The Network of Behavioural Insights Experts in Government met in Paris at the OECD in May 2023. Over 100 delegates from 44 countries joined the network’s first hybrid event to discuss the future of applied behavioural science, including in a conversation with Professor Lucia A. Reisch and Professor Ralph Hertwig. Here we attempt to bring forward the main takeaways from that conversation for behavioural science practitioners.

Applied behavioural scientists are grappling with multiple important challenges, including how to think about complex adaptive systems, how to draw valid conclusions from research conducted in other contexts, and how to empower individuals to change their behaviour. Although the debate is maturing and our evidence base is growing, these challenges can still get in the way of implementing interventions, scaling up findings, and normalising behavioural science within public institutions.