ABSTRACT:

The design and implementation of behaviourally-informed public policy (BPP) has grown significantly in the last decade. BPP draws on several key policy design and implementation tools drawn from behavioural science but they are perhaps best known for the use of randomised controlled trials (RCTs) to test the design of ‘nudge’ interventions. This presentation will reflect on the findings of Dr Ball’s ethnographic research within the Australian Federal Government’s own Behavioural Economics Team and point to some of the key lessons learned and proposed next steps for the development of behavioural policy making into the future. In particular, this presentation will focus on two key challenges BPP and its practitioners will need to address moving forward. These include the poor definition of nudging, and the ethical ramifications of this, and the over-reliance on RCTs as the key method of evaluation.

BIO:

Dr Sarah Ball is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow working on ARC Linkage Project titled ‘The new digital governance of welfare-to-work’.

Dr Ball completed her PhD at the Institute of Social Science Research at the University of Queensland in 2020. Her research explored the use of behavioural insights and experimental methods in the development of social policy in the Australian Federal Government. Prior this she worked for 5 years in the Australian Public Service, where she developed a deep interest in public administration, knowledge sharing and evidence-based policy.

https://findanexpert.unimelb.edu.au/profile/884502-sarah-ball

Please request zoom link from naomi to join the seminar (naomi.snowball@anu.edu.au)