Social Norm Exploration Tool

Social Norm Exploration Tool

The Social Norms Exploration Tool (SNET) is a participatory learning and action tool that guides a social
norms exploration. The SNET is designed to be a rapid assessment tool. It is a team-based, qualitative
process to gather information at community level and quickly develop a preliminary understanding of
the social norms operating in program communities that are influencing how people act or behave from
a program perspective.

Through five phases, the SNET will provide you and your staff with the guidance and exercises you need
to conduct a social norms exploration in your community to incorporate actions to address norms in
your program.

Key terms are bolded in the SNET process summary below.
PHASE 1: PLAN & PREPARE: In the first phase, the Core Team reflects on social norms that they
believe may be influencing behaviors of interest, then defines the social norms exploration aim,
objectives, and Main Population Groups and chooses and prepares exercises to use in fieldwork.

PHASE 2: IDENTIFY REFERENCE GROUPS: In this phase, the Core and Field Teams ask program
participants (or potential participants) to identify whom they seek advice from and who influences their
behaviors (Reference Groups).

PHASE 3: EXPLORE SOCIAL NORMS: In this phase, the Field Team meets and asks program
participants (or potential participants) and Reference Group members about the range of factors
influencing specific behaviors, identifying more precisely social norms and their relative influence on
behavior.

PHASE 4: ANALYZE FINDINGS: In this next-to-final phase, the Analysis Team rapidly analyzes the
information gathered in community discussions, identifying the norms that influence behaviors of
interest, their relative influence and the consequences of conforming to or violating norms (Rewards or
Sanctions).

PHASE 5: APPLY FINDINGS: In this final phase, the Core Team uses the findings of the social
norms exploration to adjust components of the program to be more norms-aware.