How to Integrate Behavioral Economics into Program Design

Abstract for a Skills-Building Workshop from the 2022 International SBCC Summit in Morocco: 

"We know that information doesn't always lead to behavior, that teaching about the benefits of healthy behavior may help an individual want to do something healthy, but there is frequently a gap between that intention and action. Behavioral science principles - specifically behavioral economics - show that the gaps between intention and action are predictable. Since they're predictable, we can identify them and then design programs to account for them, meaning programs that incorporate BE can make it easier for people to act on their intentions to do healthy behaviors. This hands-on, case study-based workshop will do just that - actively build practitioners' capacities in behavioral design by showing how to apply behavioral economics to improve (1) understanding of human behavior and (2) program design, as well as how they can lead their clients through a similar process for improved co-design. The workshop will lead participants through a behavioral case study of their choosing using open-source materials in behavioral economics that are not widely used in global health. The first hour of the workshop will show participants how BE principles will increase their understanding of behavior and how to identify the predictable gaps between intention and action. In the second hour participants apply BE principles to program design to overcome or mitigate the predictable gaps and move their clients to action. By the end of the workshop, attendees will have designed their own rough intervention to address a specific outcome and behavior they want to improve using behavioral design."