Behavioural Insights Applied To Policy FINLAND

Behavioural Insights Applied to PolicyFINLANDCountry OverviewLast updated: 20 February 2016This country overview complementsthe "Behavioural Insights Applied to Policy – European Report 2016".Are you aware of any new or missing information?If so, please provide us here with your contribution!1. WhoInstitutions that apply behavioural insights to policyPublic institutionsAcademy of FinlandFinnish Ministry of Social Affairs and HealthCity of JyväskyläFinnish Prime Minister's OfficeFinnish Competition and Consumer AuthorityThe Finnish Innovation Fund (SITRA)Finnish Ministry of EnvironmentResearch institutionsAalto Choice Tank (Aalto University)University of Eastern FinlandDecision Making Laboratory (University of Turku)University of HelsinkiHanken School of EconomicsUniversity of TampereKelaUniversity of TurkuOther institutions (private and non-profit)Avanto HelsinkiDemos HelsinkiLevel of implementationNational, regional, localTänk

FinlandBehavioural Insights Applied to Policy (BIAP)2. HowLevel of use of behavioural insightsBehaviourally-tested initiatives: initiatives being explicitly tested, or scaled out after aninitial ad-hoc experiment.Behaviourally-informed initiatives: initiatives explicitly based on previously existingbehavioural evidence.Behaviourally-aligned initiatives: initiatives that, at least a posteriori, can be found to bealigned to behavioural evidence. Methodologies usedLiterature reviewSurveysExperiments (laboratory, online,field, randomised controlled trials)3. WhatPolicy areas where behavioural insights are appliedCompetitionEnergyTransportationConsumer ProtectionEnvironmentWelfareDigital IssuesHealthEducationSustainabilityExamples of policies using behavioural insightsEnvironmentPromoting energy saving behaviour (behaviourally-informed initiative). In May 2015, DemosHelsinki and the energy-efficiency company Granlund organized "Finland’s first Behaviour ChangeHackathon." The hackathon brought together behavioural scientists, coders and energy experts to find simple,practical solutions to promote energy saving behaviour in office buildings. Because BIs offer efficientsolutions for promoting sustainable behaviour while avoiding costly investments, they were considered as avaluable alternative to the implementation of smart solutions (such as sensors) in older buildings. The eventresulted in a novel set of solutions, such as an "Easy Reminder,” which tracks screen usage and providesinformation on how far the user would have driven by car with the same energy and how the usagecompares to his/her colleagues, thus making use of framing and social norms.1 [Survey]2

FinlandBehavioural Insights Applied to Policy (BIAP)HealthRaising organ donations (behaviourally-informed initiative). Finland has an opt-out or presumedconsent system, where individuals are by default organ donors unless they object to this. The classicand much cited study "Do Defaults Save Lives?" powerfully illustrates the influence of defaults on organdonation.2 The study used behavioural science to shed light on the mismatch between positive publicattitudes toward organ donation and the low proportion of people who act on this attitude by registering asdonors. The International Registry on Organ Donation and Transplantation (IRODaT) shows the impact of optout systems in increasing the number of deceased organ donors per million population.3 According to a recentarticle, opt-out systems are in place also in Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Czech Republic, France, Greece,Hungary, Luxembourg, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and Wales. 4Curbing smoking (behaviourally-informed initiative). In June 2014, the Finnish Ministry of SocialAffairs and Health announced plans to implement standardised packaging of tobacco products. Plainpackaging requires standard font, size, colour, shape, and opening mechanism across all brands, thus tappinginto behavioural levers such as framing and affect, salience, and social norms.5,6 Beyond the effect of thecurrent health warning images and text, plain packaging is believed to reduce the number of youngsters whobegin smoking7. Plain packaging could also prove effective in de-normalising tobacco products and tobaccouse. Finland’s plan to impose plan packaging for tobacco products is part of a larger action plan, the"Roadmap towards a Smoke-Free Finland," whose goal is to eliminate tobacco use in Finland by 2040. In linewith this roadmap, the Finnish Ministry of Social Affairs and Health proposed several amendments8 to theTobacco Act, including smoking bans in open public spaces (e.g., play parks) and smoking restrictions inresidential properties.TransportIncreasing the use of public transport and reducing traffic congestion (behaviourallyinformed initiative). In 2013, SITRA and the Finnish City of Jyväskylä launched the "Towards ResourceWisdom" project, which aimed at developing an operating model for regional resource efficiency. As part ofthis project, a series of pilots were conducted focusing on food waste reduction, transport and housing.9 Onesuch pilot project is the "Bus Leap Project", which aimed at increasing the use of public transport and atreducing carbon emissions and fuel consumption. The project tapped into behavioural levers such assimplification through the development of a route guidance system to assist residents with basic logisticinformation. One of the considered measures is the introduction of staggered working hours which could elicitshortened periods of high traffic.10WelfareImplementing a universal basic income scheme (behaviourally-tested initiative). The project ispart of the Finnish Government's analysis, assessment and research plan for 2015 and is beingconducted by a Kela-led research consortium. “The aim is to reform existing social policy to better match withsocietal changes, abolish work disincentives and diminish bureaucracy.”11 In early 2016, the project was stillat an early stage, but given the relevance of the behavioural dimension – and the fact that the FinnishGovernment decided to incorporate behavioural sciences and design methods into policy design –, it isexpected that behavioural approaches will be used. The preliminary study was launched on October 2015 andthe launch of the universal basic income experiment is planned for 2017. Prior to this experiment, a review of3

