The Behavioural Insights Research and Design (BIRD) Lab of the School of Public Health, Addis Ababa University, has successfully concluded the Behavioural Insights (BI) Mentorship Program under the Institutional Strengthening and Sustaining the BIRD Lab Project, implemented with financial support from UNICEF Ethiopia. The mentorship program was designed to strengthen the capacity of senior technical experts and programme leaders from the Ministries of Health, Education, Women and Social Affairs, and Labour and Skills to apply behavioural science in designing, implementing, and improving policies, programmes, and service delivery. Building on a four-day intensive Behavioural Insights training, the three-month mentorship provided handson technical support to enable participants to apply behavioural approaches to real programmatic challenges within their respective sectors.
The mentorship program generated encouraging results across participating institutions. Sector teams applied behavioural frameworks such as COM-B and other Behavioural Insights tools to diagnose behavioural barriers, review existing policies and programmes, develop sector-specific action plans, and identify practical behavioural interventions. Throughout the mentorship period, the BIRD Lab strengthened institutional capacity through continuous coaching, peer learning, and technical guidance while further establishing itself as Ethiopia’s national platform for applied behavioural science. The project also enhanced the Lab’s visibility through strategic partnerships, applied behavioural research, knowledge products, promotional initiatives, and the enhancement of the BIRD Lab website, creating a stronger foundation for evidenceinformed decision-making and future collaboration.
The successful completion of the mentorship program was marked by the Behavioural Insights Mentorship Learning Forum: Sharing Experiences and Sectoral Applications of Behavioural Insights, held on 30 July 2026 in Addis Ababa with the participation of 40 representatives from government ministries, UNICEF Ethiopia, Addis Ababa University, and development partners.
The forum provided an opportunity for participating institutions to share their experiences, achievements, and lessons learned while discussing opportunities to institutionalize Behavioural Insights within government systems. The event was opened by Dr. Mulugeta Tamire, Vice Executive Dean for Sefere Selam Campus and Dean of the School of Public Health, Addis Ababa University, while Ato Andinet Chala, Social and Behaviour Change (SBC) Manager at UNICEF Ethiopia, delivered the keynote address. The forum concluded with the recognition of mentors and participating institutions and the presentation of certificates to mentorship participants, reaffirming the shared commitment of Addis Ababa University, UNICEF Ethiopia, and government partners to sustain and expand the application of Behavioural Insights in Ethiopia.
