The report explores the need to deploy many people to influence behavior and to foster increased acceptance of immunisation services, whether at health facilities, in communities or in homes. This has created the need for capacity to be built in communications. Because of the determined international focus on interrupting the transmission of wild polio virus, however, little attention has been paid to institutionalising communications capacity or to evaluating these efforts.

"This consultant was asked to review capacity-building efforts in communications related to polio eradication for the period covering 1996 - 2002 by gathering and examining studies and reports and by interviewing key personnel who have been involved in those efforts. As a result of the review, the consultant was to prepare a "draft 15-30 page analytical paper on lessons learned regarding the best strategies for capacity building, including recommendations to the polio/immunisation partners."

Some of the findings in this report are:

• Programme planners should include planning for communications activities from the beginning of an initiative. Key decision-makers should be brought "on board"very early regarding the importance of integrating the planning for communications support into overall programme plans from the start.
• Clear goals and strategies for communications activities should be identified at the onset and periodically reviewed for their relevance, applicability and practicality.
• Key communication indicators should be identified and used to monitor progress from the beginning of activities.

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