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Many UN initiatives rely on people taking action, yet even well-designed programmes can struggle to achieve the desired results. This workshop equips participants with practical behavioural science tools to better understand decision-making, address real-world challenges, and develop actionable approaches that can be applied in their own work.
Many United Nation (UN) initiatives depend on people changing behaviours: adopting new ways of working, participating in programmes, sharing knowledge, using services, collaborating across teams, or engaging with communities. Yet even well-designed policies and programmes can fall short when they do not account for how people actually make decisions and take action.
This practical workshop introduces participants to behavioural science tools that can help them better understand and influence behaviour in their work. Through real examples from across the UN system and hands-on exercises, participants will learn how to diagnose behavioural challenges, design more effective interventions, and test solutions before implementation.
Upon successful completion of the workshop, participants will be able to:
- Explain key concepts, principles and methods of behavioural science and their relevance to addressing operational and policy challenges within the UN system.
- Analyse a target behaviour using the COM-B model to identify the capabilities, opportunities and motivations influencing behavioural outcomes.
- Design a behaviourally informed intervention using the EAST framework to increase the likelihood of desired behavioural change.
- Create a draft behavioural solution and accompanying testing plan that can be adapted to a real work programme, policy or operational challenge.
- Expert-led webinars: Two interactive 3-hour webinars led by behavioural science experts with experience within and outside the UN System.
- Personalised application: Throughout the workshop you will work on applying behavioural insights to address a work challenge linked to the UN.
- Peer interaction: Engage with colleagues from across the UN System. Compare approaches, share insights, and learn together.
- AI-enhanced learning: As AI is becoming part of everyday work across the UN, you will learn with it, not just about it.
Day 1 – Tuesday, 13 October 2026 | 14:00–17:00 CEST
Module 1: What is behavioural science and why does it matter in the UN?
Explore the core concepts and methods of behavioural science through practical examples from across the UN system.
Module 2: Define and diagnose the target behaviour
Learn how to use the COM-B model to identify the factors that drive or prevent people from adopting desired behaviours.
Day 2 – Wednesday, 14 October 2026 | 14:00–17:00 CEST
Module 3: Designing your behavioural solution
Apply the EAST framework to develop behaviourally informed solutions that are more likely to achieve the desired outcomes, drawing on examples from UN practice.
Module 4: Testing before implementing
Explore behavioural science approaches to testing and learn how to identify and assess key assumptions before implementation.
Open to UN staff at the P-3 level and above, FS-5 level and above, and NOC level and above interested in applying behavioural science to address challenges and improve outcomes in their work.
The activity fee is 350 USD for two sessions of three hours.
