Thought you might be interested Thursday: behavioral science is a public policy game changer

Too often, good public policies and practices do not result in the expected results. Program participants goals are not met. People cycle on and off of programs such as Medicaid and SNAP. In some cases, legislators are quick to eliminate presumably needed programs because results are not delivered.

Some municipalities have turned to behavioral science to improve outcomes and results. Fast Company's Ben Paynter describes what New York City, Chicago, and other cities have learned in These Citywide Behavioral Science Experiments Are Paying Off. Paynter also links to two incredibly useful documents, Behavioral Design Teams: A Model for Integrating Behavioral Design in City Government and the associated tip guide. The latter "clearly enumerates five ways to get started and continue success." Bravo.

Take a few minutes to read this important piece and consider how your organization can start down the path of making tweaks to improve participation and results. You won't regret it.