Behavioural Design & Nudge Theory Training Course

This five-day course equips programme, policy and service design professionals to apply behavioural science to real interventions. It covers the core biases and heuristics that shape real decision-making, choice architecture and nudge design, and how to test whether a behavioural intervention actually changes behaviour, not just awareness.

Most programmes and policies are still designed on the assumption that people, given good information, will act rationally in their own interest. In practice, behaviour is shaped far more by default options, social norms, timing and friction than by information alone, which is why so many well-informed public health, financial inclusion and compliance programmes fail to change actual behaviour.

This course teaches participants to design with real human decision-making in mind. It covers the behavioural biases and heuristics that most reliably predict how people actually choose, the practical discipline of choice architecture and nudge design, and how to test a behavioural intervention rigorously before scaling it, rather than assuming it works because the logic sounds right.

The course draws on behavioural insights applications across African public health, financial inclusion, tax compliance and social protection programmes, sectors where behavioural design has already demonstrably shifted outcomes at national scale, rather than theoretical examples imported from unrelated contexts.

• Explain the core cognitive biases and heuristics that shape real decision-making.
• Distinguish behavioural design from simply providing better information.
• Apply choice architecture principles to programme, policy or service design.
• Design a nudge appropriate to a specific behaviour and context.
• Anticipate ethical considerations and risks of behavioural interventions.
• Design a rigorous test of whether a behavioural intervention actually works.
• Distinguish genuine behaviour change from awareness or intention change.
• Build a behavioural design brief for a real programme or policy challenge.

This course is designed for:

• Public sector and policy officials designing citizen-facing programmes
• Public health, financial inclusion and social protection programme staff
• NGO and development professionals designing behaviour change interventions
• Tax and revenue authority officials working on compliance behaviour
• Marketing, communications and product professionals
• M&E professionals evaluating behaviour change programmes

The course combines behavioural science grounding with applied design work, delivered through:

• Facilitator-led sessions on behavioural biases, heuristics and nudge theory
• Case studies of behavioural interventions across African public health, tax and financial inclusion programmes
• Choice architecture design exercises applied to a real behaviour
• Nudge design and ethical review workshops
• Group critique of proposed behavioural interventions
• A behavioural design brief with a test plan developed across the week

Organisations that invest in this training can expect:

• Programmes and policies that change real behaviour, not just awareness
• Reduced investment in information campaigns that do not shift outcomes
• Stronger evidence base for behaviour change interventions
• More ethical, transparent use of behavioural design techniques
• Improved compliance, uptake and programme outcomes
• A repeatable process for designing and testing future interventions

Participants who enrol in this training will benefit from:

• A practical framework for designing with real human behaviour in mind
• Confidence applying choice architecture and nudge principles
• Stronger skills in designing rigorous behavioural tests
• A ready-to-use behavioural design brief
• A stronger professional profile in behavioural science and programme design

At Strategic Revenue Africa, our certification goes beyond proof of attendance—it represents practical competence and measurable capability. Upon successful completion of our training programs, participants are awarded a Certificate of Completion from Strategic Revenue Africa, recognizing their ability to apply acquired knowledge in real-world settings. As an organization focused on architecting sustainable revenue and strengthening organizational performance, our certifications signal that participants are equipped with skills that drive results, not just theory.

No prior training in behavioural economics or psychology is required. This course suits professionals responsible for designing programmes, policy or services intended to change real behaviour. Participants are encouraged to bring a real target behaviour or programme challenge to design for throughout the week.