health Organization Regional Office for the Western Pacific, Manila, Philippines
  • Rosemarie North Health Emergencies Programme, World Health Organization Regional Office for the Western Pacific, Manila, Philippines
  • Olivia Lawe-Davies Communication Unit, Regional Director’s Office, World Health Organization Regional Office for the Western Pacific, Manila, Philippines

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5365/wpsar.2024.15.1.1056

Keywords:

COVID-19, measurement evaluation and learning, communication for health, C4H, risk communication, formative evaluation, process evaluation, summative evaluation

Abstract

Problem: Communication is an integral component of an emergency response, including to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. Designing effective communication requires systematic measurement, evaluation and learning.

Context: In the Western Pacific Region, the World Health Organization (WHO) responded to the COVID-19 pandemic by using the Communication for Health (C4H) approach. This included the development and application of a robust measurement, evaluation and learning (MEL) framework to assess the effectiveness of COVID-19 communication, and to share and apply lessons in real time to continuously strengthen the pandemic response.

Action: MEL was applied during the planning, implementation and summative evaluation phases of COVID-19 communication, with evidence-based insights and recommendations continuously integrated in succeeding phases of the COVID-19 response.

Lessons learned: This article captures good practices that helped WHO to implement MEL during the COVID-19 pandemic. It focuses on lessons from the evaluation process, including the importance of planning, data integration, collaboration, partnerships, piggybacking, using existing data and leveraging digital media.

Discussion: Despite some limitations, the systematic application of MEL to COVID-19 communication shows its value in the planning and implementation of effective, evidence-based communication to address public health challenges. It enables the evaluation of outcomes and reflection on lessons identified to strengthen the response to the current pandemic and future emergencies.

Downloads

Published

05-01-2024

How to Cite

1.
Onilov O, Gong D, Chriscaden K, Tsogt J, Melic MS, Urquico R, Biernat A, Postovoitova A, Visser L, Wong N, North R, Lawe-Davies O. Looking back, looking forward: lessons from COVID-19 communication measurement, evaluation and learning (MEL). Western Pac Surveill Response J [Internet]. 2024 Jan. 5 [cited 2024 Nov. 21];15(1). Available from: https://ojs.wpro.who.int/ojs/index.php/wpsar/article/view/1056

Issue

Section

Lessons from the Field

Categories