the changelog
Volume 1, Issue 3 | September 2022
DRIVING INNOVATION FOR ADHERENCE TO IRON AND FOLIC ACID SUPPLEMENTATION
Over the years, there has been an increase in the prevalence of anaemia in Indian women. 52.2% of pregnant women in India were anaemic in 2019–20 as compared to 50.4% in 2015–16. A major barrier to the reduction in the incidence of anaemia among pregnant women is the low uptake of and adherence to Iron and Folic acid (IFA) tablets.
The Centre for Social and Behaviour Change has been developing behaviourally-informed interventions to combat this issue. In collaboration with RTI International, we identified five key barriers to uptake. Based on these barriers, we designed and tested five interventions, two of which were effective in increasing the consumption of IFA tablets. In 2022, the NITI-BIU, in partnership with The Curve, conducted a study to understand how to integrate these interventions within the existing health machinery of India.
Now, the Uttar Pradesh Behavioural Insights Unit (UP BIU) has received a grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to select service providers or a consortium of service providers to design, pilot, and evaluate behavioural science interventions in the state to improve iron and folic acid (IFA) supplement uptake and adherence. Organisations interested in any aspect (design, implementation, or evaluation) should apply for this Request for Proposal (RfP), either individually or as a consortium. The submission deadline is 30 September.
PROJECTS
STRENGTHENING WOMEN’S CONFIDENCE IN GRIEVANCE REDRESSAL ONLINE
CSBC recently completed survey research on the complex web of structural, social, material, and individual barriers to consumer redress for women in digital financial services (DFS). We explored psychological and socio-psychological factors that might prevent women from solving problems. Specifically, we asked if there are significant associations between locus of control, fatalism, and self-efficacy and the knowledge, attitudes, and behaviours around grievance redressal in DFS. Our team surveyed 461 individuals in rural Bihar and Uttar Pradesh to answer these questions. The ultimate goal of this project is to design and test interventions to increase women’s attempts to get a problem solved when using digital financial services. One exciting highlight from the findings is that norms around family backlash are a potentially important avenue for intervention. Read more.
IMPROVING WATER QUALITY, CONSERVATION, AND REUSE
The Jal Jeevan Mission aims to bring water security to 18 crore Indian households by 2024 through a Functional Household Tap Connection (FHTC). In partnership with Tata Trusts, NITI Aayog and the Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation, the NITI BIU aims to address some behavioural barriers in JJM, specifically around the assessment of water quality, water conservation, and reuse. So far, we have conducted two diagnostic field studies in Jharkhand and Gujarat, literature and policy reviews, and stakeholder conversations with partners in over 15 states. We have identified critical target behaviours and will complete our baseline study in Gujarat. Our team also completed a diagnostic report which will be launched soon and will co-develop a national communication strategy for JJM. Read more.
SUPPORTING INDIA POST PAYMENTS BANK TO INCREASE TRANSACTIONS FACILITATED BY BANKING AGENTS
India Post Payments Bank (IPPB) wants to increase the number of transactions facilitated by its banking agents. During the initial research, banking agents’ motivation emerged as a key barrier for the same. While banking agents’ motivation was linked to multiple levers, better communication of incentives was identified as the significant lever. With this background, CSBC designed a pilot which focussed on simplifying communication around incentives and improving the dissemination within the banking agents of the Delhi and Bihar circles. Read more.
If you’re interested in participating in our research studies, click here!
ENGAGE WITH US
CALL FOR ESSAYS
We invite Ashoka University students to submit original, 500-word essays in English on behaviour change for sustainable lifestyles and climate action led by individuals, households and/or communities. The deadline is 8 October 2022. Click here to learn more. Watch out for a new online seminar series, Sustainably Speaking, launching soon!
INTERACTIVE WORKSHOP
We will host an interactive workshop on social norms on 30 September 2022, 5–6 PM. If you’re interested in learning about basic concepts in social norms and how they influence behaviour, sign up below. There is no cost associated with this event, and prior registration is mandatory. Click here to register.
PAST EVENTS
DISCUSSION WITH DR RAVI DHAR
The Uttar Pradesh (UP) Behavioural Insights Unit hosted Dr Ravi Dhar, Director of the Centre for Customer Insights, Yale School of Management, for a session on understanding the behaviourally-informed approaches that could help increase adherence to the IFA supplementation with a special focus on the CBG (Choices-Beliefs-Goals) framework. Read more here and watch it here.
PRESENTATION AT RURAL WASH PARTNERS FORUM
The Behavioural Insights Unit of India, NITI Aayog, was invited to the Rural WASH Partners Forum, hosted by the Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation. We spoke about our work on the National Jal Jeevan Mission, and there was great interest from other organisations present at the forum in work done thus far as well as in opportunities for collaboration.
PUBLICATIONS
We need to bust myths and biases towards electric vehicles
BY Ashali Bhandari
Article
Behavioural Directions for Improving Iron & Folic Acid Tablet Uptake and Consumption in Uttar Pradesh
BY Selva Swetha & Shashvat Singh
White paper
BORROWED WISDOM
Recommended reading/listening/watching/learning
How do behavioural scientists at CSBC design interventions? Our approach has four steps: discover, design, evaluate, and advocate. In the discovery stage, we find the barriers, biases, and pathways to change. Here’s an example of the insights we generate. In the design stage, we identify and develop potential interventions. These could be based on nudges, social norms, or any number of things. This infographic talks about a social norms-based intervention model we designed. Then we evaluate our interventions using experiments: RCTs are a popular choice. Finally, we advocate or find ways to institutionalise our findings, as we did with the IFA adherence project. Bonus: A webinar series on why behavioural interventions work (or don’t).
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