When does behavioral science contribute to COVID response? And what must happen first?

In this sixth “Coronavignette,” we continue to share conversations with leaders of civil society organizations we support on how COVID-19 affects their work.

Saugato Datta and Josh Martin are Managing Directors of ideas42, a non-profit that uses insights from behavioral science to improve lives, build better systems and policies, and drive social change. We have supported ideas42 to carry out research on how public officials could be nudged to become more responsive to locally reported issues raised by citizens.

In the 8-minute video, Saugato and Josh describe:

  • When behavioral science is well positioned to contribute to COVID response — and when it is not.
  • How the UK pushed for behavioral interventions before understanding the larger systems changes that needed to take place first.
  • The role of behavioral science in developing new ways to deliver services in a way that are safe from a health perspective and efficient from an economic perspective.
  • The importance of understanding human behavior when crafting government policy, and how that hasn’t always been true of COVID response policies.
  • How effective stimulus programs have disproved skepticism of the viability of large-scale cash transfer programs.
  • The opportunity for the behavioral science field to ensure that we don’t just go back to working as normal when the pandemic subsides, but rather build the institutions and knowledge to prepare for future threats and challenges.

In the coming weeks we have more Coronavignettes with the African Centre for Studies of the United States, EPIC-Africa, the Natural Resource Governance Institute and Media Foundation for West Africa.

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Hewlett Foundation's Inclusive Governance Team

Updates from the Hewlett Foundation’s Inclusive Governance team. Part of our Gender Equity & Governance Program https://hewlett.org/