FinlandBehavioural Insights Applied to Policy (BIAP)existing information and experiences with universal basic income models in other countries and an analysisof experimental models and study designs will take place. 124. WhereInstitutional structure and capacityIn Finland, the "Design for Government" project was implemented in 2015, with the aim of includingexperiments and behavioural approaches into Finnish policy design. The core of the project was to incorporatebehavioural approaches into governmental steering practices and, in doing so, to make policies more userorientated and efficient. The final report, based on international benchmarking and an inclusive co-creationprocess, was published in June 2015. The behavioural approach embraced by the Finnish Governmentincludes both behavioural sciences and design methods, and takes an open and inclusive approach whichentails a closer collaboration with citizens.13,14In December 2015, the Finnish Government adopted its annual plan for analysis, assessment and research insupport of decision-making. The aim was to "create a basis for systematic and broad-based use of researchdata in decision-making, steering and operating procedures." To support the plan, studies will becommissioned through public procurement.15 As part of the research agenda, there were in early 2016 twoongoing studies of direct relevance to the goal of implementing an experimental culture: a study focusing onthe implementation of a universal basic income scheme and another one on the assessment of the need ofintroducing a funding instrument for short-term pilot experiments.16 The first strategic-level experimentsincluded in the Government Programme, have already started (e.g. municipal experiments), while others arein the process of being launched (e.g., language experiments). An evaluation of the pilot programme is due totake place in 2018.17Within the Government Policy Analysis Unit, there is also a person in charge of managing the “experimentalculture” support at the Prime Minister’s Office. Additionally, a training programme and mentoring for publicservants focussed on applying behaviour-based methods is being considered. [Questionnaire]Knowledge base Design for Government: Human-centric governance through experiments. 18 The publication is part ofthe implementation of the 2014 Government plan for analysis, assessment and research. The"Design for Government" project was commissioned by the Prime Minister's Office (and ran byDemos Helsinki in partnership with Avanto Helsinki and Aalto University) with the goal of developingan operational model for the use of experiments and behavioural approaches in policy-making. Introduction to an evidence-based, behavioural science approach to public policy in Finland. Seminarby organised by Tänk on June 2014.Networks and collaborationsIn the Finnish landscape of relevant actors, universities, research organisations and think thanks play asignificant role in developing behavioural capability. For instance, the think tank Demos Helsinki led the4

FinlandBehavioural Insights Applied to Policy (BIAP)“Design for Government” project (commissioned by the Prime Minister's Office) and the Kela-led researchconsortium, in charge of the experimental study on universal basic income, comprises several Finnishuniversities. Also, SITRA – The Finnish Innovation Fund – has an extensive history of collaboration with thepublic sector, notably municipalities providing funding and support for the design and completion ofexperiments and projects.Are you aware of any new or missing information?If so, please provide us here with your contribution!Annala, M. (2015). What happens when you put a coder, energy expert and behaviour scientist in the sameroom? Finland’s first Behaviour Change Hackathon. Demos Helsinki, 2015. Retrieved on 10 December 2015from: iour-change-hackathon12Johnson, E. J., & Goldstein, D. G. (2003). Do defaults save lives? Science, 302, pp. 1338-1339.IRODaT (2015). Donation Activity Charts. Retrieved on 13 November 2015 fromhttp://www.irodat.org/?p database#data3Zúñiga-fajuri, A. (2014). Increasing organ donation by presumed consent and allocation priority. Bull. WorldHealth Organ., vol. 93, pp. 199–202, 2015.4Convention-cadre de l'Organisation Mondiale de la Santé pour la lutte antitabac (2015). Emballageneutre de produits contenant du tabac: un mouvement international pour traiter un défi mondial. Retrieved on10 December 2015 from Neutre-2.pdf5Wakefield, M., Morley, C., Horan, J. K. and Cummings, K. M. (2002). The cigarette pack as image: newevidence from tobacco industry documents. Tobacco Control, vol. 11, no. Supplement 1, pp. i73–i80.6Tobacco Control (2015). Implementation and evaluation of the Australian tobacco plain packaging policy.Retrieved on 12 December 2015 from http://tobaccocontrol.bmj.com/content/24/Suppl 2.toc7Finnish Ministry of Social Affairs and Health (2014). Eroding the tobacco brand image. Retrieved on 10December 2015 from http://stm.fi/en/article/-/asset publisher/eroding-the-tobacco-brand-image8Sitra (2015). Tesource wisdom indicators. Retrieved on 10 December 2015 dom/resource-wisdom-indicators9Sitra (2015). Project: Leap on the bus. Retrieved on 10 December 2015 as, O. (2016). Experimental study on a universal basic income in Finland. Retrieved on 12 February2016 from ngas, O. (2016). Experimental study on a universal basic income in Finland. Retrieved on 12 February2016 from al-study-on-a-universal-basic-income-infinland125