Behavioural Insights

and the SDGs

GLOBELICS conference
Ghana, 24-26 October 2018

Luke Ravenscroft
Director, BIT Singapore
 BIT
Since 2010, The Behavioral Insights
Team has been supporting social
impact partners to design programs
and policies that take into account
how people actually behave,
as opposed to how we wish they
would behave.
A lot of the shortfall in the MDGs was behavioural

© Behavioural Insights ltd

How can Behavioural Insights support the SDGs?

1. Sometimes the problem is behavioural

2. Sometimes we can enhance a programme

greatly by focusing on behavioural aspects

3. Sometimes we can use rapid but rigorous

testing to learn more before we design a full
programme
© Behavioural Insights ltd
How can Behavioural Insights support the SDGs?

1. Sometimes the problem is behavioural

2. Sometimes we can enhance a programme

greatly by focusing on behavioural aspects

3. Sometimes we can use rapid but rigorous

testing to learn more before we design a full
programme
© Behavioural Insights ltd
Encouraging
medication
compliance

© Behavioural Insights ltd

Encouraging medication compliance
Main result: Observed Adherence (% days)
How can Behavioural Insights support the SDGs?

1. Sometimes the problem is behavioural

2. Sometimes we can enhance a programme

greatly by focusing on behavioural aspects

3. Sometimes we can use rapid but rigorous

testing to learn more before we design a full
programme
© Behavioural Insights ltd
Encouraging
SMEs to join the
formal sector

© Behavioural Insights ltd

How can Behavioural Insights support the SDGs?

1. Sometimes the problem is behavioural

2. Sometimes we can enhance a programme

greatly by focusing on behavioural aspects

3. Sometimes we can use rapid but rigorous

testing to learn more before we design a full
programme
© Behavioural Insights ltd
Reducing
teacher
absenteeism

© Behavioural Insights ltd

….but what are the CHALLENGES?

1. Solving behavioural problems

o Changing behaviour but still may need change in rules
o External validity and appetite for testing while scaling

2. Behaviourally enhancing a programme

• Often hard to know the behavioural challenges upfront
• What if the programme has serious/structural issues?

3. Using rapid but rigorous testing

• How rapid? How cheap?
• But what are the drawbacks?
© Behavioural Insights ltd
What about adoption?

START SCALE SPREAD

© Behavioural Insights ltd

 Thank you!
For more on our work and results - www.bi.team

For any questions - luke.ravenscroft@bi.team