What Works: creating an evidenced based approach Dr David Halpern What Works National Adviser & Director Behavioural Insights Team

How did UK cyclists win?...radical incrementalism 2

Relative efficacy – 100x average differences 3 Toby Ord, 2013 The Moral Imperative toward Cost –Effectiveness in Global Health

© Behavioural Insights ltd Nine out of ten people pay their tax on time.

© Behavioural Insights ltd Social norms to increase tax payment rates within 23 days (1 month)

© Behavioural Insights ltd 1. Control 2. Norm 3. Norm & Picture4. Norm & Logo

© Behavioural Insights ltd 5. Three Die 6. Nine Lives 7. Reciprocity8. Action

© Behavioural Insights ltd Proportion joining the organ donor register after a online prompt

What Works Centres 9

10 Core idea… Transmit Adopt Generate

11 Initial ‘What Works’ Centres cover £200bn “The What Works Network will bring a real step-change to our evidence generating capabilities, and will further ensure government takes decisions at the Spending Round and future events on the basis of high quality research aimed at delivering the best possible outcomes for the public” Danny Alexander Chief Secretary to the Treasury

The first six ‘What Works’ centres 12 NICE EEF Early Intervention Foundation Local Economic Growth Crime reduction Better Aging

45% of school leaders say they use the ST/EEF toolkit Intervention Impact Evidence quality Cost

The future…? 14

Conclusions Commissioner and practitioner focused £200bn ($300bn) spend covered and growing Implies a different, more humble approach to policy Department reviews to foster faster progress (BI!) Strong case for collaboration – many gaps 15

Dr David Halpern What Works National Adviser and Director Behavioural Insights Team Danielle Mason Head of What Works

A lost tradition of experimentation… 17 Illustration from North Carolina and its Resources by the North Caroline Board of Agriculture, 1896

© Behavioural Insights ltd A different approach to policy…

© Behavioural Insights ltd Building evidence infrastructure: propensity score matching and the Justice data lab 76 requests 46 published analyses 16 analyses found significant impact 15 of the significant results were positive UNCLASSIFIED

© Behavioural Insights ltd Not just letters - Job centre results % off benefits at 13 weeks Now across the UK & NSW