Successful behaviour
4th Aug 2011
"A recent Institute for Government debate, on the public policy applications of behavioural change theory, brought to light the sheer volume of innovative work being carried out across central government, local authorities, businesses and other bodies as organisations seek new and cost-effective ways of achieving desirable public policy outcomes.
The very nature of work around the behavioural change agenda and the outcomes that different ‘nudge’ instruments generate across a range of policy areas has resulted in an increasing number of pilot schemes, local initiatives and research into their wider application. From research into how to improve the performance of the local Job Centre Plus in returning people to work to schemes aimed at lowering energy usage in the home, ever-more sophisticated insights from social psychology and behavioural economics are being trialled on the public policy stage.
Such activity further demonstrates the evidence-based approach becoming the norm in public policy debates. For businesses and organisations seeking to engage with government, either at a central or local level, ensuring they fully understand all the work and research currently being undertaken in a policy area and how they can contribute to achieving particular aims, will remain vital to their success."