Centre for Understanding Behaviour Change (CUBeC) Luke Sibieta, IFS Presentation at DCSF Conference: The Use of Evidence in Policy Development and Delivery, 9 February 2010

Outline  Our vision and approach  Who we are and what we will do.  Research programme  Delivering flexible and rapid response (PoRTAL)

Vision  Provide a comprehensive evidence base on which DCSF can develop policies to drive behaviour change –Robust, thorough and current; –Reviews, research and ideas.  A new way of working between policy-makers and academics –Exploiting complementary strengths; –Actively promoting dialogue; –Rapid and flexible response.

A new approach  Social science is about understanding behaviour: economics, psychology, sociology, …  New developments and new ideas around framing choices, defaults, discounting, social norms.  We will offer an over-arching framework to ensure a rigorous approach to the work of the Centre and DCSF.  We have innovative ideas to test models of behaviour change and how to drive it.

 Consortium –Core built around CMPO/Bristol, IFS and Natcen –Partners from ELSE, IoE and Imperial  Range of disciplines and methodologies –Economics (including behavioural economics), education, experimental psychology, neuroscience, sociology –Quantitative analysis, qualitative analysis, field experiments, lab experiments, theoretical insight. 27/11/2009CUBeC5 Who we are and what we bring

Prof. Imran Rasul (UCL/ELSE) Response to Risk & Risky behaviours Prof. Peter Rogers (Experimental Psychology, UoB) Positive and Healthy Behaviours Andreas Cebulla (Natcen) Over-arching Projects Prof. Paul Dolan (Imperial) Information, Framing & choices Prof. Ruth Deakin-Crick (Education, UoB) Positive Educational Outcomes Prof. Simon Burgess (CMPO) Director Luke Sibieta (IFS) PoRTAL Manager Research theme directors

 Building on our own prior research; examples: –Peter Rogers and the Nutrition and Behaviour Unit at University of Bristol –Ruth Deakin Crick and Effective Lifelong Learning Inventory (ELLI) –Simon Burgess and school choice and access  Responding to the new opportunity; examples: –Luke Sibieta and Alastair Muriel – obesity and school dinners. 27/11/2009CUBeC7 Ideas

Substance abuse Peer influence Neural processes Response to Risk & Risky behaviours Dietary decisions Sports/hobbies Pro-social behaviours Positive and Healthy Behaviours Teacher recruitment School choice Subject choices Information, Framing & choices Pupil engagement Parental engagement HE aspirations Positive Educational Outcomes Survey methods Review of previous policies Over-arching Projects Research framework

 Making the most of our complementary strengths: –Pro-active in engaging with DCSF –Building up individual and centre-wide relationships.  Range of types of interaction: –Liaison and policy review activity across the team of experts. –Time in DCSF, bringing DCSF-UBC members the latest thinking –Joint annual determination of the research programme 27/11/2009CUBeC9 Liaison and interaction

 Fill short term gaps in policymakers knowledge  Dedicated and multi-skilled group of researchers –Core researchers, academic experts, wider network –Multi-disciplinary, multi-method  Outputs –Literature reviews, thought pieces, data analysis – , telephone, meetings –Identify gaps in knowledge 27/11/2009CUBeC10 Flexible and rapid response

Contact details Luke Sibieta, Institute for Fiscal Studies Senior Research Economist Tel: