Survey tool and guidance: rapid, simple, flexible behavioural insights on COVID-19

This document provides guidance to Member States in the WHO European Region that wish to conduct behavioural insights studies related to COVID-19.

The COVID-19 pandemic outbreak is placing an overwhelming burden on health systems and authorities to respond with effective and appropriate interventions, policies and messages.

A poorly timed and managed pandemic response or transition phase can threaten the gains collectively achieved. The pandemic and its restrictions may have affected mental and physical well-being, social cohesion, economic stability as well as individual and community resilience and trust.

In this complex context, understanding how, why and the context in which humans and communities respond allows to

1. anticipate unwanted scenarios and initiate mitigating measures; and
2. implement pandemic response measures that are better informed, situated, accepted and thus more effective.

Population surveys can explore perceptions, acceptance of restrictions, mental and physical health, behaviours, information needs, misperceptions and more.

WHO Regional Office for Europe and partners are offering Member States a tool to gain such insights which

1. is evidence-informed;
2. can be regularly applied;
3. is flexible to adjust to the changing situation;
4. follows high ethical standards.

A few countries have rapidly instigated studies to gain such insights, and more countries are urged to prioritize such efforts to inform and support other response measures.

The approach presented in this guidance document was developed based on a framework initiated by the University of Erfurt, Germany, German national health authorities and others.

This guidance document introduces:

• guidance on the recommended process and steps
• a sample methodology
• advice for obtaining ethical clearance
• a suggested sample questionnaire
• codes for data analysis and establishing a protected website for presentation of findings.

WHO Europe’s Insights Unit and Health Emergencies Programme are offering support to countries for implementation. We urge all users of the tool to let us know their plans so that we can coordinate and share. This way, we can prevent that two institutions in one country are working in parallel on the same type of study.