Tool 1: The MoCa Action Model
Let’s say you’re designing a social change intervention. Do you want to change the environment, the system, or the services?
Or do you want to inspire action from community members living in that environment, who interact with that system and services?
Perhaps you want to do both.
The “MoCa” Action Model is a tool for thinking and analyzing before designing social change interventions. The Action Model focuses on motivation and capacity. Capacity to act, to remove obstacles, and to facilitate changes in the environment, and motivation to inspire community-led action.
MoCa = “Mo” for Motivation and “Ca” for Capacity.
Many people are thinking and writing about both motivation and capacity (or “ability” as they might call it). I’m thinking here of the “Fogg Behavior Model” and the “Behavior Grid” from the founder of Stanford’s “Behavior Design Lab.” A similar model is “COM-B,” which focuses on three components as relevant for influencing behavior: Capacity, Opportunity and Motivation. (See this 2011 article for more info, if interested). One more for the road: Check out Irrational Lab’s “3B model” (Behavior, Barriers, Benefits).
We’ve chosen to focus on action rather than behavior for two reasons. For one, we find the term “action” to be broader than behavior. The act of voting, getting vaccinated, or organizing a solidarity march seem more like actions than “behaviors” to us (you may disagree, and we welcome your comments).
Secondly, the term action feels more respectful of free will than behavior. We speak of the “good behavior” of dogs, children and prisoners. Have you seen a good “behavior movie” lately? I haven’t. In short, the term “action” is more dynamic, with more free will implied and less finger wagging than “behavior.”
This preference of ours for action doesn’t mean that thinking and writing about “behavior” are wasting their time. There is a rich history and much to be learned from the fields of Behavioral Economics, Behavioral Science, Behavioural Insights (using the UK spelling here, in a nod to this pioneering team), and “Behavioral Design.” This last term is not one we love, but a lot of smart people are working in this field, so we’re holding our tongue.
Okay, enough bla bla bla on terminology. Let’s get down to the “MoCa” Action Model and how we think it can be helpful when planning social change interventions.
Considering how action might be promoted by two specific paths, or a combination of these paths, can help us design better prototypes and better interventions. Here are four specific ways the MoCa model can help you think about designing interventions for social change.
- It can help you avoid wasting time and money. It is a poor investment of both time and money to try to design for action when there is low motivation and low capacity. Low capacity may be a result of multiple barriers or/or scarce supplies). What to do in this scenario? Using Behavioral Science and/or Human Centered Design approaches might help you remove or reduce obstacles. As Behavioral Scientists like to say: “Make it easy.” To move out of the “poor investment” zone, you can also try strengthening community capacity. Or you can try to increase the motivation of potential change agents. Gamification might help here. It’s a tactic, rather than an approach. A tasty sauce, not main dish.
- It can help you make strategic decisions for investing your time and energy. There are two “tried and true” approaches that work well in the “better investment” area of the MoCa Action Model, Community Led Total Sanitation (CLTS) and Positive Deviance. Both of these approaches have useful and usable manuals that exist in multiple languages, which can be accessed using the links above. CLTS relies on natural leaders from within the community. Positive Deviance taps into the expertise of community members who have already found solutions to a specific problem, despite not having extra resources.
- Finally, the MoCa Action Model can help you reflect before acting. We’ve seen many failed “information campaigns” in our day. Before we move to “raise awareness” let’s stop and consider if rather than “raising awareness,” we might try removing obstacles and inspiring action among the “already aware,” and strengthening capacity for those who are already motivated and willing to help.
Where to begin?
Consider the challenge or problem your social change intervention is designed to address. Ask yourself: What might help in this instance? More capacity, more motivation, more information, or a combination of these? Then start prototyping. Prototype to learn, not to validate. Make some mistakes. Try again. Co-create with community members. Get government leaders and civil servants involved to help solve the problem. Reduce some barriers. Give public recognition for the contributions of community change agents.
Voila!
We’re off to a good start.
NOTE: This is a tool for reflection and planning rather than a “how to” guide. We would be grateful for any comments on this essay. Suggestions and/or questions can also be shared with K. Greiner, kgreiner-at-gmail.com; or kgreiner-at-unicef.org.
