Behavioral insights matter
Application of evidence and methods from behavioral sciences to achieve results
Ethiopia got its first Behavioral Insight Research and Design Lab (BIRD lab), and it is a big thing. Why? Because the application of evidence-based experimentation and innovation of behavioral sciences helps the country achieve better developmental results.
What is a BIRD lab?
A BIRD lab is a virtual and physical space of experimentation and innovation. It is also a collaborative space for researchers, development partners, and academia to come together and better understand human behavior that guides decisions and habits.
The BIRD lab is established in partnership with Addis Ababa University, the School of Public Health and the Ethiopian Health Education and Promotion Professionals Association (EHEPA). It will conduct behavioral insight diagnosis, designs, prototypes, incubation of innovation, experiments, research, and capacity building on behavioral science. Its vision is to become a recognized institution on behavioral insights that conducts cutting-edge research and implementation in behavioral science for eastern and southern Africa and beyond. It will contribute towards designing new or modifying existing interventions to address barriers to optimize effectiveness through understanding the variables that influence behaviors and practices.
How does BIRD lab work?
The BIRD Lab draws on many existing frameworks for behavioral research and design. Researchers take time to identify a particular social problem and which specific behaviors are related to it. They also explore sociocultural, environmental, and psychological factors to draw human-centered solutions. Simply put, evidence from human behavior studies is used to inform decisions. The BIRD lab’s main activities encompass:
1) Capacity development: The lab will provide Social behavioral change (SBC) experts with the knowledge they need to better understand the dynamics driving individuals and social change, which will help them come up with innovative solutions. The lab will also serve as a teaching and research facility, providing the opportunity for master’s and Ph.D. students to engage in hands-on research projects related to behavioral science development challenges.
2) Research & Designing Behavioral Solutions: The lab will carry out in-depth research to understand behavioral patterns, cognitive biases, and decision-making processes, design SBC interventions, prototype interventions, and test interventions, and provide a detailed recommendation with actionable insight for decision-makers
3) Collaboration and Partnership: The lab will create alliances with universities and ministries to advocate for the integration and application of behavioral insights in their respective programs and curricula and will advocate the application of behavioral insight
4) Scale-up Assistance: The lab will provide technical assistance and advice to organizations in the adoption of behavioral insights, advising on scaling up behavioral solutions and sharing outcomes of behavioral trials and research projects
Small changes can make a big difference
Over the past three decades, Ethiopia has made significant progress in improving health and other social service provisions. Yet, there is still a long way to go. For instance, neonatal mortality (30 per 1000 live births), infant mortality (43 per 1000 live births), and under-five mortality (55 per 1000 live births) is very high, and 37 % of under-five children are stunted[1]. Maternal mortality is also high, with 401 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births[2]. One of the contributing factors to these challenges in the country is the existing wide range of socio-cultural beliefs and practices that undermine health and limit health-seeking behavior and service utilization. Studying these behavioral patterns and decision-making processes, designing, testing, and scaling up behavioral-informed interventions is therefore important to guide service provision. People’s decisions and behaviors are affected by the context in which they operate, what cues they receive, what options are available and most visible, which actions seem easiest, what they see others around them doing, or how people try to influence their decisions.
Why do behavioral insights matter for children?
Everyday decisions and actions of parents, teachers, healthcare workers, community leaders, and policymakers profoundly affect children’s lives. These decisions and actions are themselves influenced by habits, norms, and cues in a social environment. Evidence from various behavioral science research suggests that actionable insights and practical decisions based on them can secure a better future for children. UNICEF has long played a leading role in investing in behavioral research and applying results to identify, understand, and test solutions in its programs. Behavioral insight will be used to promote children’s rights and secure a better future for all children. It will help children survive, thrive, and reach their full potential.
[1] Mini Demographic and Health Survey, Key indicators, Ministry of Health, Ethiopia, 2019
[2] Annual performance report, 2021/22, Ministry of Health, Ethiopia
