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This website was created by the OECD Observatory of Public Sector Innovation (OPSI), part of the OECD Public Governance Directorate (GOV).

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Do you have a project that uses behavioural science to facilitate the green transition? Submit your project by 19 April (Extended) April 14th to the OECD Call! Amidst global efforts to accelerate the green transition and achieve Net Zero targets, governments stand as pivotal agents of change, balancing societal perspectives with effective policies that align environmental and economic goals with social fairness. At the heart of this transition lie public policies which shape the trajectory...
The International Sludge Academy, launched in 2023, is a partnership between the OECD and the Government of New South Wales (NSW) in Australia. Over the course of 5 months, 16 teams from 14 countries completed sludge audits on government processes and public services. Learn more about the Academy and the sludge audit approach in our previous blog: “Spotting the sludge: Behavioural audits to improve public services across countries.” Have you ever felt frustrated by an...
According to the 2021 OECD Trust Survey, a majority of citizens are satisfied with their government’s delivery of public services. However, they also think there is little chance of a service being improved if people complained. OECD countries have already committed to Building Trust and Reinforcing Democracy through a broad set of actions to respond to some of the key governance challenges. One of the ways to do this is to improve government services, through...
The Network of Behavioural Insights Experts in Government met in Paris at the OECD in May 2023. Over 100 delegates from 44 countries joined the network’s first hybrid event to discuss the future of applied behavioural science, including in a conversation with Professor Lucia A. Reisch and Professor Ralph Hertwig. Here we attempt to bring forward the main takeaways from that conversation for behavioural science practitioners. Applied behavioural scientists are grappling with multiple important…
Since the first behavioural insights (BI) unit in 2010, many BI teams have emerged around the world. While varying in missions, models, and methodologies, they share the common goal of enhancing our understanding ‘what makes people tick’ and how we might use this information for the betterment of policy and society. In 2017, the OECD published a first report on BI and Public Policy that presented data and insights from 60 pioneering BI units.   Unsurprisingly,...
Blog

OECD Call for Toolkits

We are on the lookout for game-changing, freely available toolkits that can ignite innovative thinking and drive progress in governments worldwide. As the hosts of OECD Toolkit Navigator, one of the world’s largest compendia of public sector innovation toolkits, we’re excited to collaborate with you to identify fresh, forward-thinking resources to support governments and public servants in the design and delivery of better policies and services.   Five minutes – that’s all it…
Blog

2021: A Year in Review at OPSI

2021 was yet another busy year at OPSI! As the rate and complexity of global challenges increases, so does our work. In cooperation with partners and counterparts, we complete another successful year of leveraging our expertise in global trends, public sector innovation systems, transformative technology and innovation skills, processes and methods. We held over 50 workshops, webinars and events Issued 13 reports Published 46 blogs And held hundreds meetings to drive the point home: that...
Virtual Conference – Government Beyond Recovery: Towards a future-fit public sector: 18-19 October 2021 As we hurry to buy plane tickets to the next tropical destination or catch the latest James Bond movie in theatres, the sudden and dramatic restrictions we all experienced in early 2020 can feel like a distant memory. In the early days of COVID-19, many of us reflected critically on the things that mattered most in our lives and work; committing...
On May 11th 2021, OPSI hosted a workshop in partnership with the Austrian Federal Ministry for Civil Service and Sport on Enhancement-Oriented Innovation, as part of our ongoing work on the Innovation facets through our Horizon 2020 programme of research. Over 100 people representing 36 nationalities joined us to hear about  the relationships between innovation and public sector efficiency and productivity, as well as methods and tools…