Our Impact

In a survey of members

  • 92% of respondents found the webinars relevant or very relevant to their work.

  • 84% of respondents found the webinars enabled them to influence policy or programming.

Our discussions led to an OECD Secretariat paper on applied behavioural science to COVID-19 and are leading to publication in academic journals.

We published a report with the World Bank describing members’ lessons learned applying behavioural science to COVID-19 vaccination confidence, access and roll-out.

Members have

  • Learned from challenges and successes of behavioural science application in other country contexts;

  • Received feedback on study design;

  • Connected with other behavioural science policymakers and practitioners working in the public sector internationally; and

  • Discussed actionable science to shape communications and policy, among other areas.

What we’ve done so far

  • Lightening talks and interactive Q&A with government officials in France, Japan and the the United Kingdom on the use of behavioural science to address COVID-19. (April 8, 2020)

  • Presentations and discussion with the World Bank, Federal Chancellery Germany, and Medicins sans frontieres on the application of behavioural science in fast changing, emergency response contexts (focusing on confinement/lockdown and de-confinement). (April 28, 2020)

  • Presentations and discussion with the Governments of Finland and Korea, and the Inter-American Development Bank focusing on the topic of contact track and tracing technologies. (May 12, 2020)

  • Co-host with the Government of Ireland discussing behavioural science informing the Department of Health's communications, the development of the national COVID-19 tracker app and the use of behavioural experiments, including comments from ESRI and Professor Liam Delaney, University College Dublin. (May 27, 2020)

  • Breakout group discussion on issues identified by members of importance: 1) communicating with the public; 2) contact track and tracing; and 3) secondary impacts of COVID-19 (gender-based violence). (June 18, 2020)

  • Breakout group discussion further exploration of identified topics including how behavioural science is being applied and ”what works” in each area. (July 2, 2020)

  • Breakout plenary presentations and discussion on ways to apply takeaways going forward. (July 16, 2020)

  • Co-host with England/UK and collaborators discussing polling to understand public behaviours, face coverings, contact track and tracing, including comments from Professor Susan Michie, University College London. (July 30, 2020)

  • Co-host with Australia including presentations from the Behavioural Economics Team of the Australian Government, Victorian Behavioural Insights Unit and New South Wales Behavioural Insights Unit. (September 3, 2020)

  • Co-host with Brazil including presentations from the São Paulo City Hall, NudgeRio (Rio de Janiero City Hall) and Professor Gabriela Lotta, Fundação Getulio Vargas. (September 23, 2020)

  • Discussion of key findings from a draft OECD paper on the application of behavioural insights in a fast paced environment/covid and conversation about issues raised. This paper incorporates and builds upon discussions of the Group since its beginning. (October 8, 2020)

  • Co-host with Canada including presentations from the Impact and Innovation Unit in the Privy Council Office, Government of Canada, Ontario Behavioural Insights Unit and the British Columbia Behavioural Insights Group. (November 12, 2020)

  • Interactive discussion with Professor Cass Sunstein addressing specific questions/challenges faced by members. (December 2, 2020)

  • Interactive discussion with Professor Dan Ariely addressing specific questions/challenges faced by members. (January 14, 2021)