All too often those responsible for the design of policy or intervention programmes move forward with implementation without investigating or testing their assumptions regarding the likely response of their target groups. In practice even interventions which appear to offer high levels of benefit to individuals and/or organisations can fail if the designer has not given due consideration to the factors that actually determine individual and organisational behaviour.

CAG has many years experience of investigating the behavioural factors that effect the success, or otherwise, of environmental and social policies and programmes.  Our aim in doing so is to assist those responsible for new policies and intervention programmes to ensure that the design of their schemes takes into account the preferences of their audience and look to remove, or at least mitigate, barriers that may be constraining the adoption of desired behaviours.

We look to secure insight via a variety of research techniques including literature reviews qualitative interviews and focus groups, with a view to identifying key behavioural drivers, enabling-factors and barriers. Subsequently, we work with our clients to identify how best to design/redesign policies and interventions to better ensure the adoption of desired behaviours and the avoidance of unwanted and unplanned outcomes.

Specific services include:

• Literature reviews (to identify best practice)
• Qualitative research
• Focus groups
• Surveys
• Policy / practice reviews
• Design of social marketing interventions
• Evaluation

Please see our case study on Behaviour Change:

Using Consumer Insight to Inform the Development of a New Domestic Energy Efficiency Initiative in Plymouth.