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.

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Who we are and what we bring

Prof. Imran Rasul

(UCL/ELSE)

Response to Risk & Risky behaviours

Response to Risk & Risky behaviours

Prof. Peter Rogers

(Experimental Psychology,

UoB)

Positive and Healthy

Behaviours

Positive and Healthy

Behaviours

Andreas Cebulla (Natcen)

Over-arching Projects

Over-arching Projects

Prof. Paul Dolan

(Imperial)

Information, Framing &

choices

Information, Framing &

choices

Prof. Ruth Deakin-Crick (Education,

UoB)

Positive Educational Outcomes

Positive Educational Outcomes

Prof. Simon Burgess (CMPO)DirectorDirector

Luke Sibieta (IFS)PoRTAL ManagerPoRTAL Manager

Research theme directorsResearch 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.

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Ideas

Substance abuse

Peer influence

Neural processes

Response to Risk & Risky

behaviours

Response to Risk & Risky

behaviours

Dietary decisions

Sports/hobbies

Pro-social behaviours

Positive and Healthy

Behaviours

Positive and Healthy

Behaviours

Teacher recruitment

School choice

Subject choices

Information, Framing & choices

Information, Framing & choices

Pupil engagement

Parental engagement

HE aspirations

Positive Educational Outcomes

Positive Educational Outcomes

Survey methods

Review of previous policies

Over-arching ProjectsOver-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

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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

– E-mail, telephone, meetings

– Identify gaps in knowledge

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Flexible and rapid response

Contact details

Luke Sibieta, Institute for Fiscal Studies

Senior Research Economist

Tel: 02072914800

Email: luke_s@ifs.org.uk

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