In an era defined by complexity, the imperative for effective public policy has never been more pressing. As governments seek to address an increasingly multi-faceted issues which require concerted societal changes, behavioural public policy presents an opportunity to shape more informed, responsive, and ultimately more effective policies, programs and services.
The best practice principles included in this document were co-created with the behavioural science community in governments and leading research institutions and reflect back the deep and diverse experiences of community members. Drawing upon the collective expertise of practitioners, researchers, and policymakers from diverse corners of the globe, this document charts pathways towards more evidence-based, citizen-centric governance.
At its core, mainstreaming behavioral public policy involves harnessing the insights garnered from behavioral science to inform the entire policy cycle, from problem definition to continuous monitoring and evaluation. Approaching a policy topic from the perspective of human behaviour can help policy makers identify important issues, understand underlying problems, design and tailor promising solutions, implement them effectively, and evaluate their impact.
The experiences codified in this report reflect a field that has emerged from its nascent stage as a novel practice and is growing both in the depth and breadth of its application. In countries with long-established behavioural science teams, we are seeing the proliferation of expertise deeper into public administrations, including into local government contexts. Simultaneously, many countries, especially those in the global south, are opening their first behavioural science teams and innovating by applying and adapting behavioural science methods to a diverse array of public policy challenges.
This report continues a series of publications on behavioural science from the OECD, which began in 2017, with Behavioural Insights and Public Policy: Lessons from Around the World and has continued to include guidance on conducting behavioural science projects, running experiments, and applying behavioural science ethically and responsibly. We are excited to continue collaborating with governments bilaterally and through fora such as the OECD Network of Behavioural Insights Experts in Government and the National Contact Points for the Observatory of Public Sector Innovation.
As governments across the globe seek to improve the efficacy of their policies, behavioural science is becoming an indispensable tool. This collection of lessons learned is intended to provide inspiration and concrete advice to governments seeking to maximize the utility of behavioural science through its institutionalization throughout their public administrations.