Case Study: Message Not Delivered
continued...
Delivery timings
It is important to consider the time of day and amount of time that is
available for a delivery in order for that delivery to be most effective.
It can be difficult to fit in around very stretched school timetables and
curriculum requirements, so inquiries into the setting should be made
beforehand. Delivery of upsetting information means it is important that
students are given the opportunity to discuss that information, and that
individuals such as presenters/teachers are available to give support
to any individual requiring it before they leave the venue. Part of the
workshop chould take place before a break to allow for a partial ‘relief’
period 1 whereby emotions and fear that may have been evoked are
re-settled and information explaining how to avoid the consequences
that created the fear is provided. This reduces the likelihood that
individuals will leave feeling anxious but without a sense of direction for what to do next, which can have
negative impacts upon behaviour¹.
Behaviour change techniques
The workshop provided as part of Message Not Delivered contains a number of Behaviour Change Techniques.
For example, a leaflet is handed out to students containing a ‘pledge’ section, where participants are
encouraged to commit to particular forms of behaviour (and avoid others). For this to be meaningful, potential
‘pledgers’ need the space to discuss what they are committing to and how they might go about turning
behavioural intention into behaviour change - not just be asked to sign something before they can leave.
A promise to oneself can potentially be more easily ignored than a pledge to others, so students could be
encouraged to make a pledge to each other 2 . This should also be discussed in terms of specific intentions rather
than general goals, to make the pledge more personal and applicable to the real world - for example, by getting
an individual to think about specific actions that they do, or are tempted to do, and write their own pledge,
rather than simply commit to ‘not using their phone while driving’. If possible, pledges should be reviewed and
revisited within the weeks and/or months following the presentation 3 . Ongoing work with schools post-delivery
is advised to allow follow-up messages to be delivered and evaluation to take place.
¹ Algie, J. and Rossiter, J.R., (2010). Fear patterns: A new approach to designing road safety advertisements. Journal of Prevention & Intervention in the
Community, 38(4), pp.264-279.
2
Fylan, F. (2017). Using Behaviour Change Techniques: Guidance for the road safety community. RAC Foundation. Available from: https://www.racfoundation.
org/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Using_behaviour_changetechniques_Guidance_for_the_road_safety_community.pdf
81