Benoit Pétré,1 Delphine Kirkove,1 Vincent de Andrade,2 Cyril Crozet,2 Daniela Toro-Arrocet,2 Aurore Margat,2 Rémi Gagnayre2 1Department of Public Health, University of Liege, Liège, Belgium; 2Education and Health Practices Laboratory, UR 3412, UFR Santé Médecine Biologie Humaine, Sorbonne Paris-Nord University, Bobigny, FranceCorrespondence: Benoit PétréDepartment of Public Health, University of Liège, Quartier Hôpital, Avenue Hippocrate 13 (B23), Liège, 4000, BelgiumTel +32 4 366 2505Email benoit.petre@uliege.beAbstract: The COVID-19 pandemic has compelled public authorities to establish preventive measures involving individual behaviour modification strategies (mask-wearing, social distancing, etc.) with a view to community protection. In this context, documenting people’s behaviour changes, the impact of public health measures, and individuals’ knowledge, motivations, and beliefs – even their perception of how the crisis is being managed – is essential for understanding the experience of the population and adapting the management approach accordingly. This article presents findings and lessons on how to monitor a population’s behaviour during a crisis, obtained by reviewing forty-five surveys conducted in Belgium and France during the first Covid-19 stay-at-home order, from April to May 2020. The central message is to argue that the citizens’ role in this type of survey – and in managing the crisis, more generally – should be reconsidered by thinking of them as true health partners and members of a community that could be mobilised to help.Keywords: pandemic, covid 19, community monitoring, preventive health behavior