RESPONSE: A Behavioural Insights Checklist for Designing Effective Communications

"Traditionally, behaviour change interventions, such as policies and campaigns, have tended to focus on providing information or incentives that aim to change the way people think about their behaviour....The problem is that a substantial proportion of what people actually do is not explained by what they intend to do."

At the core of behavioural insights - often referred to as "nudging" - is the recognition that we do not always make decisions in line with our intentions and that human behaviour is greatly influenced by the context or environment within which decisions are taken. RESPONSE is an interactive tool drawing on behavioural insights to support the design of more effective communications supporting behaviour change. It was developed by a team of behavioural science practitioners working in local government (United Kingdom) to up-skill workforces applying behavioural science in what they envision as simple but impactful way.

The guide includes a checklist that details step-by-step instructions on how to design, develop, and test behaviourally informed communications. It includes tips, techniques, and examples of how the methods outlined have been used around the globe. The tools are organised into the RESPONSE checklist:

• R Recipient: Who is the intended audience?
• E Effect: What is the desired response?
• S Sender: What is the best channel, and who is the best messenger?
• P Pain Points: What are the barriers to the desired response(s)?
• O Opportunities: What can we change/where can we intervene to break down barriers?
• N Nudge: Which behavioural insights can be used to design the communications?
• S Spillovers: Could there be any unintended consequences?
• E Evaluate: How will the communications be tested to prove they work?

Mini case studies are included throughout that illustrate these components in practice. For example, having noted that domestic violence victims are hard to identify, as many domestic abuse incidents go unreported, the Kent County Council (UK) worked with Kent Police and Victim Support to adopt a behavioural prevention approach to increase engagement with domestic abuse victims so they could more easily access support. Calling cards that were meant to be attractive and discreet were designed. Featuring clear calls to action and social influence reassuring victims that seeking support was the norm, the cards were handed to victims following a visit from the police to encourage them to engage with victim support.