the changelog

6 min readAug 21, 2024

Volume 3, Issue 1| January 2024

PROJECTS

Decoding C-Section Dynamics: Enhancing Maternal and Child Health in India

In our recent collaboration with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, CSBC focused on understanding the factors influencing C-Section deliveries in India. We endevoured to provide effective insights to create social and behaviour change communication materials around the subject. For the diagnosis, we extensively reviewed maternal health policies, national and international guidelines on C-Sectional deliveries, and global literature. Our findings revealed that dynamic factors influence healthcare professionals, pregnant women, and caregivers in relation to C-Section deliveries.

Diverging from singular solutions, we recommended adopting a comprehensive approach for developing impactful social and behaviour change communication materials to improve pregnancy and childbirth outcomes.If you would like to learn more about this project, click here!

Unveiling pathways to financial inclusion among women in rural Uttar Pradesh

Our team, under the guidance of Dr. Pavan Mamidi, Director, Dr. Sharon Barnhardt, Director — Research, and Aayush Agarwal, Senior Associate and Lab Manager, in collaboration with CSBC’s Faculty Affiliates, Prof. Enrique Fatas and Dr. Luis Artavia-Mora, are studying the psychology behind why rural women may refrain from seeking help for issues related to digital financial services (DFS). Focusing on four districts in Uttar Pradesh, our experiment aims to establish connections between psychological factors, such as belief in fatalism, and the likelihood of women seeking assistance for DFS-related problems. Additionally, we are exploring how gender norms influence the inclination to seek help through formal channels. We aim to leverage these insights to design interventions that foster financial inclusion in rural India. If you’re interested in participating in our research studies, click here!

CAPACITY BUILDING

Advancing behaviour science at the University of Lucknow

Expanding our commitment to building behaviour science capacity, Gautam Patel, Deputy Director, led a capacity-building seminar at the University of Lucknow. The workshop engaged with research scholars from the Department of Business Administration and focused on enhancing effective decision-making processes.

In another lecture on behaviour science and experimental methods, Pratyusha Govindaraju, Senior Research Specialist, and Aayush Agarwal, Senior Research Associate, from our team conducted interactive activities like ultimatum and trust games. These activities showcased how individuals prioritise fairness and trust over potential financial losses, supported by case studies from recent research.

We also inaugurated a behaviour science bookshelf at the Department’s library, a significant milestone in our partnership, graced by Professor Sangeeta Sahu, Head of the Department.

Applying behavioural insights — Optimising programming and policy leadership

CSBC led a full day of training at the five-day workshop, ‘Applying Behavioural Insights-Optimising Programming and Policy Leadership’ at the University of Chicago Center in Delhi, organised by United States Agency For International Development for their senior programme officers from Southeast Asia and officials from NITI Aayog. The workshop, designed to be interactive, featured working group sessions that allowed sectoral teams to apply behavioural science principles to their specific programmes. This comprehensive approach aimed to equip participants with practical knowledge and skills to enhance the effectiveness of their initiatives by addressing and overcoming barriers to behaviour change. The CSBC team played an integral role in this dynamic workshop by leading two sessions. Dr Shagata Mukherjee, Deputy Director at CSBC and Academic Lead of the Behavioural Insights Unit of India, NITI Aayog, delved into ‘Behavioural Insights in Policy’. At the same time, Dr Pavan Mamidi, our Director, and Dr Sanna Palsule, Senior Fellow, conducted a session on ‘Diagnosing Barriers to Behaviour Change: Framework and Approach.’

EVENTS

Introducing The Atlas of Behavior Change in Development

In collaboration with Dalberg and with the support of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, we launched The Atlas of Behavior Change in Development (ABCD) in New Delhi. ABCD is a platform that aids impact-focused organisations and funders in integrating behavioural science into projects. The beta launch featured innovations by Gram Vaani, Rocket Learning, Breakthrough Trust, and CSBC; it included AI for last-mile reach, addressing gender-based violence, parental engagement in child education, and boosting HPV vaccine uptake. Read more about the launch here.

CSBC Colloquium: Delayed Justice — A Behavioural Perspective of Legal Process in India

CSBC’s recent colloquium titled ‘Delayed Justice — A Behavioural Perspective of Legal Process in India’ was held on 18 December in New Delhi. The event delved into the intricate nature of delayed justice within the Indian legal system. We hosted Professor Vikramaditya Khanna, a distinguished authority in law from Michigan Law, as our esteemed keynote speaker, who added profound insights, offering attendees a unique perspective on this pressing issue.

Knowledge collaboration with the Ashoka Behavioural Insights Team and the Ashoka Consulting Club

We are delighted to announce our knowledge collaboration with the Ashoka Behavioural Insights Team (ABIT) and the Ashoka Consulting Club (ACC) in hosting the Annual Intra-University Case Competition. The ACC x ABIT Case Competition experienced an outstanding turnout, with 87 teams registering and over 250 enthusiastic participants from various academic cohorts.

In the role of judges, Aayush Agarwal, Senior Associate and Lab Manager, Ananya Iyer, Associate, Behavioural Insights Unit, NITI Aayog, and Anika Ghei, Policy Associate, Behavioural Insights Unit, NITI Aayog, meticulously evaluated the insightful cases prepared by Ashoka students. These cases were designed to explore the behavioural barriers and facilitators for UPI usage in India.

The student teams demonstrated ingenuity by formulating behavioural strategies and providing actionable recommendations to encourage marginalised communities to embrace UPI. The winning teams distinguished themselves through their deep understanding of behavioural science concepts, effectively applying them to address policy issues.

PUBLICATIONS

Academic publications