Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) technical guidance by WHO RCCE action plan: COVID-19 preparedness | Page 19

Annex 2. Defining and prioritising your RCCE objectives
What are your RCCE objectives?
Identify your objectives: Consider reviewing all the objectives below. Circle those that apply to your
country’s current epidemiological situation, the response priorities and public reactions. Note that
many of the objectives are interdependent, so broad objectives may require fulfilling some that are
more focused. Please add other objectives if needed for your country situation.
Just circle all that apply to your situation:
• To ensure that people have the life-saving information they need to protect themselves
and others (from the virus and to reduce its impact on health, social life, and the economy)
• To ensure effective feedback mechanisms are in place and used to ensure two-way
• communication between health/response authorities and communities, the public and
stakeholders.
• To ensure that healthcare workers know how to engage with patients and care givers, detect
possible cases, communicate with patients about COVID-19, and report to the relevant
health authorities and also to protect themselves in context of their exposure to the disease.
• To position country health officials as the main/first trusted source of information
about COVID-19.
• To ensure consistency in information and language from all partners and avoid
misinformation/rumours.
• To inform the general public how the public health response is being conducted and health
authorities are being pro-active in monitoring, detecting, and preventing the spread of
COVID-19.
• To ensure participation of and engagement with relevant communities to work out barriers
to the implementation and uptake of public health measures.
PRIORITISE YOUR OBJECTIVES: Look at the objectives you have circled and prioritise
them in order of their importance in your country. Remember your objectives need to be
SMART (specific, measurable, actionable, realistic and time bound).
Review objectives regularly, asking if the communication products and activities you are
developing are serving these most important priorities. If they are not, consider expending
more energy on high priority objectives or changing your objectives (if circumstances have
changed). A phased-in approach to your plan should also be considered.
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