So far this year, I’ve worked with five different teams on projects ranging from social protection to making nightlife safer. A large portion of my work involves supporting teams in understanding how they can pragmatically apply a social and behavioural science lens to their work. Having always been drawn to psychology and understanding how people are ‘put together’, it still comes as a surprise to me when I encounter people who haven’t really engaged with concepts like understanding behavioural barriers, systems thinking, applying a behavioural design lens or even the socio-ecological model. Because I look at everything through a behavioural science lens, I can’t process how people work without it.

When we run a workshop, what are we really trying to achieve? Sure, we might want to pass on information, “raise awareness” or introduce a new tool. But if we zoom out a little, the real goal is simple: we want people to do things differently afterwards. Whether it’s adopting a new process, shifting their mindset or improving a skill, we’re in the business of behaviour change.

Looking at workshop facilitation through a behavioural science lens can make a real difference.

Here are a few techniques that can help you design and deliver workshops that stick, while keeping things dynamic, responsive, and fun.

About a year ago, I wrapped up a project that involved a deep dive into social and behaviour change (SBC) frameworks being used across the international development space. At the time, we were trying to make sense of all the different approaches floating around: some old, some new, many rebranded, and almost all claiming to be “evidence-based.” The goal was to build a clearer picture of what was actually out there, how these frameworks were being used, and whether they were truly grounded in behavioural science.

You’ve completed collecting your data. You’ve identified the key barriers. Now comes the most crucial part: making sure that you use the right behaviour change technique to design your intervention.

Most people struggle with this step because it requires an understanding of the theoretical underpinnings as well as the ability to turn a concept into a concrete, actionable project idea.

Here’s a quick guide to help you move from insight to action, using the Behaviour Change Wheel (BCW) and practical examples of Behaviour Change Techniques (BCTs) that align with the barriers you’ve identified.

When we talk about changing behaviour, it’s easy to assume that the decision lies solely with the individual. But in reality, behaviour is shaped by a much larger ecosystem. By breaking down the layers that influence behaviour, we can better understand why certain actions happen (or don’t) and what barriers might be in the way. This can also be understood as combining systems thinking with behavioural insights. Many people assume systems thinking is complex, but at its core, it’s about seeing behaviour in context. Luckily, there is a simple way to understand systems around a behaviour.

With the start of a new year, it’s the perfect time to reflect on where we are professionally and identify areas for growth. I wanted to create a way for those of us working in the change space (service designers, behavioural designers, social and behaviour change managers, change management professionals, monitoring and evaluation experts and many more!) to get a glimpse of how they can level up their skills using social and behavioural science.