The session will shed light on how behavioural insights can be used to address more complex, serious, and ingrained social problems such as violence and crime. It will also showcase the work of Australian behavioural units in this space. During the session we intend to start a conversation about using behavioural insights to address ‘wicked’ policy problems and whether and where there are certain policy areas where BI can’t be used to effect change.
Facilitator: Anne Hollonds
Mary Ann O’Loughlin
Mary Ann O’Loughlin is Deputy Secretary, Social Policy Group, NSW Department of Premier and Cabinet. As part of her position, she has responsibility for advising on Justice, Health, Family & Community Services & Education. She joined the NSW Government from KPMG, where she was an Executive Director in Management Consulting. Previously, she held a number of senior executive positions in the Commonwealth Public Service and was Senior Adviser (Social Policy) to Prime Minister Paul Keating. Mary Ann is a National Fellow of the Institute of Public Administration Australia.
Anuj K. Shah
Anuj K. Shah studies the psychology that arises from facing resource scarcity. In one line of work, he studies how being short on money and time affects decision-making. In another line of work, he studies how behavioural science can help shape interventions to reduce crime and violence.
He is also a member of the Scientific Advisory Board at ideas42, a social science research and d evelopment laboratory which uses scientific insights to design innovative policies and products. Shah earned his Ph.D. in psychology from Princeton University.
David Yokum
David Yokum, JD, PhD is Director of The Lab @ DC in the Executive Office of the Mayor of the District of Columbia Government. David was previously a founding member of the White House’s Social & Behavioral Sciences Team and Director of its scientific delivery unit housed at the U.S. General Services Administration. David’s expertise draws on the cognitive foundations of judgment and decision-making and, in particular, how that knowledge and associated methodologies can be extended into applied settings. David earned a Ph.D.