Behavioural Exchange 2014 was the world’s first global behavioural insights conference, bringing expert academics and practitioners from around the world to Sydney. Four hundred delegates from around the world gathered in Sydney to discuss behavioural innovations shaping the policy landscape. Behavioural Exchange 2014 gave participants access to the best and brightest from the academic, public, and private sectors in the field of behavioural insights.
Welcome to Country & Official Welcome
The Hon. Andrew James Constance, MP, Treasurer
MC: Mr Martin Stewart-Weeks
Why Nudge?
Professor Cass Sunstein, Harvard University (telepresence) talked about why governments use behavioural insights, and reflected on his time at the White House Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs.
Professor David Laibson, Harvard University, talked about the growing use of behavioural insights by government and business.
Nudging in Government
Dr David Halpern, Chief Executive, United Kingdom Behavioural Insights Team reflected on setting up the world’s first "Nudge Unit," and on the application of BI in the UK.
Dr Maya Shankar, Senior Adviser, White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (telepresence) talked about the use of behavioural insights in the White House.
Lunch and The Exchange
Opportunities, Risks, and Common Challenges: An Expert Panel
Dr Thia Jang Ping, Director, Singapore Ministry of Finance
Professor Michael Hiscox, Harvard University
Professor Peter ShergoldAC, Chancellor, University of Western Sydney
Mr Nicholas Gruen, CEO, Lateral Economics
Facilitated by Mr Martin Stewart-Weeks
Stream Sessions – The Fundamentals
The fundamental elements that are critical in developing behavioural insights trials are the three D’s: Data, Design and Delivery. Senior policymakers, academics, and practitioners talked about their experience and specific case studies.
Stream 1 - Data
Ms Cheryl-Lea Field, Deputy Commissioner, Australian Taxation Office
Tam Shepherd, General Manager, Digital Transformation Division, Department of Human Services
Dr Kerry Chant, NSW Chief Health Officer
Facilitated by Mr Martin Stewart-Weeks
Stream 2 - Design
Ms Jane Treadwell, former Chief Executive Officer, DesignGov
Hector Salazar Salame, Executive Director, JPAL Southeast Asia
Han Siong Ngan, Industrial Designer, Khoo Teck Puat Hospital Singapore
Ms Carolyn Curtis, Chief Executive Officer, The Australian Centre for Social Innovation
Facilitated by Mr Peter Poulet, NSW Government Architect
Stream 3 - Delivery
Professor Cliff Hughes AO, Clinical Excellence Commission, Department of Human Services
Mr Tony Newbury, Chief Commissioner, Office of State Revenue
Ms Jerril Rechter, Chief Executive Officer, Vic Health
Dr Liam Smith, Behaviour Works, Monash University
Facilitated by Alison Frame, A/Deputy Secretary, NSW Department of Premier and Cabinet
Welcome
Professor Bates Gill, Chief Executive Officer, United States Studies Centre
Overview from Day 1 and Agenda for Day 2MC: Mr Martin Stewart-Weeks
Common Ground: Nudging in Government and Business
Professor Richard Thaler, University of Chicago, in conversation with Professor Max Bazerman, Harvard University.
Stream Sessions – The Fundamentals
The fundamental elements that are critical in developing behavioural insights trials are the three D’s: Data, Design, and Delivery. Experienced corporate leaders and academics talked about their experience and specific case studies.
Stream 1 - Data
Mr Adam Welsh, Senior Director of Regulatory Affairs APAC, Opower
Professor Robert Slonim, University of Sydney
Dr James Guszcza, Senior Fellow, Deloitte Analytics Institute
Facilitated by Stephen Brady, Deputy Secretary, NSW Department of Premier and Cabinet
Stream 2 - Design
Professor Kees Dorst, Professor of Design, University of Technology Sydney
Mr Damien Mu, General Manager, AIA/Vitality
Mr Bram van der Lans, General Manager, Telstra Digital Studio
Professor Dan Lovallo, Professor of Business Strategy, University of Sydney
Facilitated by Martin Stewart-Weeks
Stream 3 - Delivery
Mr Michael Pratt, Customer Service Commissioner, NSW Government
Mr Martin Laverty, Chief Executive Officer, Catholic Health Australia
Mr Arun Abey, Founder of ipac Securities, AMP
Mr Tim Fawcett, General Manager (Government Affairs), Cisco
Facilitated by Mr Adrian Renouf, Lead Partner - NSW Government and Public Sector, Ernst & Young
Reflections from Business
Professor Mike Norton, Harvard University
Ms Mia Garlick, Head of Policy Australia and New Zealand, Facebook
Mr Gautam Jaggi, Lead Analyst, Ernst & Young
Dr Jack Dan, National General Manager (Government), Telstra
The Future of BI
Professor Iris Bohnet, Harvard University
Mr Donald Low, Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, Singapore, looked ahead to the future application of behavioural insights.
They were joined for an interactive panel session with:
Mr Michael Coutts-Trotter, Secretary, NSW Department of Family and Community Services
Ms Lucille Halloran, Commonwealth Government Leader, Ernst & Young
Mr Graeme Head, NSW Public Service Commissioner
Dr David Halpern, UK Behavioural Insights Team
"Behavioural insights" (BI) draws on research from behavioural economics, psychology, and neuroscience to understand how humans behave and make decisions in everyday life. By better understanding how people respond to different contexts and incentives, decision-makers can design and implement better policies and services.
BI provides a useful approach to policymaking, as the process of facilitating behaviour change requires a deep understanding of the practical and structural barriers that people face. Traditionally, many policies and programs have been developed with an underpinning in conventional economics, which assumes that people are rational agents always seeking to "self-maximize" in their decisions. The reality, as behavioural economists and cognitive psychologists have discovered, is that people tend to make decisions that depart from rationality in often predictable ways. BI seeks to use the learnings from academia, and there is a growing network of practitioners applying BI in the private and public sectors around the world.
One of the strengths of BI is its experimental approach to policy and service design. Randomised controlled trials (RCTs), used wherever possible in BI, are a powerful tool to help policymakers and practitioners decide which of several policies is the most cost effective, and which interventions are not as effective as expected. This approach enables us to adapt our policies so that they steadily improve in quality and effectiveness.
In November 2012, the New South Wales Government entered into a partnership with the United Kingdom Cabinet Office to support the application of behavioural insights to policies and programs in NSW.
NSW is the first state in Australia to create a centrally staffed and funded BI unit, and BI is providing a new way of looking at existing challenges.
The federal government and several state governments in Australia have been increasing their BI expertise and implementing behavioural trials, contributing to the growing pool of knowledge and research demonstrating proven policy outcomes.
Behavioural Exchange 2014 was hosted by the NSW Government, the United States Studies Centre, and Harvard University’s Behavioural Insights Group.
Thank you to EY, Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, Telstra and Cisco for their generous support.
