To support building the pipeline of skilled workers in Ontario, the Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development (MLITSD) introduced the Skilled Trades Strategy (STS) in 2020 which aims to modernize the skilled trades and apprenticeship system by breaking the stigma and attracting more young people to the skilled trades, simplifying the system, and encouraging employer participation. In collaboration with MLITSD, the Ontario Behavioural Insights Unit (BIU) plans to run a…
Behavioural Insights Projects
Discover projects applying behavioural science to policy from around the world. Add your own projects, whether completed or still ongoing, to contribute knowledge on BI applications across different countries, policy areas, and topics of interest.
Number of BI projects:
0
Legend: Projects status
- Pre-registered project
- Completed project
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In partnership with Godot Inc. the Yomitan Village Office in Okinawa (Japan) conducted an AI-driven sludge audit of the medical check-up process. Since the 2022 financial year, the village office and Godot Inc. have been working together to apply behavioural science to medical check-up notifications delivered via SMS and postcards.
In 2021, Yomitan Village had the lowest general medical check-up rate among all 41 municipalities in Okinawa Prefecture. However, the application of behavioural…
BI Project
Working more hours to combat teacher shortages: How can teachers be motivated to increase their work…
In a vignette survey, teachers in primary, secondary and post-secondary vocational education were asked whether they would like to work more hours − with and without incentives. The survey shows that their willingness to do so can be increased to varying degrees by offering them bonuses, additional employee benefits and a combination of both.
Why this experiment was conducted: teacher shortages
The government has identified significant staff shortages in primary and secondary education. It is…
BETA is working with the Department of Social Services to evaluate the effectiveness of various behaviourally informed approaches on increasing workplace giving.
BI Project
Feel & act green: can compliments about sustainable behaviour lead to the next sustainable…
Rijkswaterstaat (the Directorate-General for Public Works and Water Management) wants to induce behavioural change in several areas. The circular economy is one example. A study examined whether consumers will make more sustainable choices if they have been complimented on their past actions or behaviour that were environmentally friendly or sustainable. This proved to be the case.
Why this experiment was conducted: additional incentive for sustainable behaviour
Behavioural change is…
The project involves a consultancy to diagnose and strengthen the behavioral incentive strategies of the Periodic Economic Benefits (BEPS) program by COLPENSIONES.
Key Components:
- Behavioral Diagnosis: Identify cognitive, social, and structural barriers limiting participation and savings in BEPS.
- Analysis of Current Strategies: Evaluate the effectiveness of existing behavioral incentives, such as nudges, rewards, and simplification mechanisms.
- Design of Recommendations: Propose…
BI Project
Enhanced cybersecurity of SMEs: Can a phishing test make companies less vulnerable to cyberattacks?
Small and Medium-sized Enterprises are particularly vulnerable to cyberattacks. A large-scale field experiment amongst SME employees showed that a phishing test is effective in the short term, but not in the medium or long term.
Why this experiment was conducted: SMEs are vulnerable to cyberattacks
Phishing is one of the most common types of cybercrime and is frequently the precursor to additional cyber threats, including malware and ransomware attacks. SMEs are vulnerable, with many of them…
The Australian Government has a range of programs available to assist those experiencing drought. But despite help being available, many do not reach out. The Behavioural Economics Team of the Australian Government (BETA) worked with the Joint Agency Drought Taskforce to research the barriers preventing people from seeking help.
We sought to:
• understand the most effective forms of communication about available forms of assistance, and incentives to take up assistance; and
• understand the…
We conducted a SMS program trial to inform our efforts to strengthen the home learning environment and support parents of 2 year-old children. Specifically, the trial aimed to: assess parent engagement with an SMS program, assess the impact of the program on positive parenting behaviours such as reading, playing and two way enriched conversation; and inform future efforts to improve positive parenting behaviours.
Among the education and psychology literature
that looks at the role of beliefs and school outcomes,
Growth Mindset theory (GM) posits that by helping
students shift their theory of learning to one where
intelligence isn’t a fixed state – but rather, that it’s
malleable, and something you can improve and grow
over time – students can become self-motivated to
improve both academic effort and outcomes. Teaching
youth how to foster a GM doesn’t just offer a potential
solution at low cost…