Weekly Briefing: Behavioural insights for policymakers

Top Stories

Join the Apolitical Summer Camp: Behavioural Insights for Policymakers. The world of behavioural science, nudges and evidence-based policy can seem complex to the uninitiated. In this free online bootcamp, we’ll teach you what these tools are, how governments are using them and ways to bring them into your own work.. (Apolitical)

Hack recruitment with these 5 tips to hire young digital talent. Demand for digital workers is high in all sectors – and governments are struggling to compete. If they want to seize the benefits of digital innovation and GovTech, attracting younger generations must be a priority. (Apolitical)

How to improve workplace mental health: 50 ideas for public servants. Stress takes its toll on public servants: in the UK, more than half have had to take time off work for their wellbeing. We’ve rounded up 50 easy, low-cost ways to improve office culture — and your own mental health. (Apolitical)

The secret to tackling climate change may lie in nature, these four cities have found. From Milan’s use of urban greening to cool the city to Shanghai harnessing green infrastructure to prevent flooding, ever more cities are solving urban planning challenges using nature-based solutions. (Apolitical)

Want to digitally transform government? Don’t leave citizens behind. As public services go online, governments risk marginalising users without digital skills. Here are five ways to turn amateurs into experts, from promoting lifelong learning to using public spaces, like libraries, to upskill citizens. (Apolitical)

Energy, Environment and Economic Opportunity

You can now invest in a rhino impact bond. Aimed at boosting the world’s black rhino population by 10%, the bond is being seen as a test for the creation of a conservation debt market – which could be used for everything from protecting endangered species to preserving wildlife areas. (Bloomberg)

At least 127 countries now regulate single-use plastic bags. African nations take the lead, with 34 having imposed bans. But the laws are hard to enforce and their effectiveness is difficult to measure. A better solution would be to stop production of plastic bags to begin with, experts say. (Christian Science Monitor)

Evolving Cities

Berlin bought 700 apartments to save residents from eviction. The homes were about to be sold to a mega-landlord with plans to hike rents and evict poorer tenants. The $101 million purchase, which will be recouped through rents, was met with praise in a city suffering from an affordable housing shortage. (CityLab)

Governance and Citizen Engagement

Wales hired the world’s first minister for future generations. The position was created after the country passed a law requiring that all public bodies ensure that the decisions they make today don’t compromise the cultural, environmental and economic wellbeing of tomorrow’s citizens. (Positive News)

Education and Changing Jobs

In Jerusalem, where communities rarely mix, one school teaches both Jewish and Arab students. Each class has two teachers — one Arabic speaker, one Hebrew — and textbooks in both languages. History is taught from multiple perspectives, and the curriculum focuses on multiculturalism. (The Guardian)

Education and Changing Jobs

Child mortality fell by 95% in one Mali community. It’s thanks to a free door-to-door healthcare program, which will soon be extended to the entire country. In it, families get regular home visits from a community health worker, who diagnoses, treats and refers patients. (NPR)

And finally

A public servant was fired after emailing Tupac quotes to thousands of employees. Iowa’s former director of human services also held ‘Tupac Fridays’ in his office, where he played the dead rapper’s music: "I'm a 66-year-old white guy from the Midwest who likes rap music, who likes Tupac!" he explained. (BBC)

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