Establishment of MindLab, Pakistan’s first Behavioural Insights Unit (BIU)

The Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (GoKP), with support from SEED Program, has set up Pakistan’s first Behavioural Insights Unit within the Finance Department, to use behavioural science for cost-effective, citizen-centred, and easily implementable solutions to complex policy problems. SEED reached out to the B4Development Foundation, Qatar’s ‘Nudge Unit’, to develop a comprehensive proposal for the Unit.

SEED and B4D have since been working closely with the Finance Department for setting up the unit. Government officials from the Finance Department, and the Excise, Taxation and Narcotics Control Department, are being trained by behavioural science experts engaged with B4Development. The trained officials will become part of the Unit and explore which behavioural tools may help improve taxpayer morale and compliance in KP.

The brand identity, communication strategy, and the lab’s design were all developed with behaviour insights in mind, in collaboration with various stakeholders. Thoughtful nudges were integrated to subtly encourage positive behavioural shifts among people.