Part I. Developing an Outreach Campaign Plan
Step 2: Identify & analyze the target audience

Behavior Change Tools (continued)

Commitment tools
Another tool for overcoming barriers to behavior change is to ask for commitments from members of your audience. Most of us have encountered this at some point in our lives. Perhaps the local fire or police department fundraisers have called you and asked for a small donation for a worthwhile cause. If you are one of the group that agreed to send in a donation, you discover that you have quickly landed on their "call back often" list. And before you know it, you're being asked to bake pies for their annual bake sale. Agreeing to a small request leads many of us to ultimately agree to larger requests because we like to view ourselves and our behavior as consistent. Sign-ups, petitions, pledges are all useful commitment tools.

Commitment tools have worked well for some watershed education programs such as the one in Whatcom County, Washington. There, the Washington Department of Ecology developed a program in which citizens go through a checklist of things to do in and around their home to protect their watershed. Residents pledge in writing to do the things they check on the list.

Keep in mind that written commitments are often more effective than verbal commitments. Group commitments are also beneficial-for example, getting a homeowners' association to commit to posting signage about pet waste.