Educator Self-Study Module
Step 3. Determine specific actions citizens need to take to accomplish your management goal
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In Steps 1 and 2 you’ve identified the environmental concern or opportunity you want to address and the target audience. The next step is to describe the specific practice that a specific audience can implement to address the environmental problem. Once you’ve confirmed these specific action components, you will have the information you need to develop an effective outreach plan.
Here’s an example of what you need to do if you are addressing a household waste problem:
- Identify single, ideal behaviors for managing household waste by an individual. These might include:
- Separate recyclable containers, paper, hazardous materials, and organic materials from other trash
- Store each type of material in separate containers
- Put out appropriate materials on the correct pick-up day
- Compost organic garbage
- Take hazardous materials to the appropriate collection site
Here are the recommended steps to follow:
- Describe or name the preferred environmental practice. What do you want citizens to do?
- Further describe the preferred practice in terms of a series of several related behaviors which, taken together, could have an impact on the environmental problem.
- See below for further recommendations for how to identify, confirm, and spell out the environmental practice.
- Examine each single behavior to assure that it is required to implement the environmental practice and that it is a single, observable action.
- An ideal behavior is a single, observable action that experts consider people need to perform in order to reduce or help resolve a specific environmental problem.
- Identify target audiences who can perform these specific steps.
- Primary audiences are people who perform the behavior.
- Secondary audiences are people who influence the primary audience.
- Express ideal behaviors as:
- What the primary or secondary audience should do, not what should be done for them
- Specific behaviors (begin with an action verb)
- Single, observable events
- One behavior per statement
Identify and confirm the appropriate environmental practice and component steps.
To determine the most appropriate environmental practice and its component steps, you will need to take some time to examine current practices. The most effective strategy involves engaging the target audience, as well as content experts, in an observation and analysis process. Once you’ve gathered your advisory group, follow these suggested steps:
1. Compare “doers” and “non-doers.” What specific factors make one adopt a practice and the other not?
2. Identify skills and performance deficits. Do people refrain from a practice because they don’t know how to do it or because of other factors, such as access to appropriate technology or lack of awareness of positive consequences?
3. Address skills deficit. Develop strategies which provide skill information or teach necessary skills.
4. Address performance deficit. Identify strategies that reduce barriers and increase positive consequences.
5. Conduct quantitative research. Pilot test an outreach or education program that addresses skill and performance deficits with a sample of the target audience. Determine applicability of the study sample to the larger audience. Fine tune recommendations.
6. Conduct behavior trials.
Source:
Adapted from Starting With Behavior, Elizabeth Mills Booth, 1996 and Promoting a Sustainable Future, Doug McKenzie-Mohr, 1995.
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Choosing Effective Outreach Techniques
1. Describe the environmental concern or opportunity.
2. Identify preliminary target audience(s).
3. Determine specific actions citizens need to take to accomplish your management goal.
4. Collect audience information relevant to the environmental practices and specific behaviors
5. Assess potential for adoption of single behaviors and the environmental practice.
6. Select single behaviors for intervention focus.
7. Select intervention technique(s).
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Best
Education 
What are BEPs?
