Building Better Programs

Behavioral Economics & Social Policy: Designing Innovative Solutions for Programs supported by ACF

On April 29, 2014, the Office of Planning, Research & Evaluation (OPRE) at the Administration of Children and Families (ACF at HHS) released a report from the the early stages of their Behavioral Interventions to Advance Self-Sufficiency (BIAS) project.  The evaluation is being conducted by MDRC.

The report provides an introduction to behavioral economics, presents an approach to applying behavioral economics to social programs, known as behavioral diagnosis and design.  The report focuses on three case studies: 1) increasing applications to modify child support orders among incarcerated noncustodial parents in Texas, 2) increasing client engagement with job search in Illinois, and 3) increasing the willingness for suspected victims to wait for a connection to an advocate at the National Domestic Violence Hotline.  For each case study, the report shares key insights.

The report also includes a separate technical supplement with descriptions of 12 commonly applied behavioral interventions identified through a review of the literature.

Go to the report page at OPRE:
Behavioral Economics and Social Policy: Designing Innovation Solutions for Programs Support by the Administration for Children and Families

Quick Links to the Report Sections