Behavioural Insight Unit NSW Government Behaviour Smart Bootcamp

^{Jim Curtis leading the bootcamp}

BehaviourWorks Australia gave NSW government public servants the skills, methods and tools to find behaviour change solutions for their projects dealing with environmental and social challenges.

BehaviourWorks Australia partnered with the NSW Behavioural Insights Unit (BIU) who uses the latest research to help NSW Government agencies deliver better services to citizens.

Together, they co-designed and ran an intensive behaviour change Bootcamp that provided training to government workers from diverse sectors with different levels of experience. Both BehaviourWorks Australia and BIU brought their own expertise to the partnership and developed a human-centred approach that allowed the participants to reflect on their progress (and pivot their projects towards meeting customer needs).

Working in teams of seven, the 49 passionate and committed participants met across  seven days of face-to-face workshops. And they applied learnings directly to their projects over the six months between sessions. Projects covered topics as varied as judicial equity, environmental conservation, solar energy consumption and workplace safety.

By using the relevant and practical lessons from the sessions in their work, and by giving participants the time to implement actions and reflect on their success, the course delivered high impact outcomes for the agencies involved. Says Clare Power, Manager at NSW Behavioural Insights Unit:

Over the course of the bootcamp, we’ve seen participants grow in their ability to apply behavioural science to their work. Not only have they designed interventions that are already making a difference for customers, but they’ve also used what they’ve learnt to shape their future projects.”

Seven BIU mentors supported the bootcamp teams on a weekly basis to apply behavioural science to their work. And the mentors were guided in their supportive role by the  BehaviourWorks Australia team. The program itself was created through an intensive co-design and review process, to ensure that sessions achieved intended outcomes and the teams could progress their ideas with expert review and peer-feedback.

“There must have been about 100 years’ experience in behaviour change and teaching in those sessions,” says BehaviourWorks Australia’s Education Manager, Sarah Kneebone.

There was such a generosity of spirit, everyone wanted what was best for the program.”

The result of this rich experience meant that both the teams participating in the course, as well as the BIU mentors, could build their capacity.

Following the Bootcamp, the participants continue to apply their new knowledge and skills. The BIU is planning a celebration showcase in March 2023 where teams will present on the impact they’ve made through their projects. Says Dave Trudinger, Director of NSW Behavioural Insights Unit:

BehaviourWorks Australia have worked closely with us to provide a service that has had a strong impact for customers of NSW government services. We’ve learned a lot through the process and look forward to building on this great partnership.”