A - Z of further resources and links


Behaviour Change Beyond Nudge

Presentation by UCL Professor of Behaviour Change Susan Michie which place "nudge" techniques in the wider context of behaviour change. Includes a depiction of Prof Michie's Behaviour Change Wheel and highlights the limitations of a behaviour change approach based solely on "nudge"

Behaviour change: individual approaches – National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines [PH49]

This guidance makes recommendations on individual-level interventions aimed at changing health-damaging behaviours among people aged 16 or over, covering diet, exercise, smoking, alcohol and sexual health.

Behaviour Change Wheel: A new method for characterising and designing behaviour change interventions

This paper evaluates the different frameworks of behaviour change interventions available and evaluates a new framework aimed at overcoming their limitations. This forms the basis of the behaviour change wheel and looks at tobacco control and obesity. 

The British Psychological Society's Behaviour Change Advisory Group

The British Psychological Society's Behaviour Change Advisory Group (BCAG) works to provide expert advice on behaviour change in the context of public policy. It co-ordinates production of Society publications on behaviour change issues. It has produced briefings on issues such as school attendance and exclusion, physical (in)activity, tax and compliance, personal debt.

Changing Behaviours Opening a new conversation with the citizen

A report from the New Local Government Network which argues that we need to learn more about how government can use behaviour apply behaviour change techniques in order to develop a new, sustainable model for public services.

Demand Management and Behaviour Change: A Manual for Collaborative Practice 

This Leadership Centre & Collaborate paper highlights the range of approaches to demand management currently being practiced, drawing together their underpinning principles. It looks at the role behaviour change and social networks can play in managing demand.

Digital nudge and the peak demand problem of public services

This article by the Policy Exchange looks at situations where a significant proportion of the cost of providing some public services is associated with meeting peak demand that is well above average use. The article also provides insights from energy markets and digital tools could do to help manage demand.

Early Intervention Foundation

The Early Intervention Foundation (EIF) is a charity and one of the Government's ‘What Works Centres'. The EIF are the go-to organisation for evidence and advice on early intervention for tackling the root causes of social problems for children and young people. The EIF assess the evidence of what works in early intervention for impact and relative cost, advise local authorities, charities and investors on the implementation of early intervention on the ground, and advocate for investment in effective early intervention to local and national policy makers. EIF worked with 'Flying Start Luton', Cheshire West and Chester ‘Integrated Early Support' model, Lancashire Police ‘Focusing on early intervention', Nottingham ‘Early Intervention City', Solihull ‘Early Help place' all  featured in our case studies resource.

EAST: Four simple ways to apply behavioural insights

A guide to the Behavioural Insights Team "EAST" Framework, outlining the need to make service interactions easy, attractive, social and timely. It introduces some of the key concepts and includes brief case studies. The guide also offers insights into how you can "nudge" demand in the desired direction.

LGA Adult Social Care Efficiency Programme - The final report

This LGA report showcases a number of bold and innovative approaches to transforming Adult Social Care to better manage demand. These include workforce optimisation, culture change and new creative delivery models to manage demand. The approaches also take into account a range of technical and structural transformations.

LGA Behavioural Insights and Health

This publication showcases examples of councils using behavioural insights techniques to address a range of public health issues such as reducing smoking and tackling childhood obesity.  

LGA Innovative Councils database

This webpage brings together examples of the innovative programmes councils are involved in, including those councils who are using demand management techniques.

Managing customer demand: Understanding and changing behaviours to help meet the financial challenge

This LGA report gives some insight into the lessons learnt by local authorities and offers some recommendations for councils considering adopting demand management as part of their wider transformational strategy. It focuses on the principle of understanding the circumstances and behaviours that drive demand.

Managing Demand: Building Future Public Services

An introductory overview of demand management by the Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufacturers and Commerce, funded by the LGA, which looks at the financial case for demand management, from emerging evidence from small-scale interventions to early findings from ‘whole place' approaches. Also identifies five different varieties of demand including "avoidable", "preventable", "failure", "excess" and "co-dependent" and the approaches which can be applied to manage each.

MINDSPACE Influencing behaviour through public policy

This report by the Institute for Government, published in 2010, looks at how insights from science and behaviour change could lead to significantly improved outcomes and lower costs, compared to many conventional policy tools being used. The report explores how behaviour change theory can help meet current policy challenges, such as reducing crime, tackling obesity and ensuring environmental sustainability.

Test, Learn, Adapt: Developing Public Policy with Randomised Controlled Trials

This paper argues for greater use of randomised controlled trials in domestic public policy to test the effectiveness of new and existing interventions and variations. It includes examples from Department for Work and Pensions and Courts Service.

UCL Centre for Behaviour Change

The Centre for Behaviour Change is a unique initiative, harnessing the breadth and depth of academic expertise in behaviour change at UCL to address key challenges facing society. Changing behaviour is a challenging and complex process, requiring theories, methods and evidence from many academic disciplines, the website hosts a wealth of resources.