the changelog

6 min readAug 21, 2024

Volume 3, Issue 2 | March 2024

PROJECTS

Compendium of Behavioural Best Practices unveiled at Jal Jeevan Mission National Conference

A significant landmark came from our work with Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM). Union Minister for Jal Shakti, Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Shri Swatantra Dev Singh, Jal Shakti Minister, UP, Smt Vini Mahajan, Ministry of Jal Shakti, Department of Water Resources, RD & GR, Govt. of India and Shri Ravi Kishan, Member of Parliament, unveiled a pivotal handbook at the JJM National Conference in Lucknow on 16th February — the Compendium of Behavioural Best Practices in Jal Jeevan Mission, co-developed by CSBC, NITI Aayog and the Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation (DDWS).

The Compendium of Behavioural Best Practices focuses on innovative solutions that help tackle behavioural challenges in Jal Jeevan Mission relating to water quality, conservation, and community participation. It has been collated with the efforts and support of the Ministry of Jal Shakti, district administrations, and consultations with Rural WaSH (Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene) partner forum members, academicians, and development practitioners.Fostering global academic collaboration with University of Michigan Law School

We created a learning platform for students from the University of Michigan Law School, to interact with key players in the field of social development in India. The students got a chance to engage with officials of NITI Aayog and take a closer look at the strategies behind the transformational initiatives undertaken by the Government of India towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, including efforts towards reducing multidimensional poverty and citizen empowerment.

Our journey then led us to the Kailash Satyarthi Children’s Foundation office in Delhi, where we had the privilege of attending a session with Nobel laureate Kailash Satyarthi himself. Mr Satyarthi spoke about the pivotal role of compassion in law, behaviour change, social development, and policy change. He took us through his journey, key organisational initiatives, and some powerful stories of change. The session culminated in an insightful conversation with Mr Sathyarthi, a true inspiration and leader.

Strengthening adherence to exclusive breastfeeding practices in Uttar Pradesh

In February, CSBC continued its mission to address critical health issues affecting communities across India. Exclusive breastfeeding during the first six months of life is paramount in safeguarding children from diarrhoea and pneumonia, two leading causes of child mortality and morbidity. Despite its importance, breastfeeding practices often deviate due to perceived harmless additions. Recognising this, CSBC has developed targeted behavioural interventions to strengthen knowledge and attitudes towards exclusive breastfeeding. Collaborating with the district health administration, CSBC conducted evaluations involving 1200 respondents in rural Farrukhabad, UP, providing valuable insights for future campaigns.

Fostering dialogue to strengthen frontline workers

In our ongoing commitment to enhance child health outcomes in the state, our team of behavioural scientists embarked on a journey to Varanasi. There, CSBC engaged closely with the community to glean insights that can fortify the efforts of Anganwadi workers statewide. Discussion guides tailored for focus group discussions and one-on-one interviews brought forth crucial behavioural motivators driving these frontline workers. This immersive experience yielded invaluable insights and fostered meaningful dialogues within the community. You can watch this space to learn more about this project soon!Training coaches to facilitate socio-economic empowerment of rural households in Bihar

Our Bihar Behavioural Insights Unit accomplished a significant milestone in its work with JEEViKA, an initiative by the government of Bihar aimed at the socio-economic empowerment of rural households. CSBC trained the first cohort of JEEViKA Master Resource Persons (MRPs)/front-line workers on all the Satat Jeevikoparjan Yojana (SJY) coaching kits. This kit cultivates essential skills such as problem-solving, goal-setting, and networking among community members via behavioural-informed cards, videos and games. It is user-friendly and requires minimal refresher training, making it accessible and efficient for SJY MRPs and SJY Didis to use and take to the field while engaging with the community at large. As a testament to their dedication and the transformative potential of the coaching kit, all trained MRPs will be called Star MRPs. The participants also took an oath to demonstrate their commitment to the mission of socio-economic empowerment of rural households.

Gender norms and intra-household bargaining in Assam and Meghalaya

Our Gender Norms and Intra-Household Bargaining Project in Assam and Meghalaya aims to analyse the effects of gender-based social norms on household financial decision-making. Through a behavioural experiment on couples across three neighbouring societies — the Khasi society in Meghalaya, the Karbi society and the Dimasa society. The team started collecting field data in Assam and Meghalaya via a lab-in-the-field setting, completing the data collection through field experiments and post-experiment questionnaire surveys in Karbi in Assam and Khasi in Meghalaya.

CAPACITY BUILDING

Advancing behaviour science at the University of Lucknow

In collaboration with the Department of Business Administration, University of Lucknow, we organised a behavioural science workshop on “Decision Making Process and Canonical Biases in Risky Situations” led by Dr. Narges Hajimoladarvish, Senior Research Fellow. The session delved into prospect theory and decision-making dynamics in uncertain environments, examining how individuals navigate decisions amidst risk and uncertainty, unravelling canonical biases influencing choices. A diverse group of over 60 students, predominantly from the MBA program, Ph.D. scholars in economics, and postgraduate economics programs, actively attended the session. It served as a valuable platform for robust discussions, enabling participants to understand the complexities of decision-making processes. This workshop also marks another successful addition to the series of seminars conducted by CSBC at the University of Lucknow, contributing to the academic enrichment of aspiring professionals.

PUBLICATIONS

Academic publications