Exploring New Directions in Social Marketing

This study looks at an approach to social marketing developed by the India chapter of Population Services International (PSI). Integrated into "classical" social marketing (behaviour change communication, distribution and marketing of reproductive health and family planning products), PSI India conducts training programmes for health providers in the pilot state of Rajasthan.

Supported by the Kreditanstalt fur Wiederaufbau (KfW) - one of the major donor agencies for PSI India - the SLE/PSI team was asked to give an initial assessment of this training approach and to develop options for an impact monitoring system. The study summarises the results of the three-months consultancy project. The findings are based on workshops and interviews with health providers of different categories, the staff of PSI, and community representatives. The study concludes that PSI India should continue and expand its training programme but needs a) to focus on health providers from the private sector only, b) to focus on the content of the training on the main topics, and c) to attribute more importance to follow-up measures.