From the Ontario Behavioural Insights Unit
Are you looking for a new challenge? Does discovering how human’s think, behave and make decisions excite you? Do you enjoy utilizing the insight you uncover to influence government policy and create more effective programs and services for the public? If you thrive on creating and nurturing strong partnerships with a variety of stakeholders, have a keen eye for detail, and enjoy conducting behavioural science research, consider this opportunity as a Senior Policy Advisor at the Ontario Public Service’s Behavioural Insights Unit!
Position: Senior Policy Advisor, Behavioural Insights Unit
Job Term: 1 Temporary 12 months
Job Code: 6A007 – Policy06
Job ID: 195677
Salary: $74,877.00 – $110,338.00 Per Year
Deadline: March 9, 2023
Learn more and apply: https://www.gojobs.gov.on.ca/Preview.aspx?Language=English&JobID=195677
As a Senior Policy Advisor (Consultant), in Behavioural Sciences, you will:
• Use a behavioural science lens to develop policies and programs across various ministries
• Use behavioural insights to meet the OPS’s goals and objectives, including but not limited to modernizing and transforming government programs and services
• Respond to policy, program and financial/economic impact issues using behavioural insights to improve outcomes
• Work in collaboration with various ministries to embed behavioural insights into the work they do
• Stay current with emerging trends in the BI space by building partnerships with various levels of government, external stakeholders, and academia
• Provide expert policy advice and program recommendations to senior management on a range of behavioural science issues
• Develop and deliver training and presentation materials to build awareness and capacity of behavioural science in policy development and program design
• Prepare case studies, reports, briefing notes, meeting/event notes, proposals, contracts and presentations to promote the work of the BIU across the OPS
• Manage multiple BI projects with various ministry partners
About the Ontario BIU:
Ontario’s Behavioural Insights Unit (BIU) was created in 2015, with a mandate to enhance public services by leveraging behavioural science research. It is the first government unit dedicated to the practice of behavioural insights in Canada. The BIU is part of the Strategy and Innovation Branch within Cabinet Office and supports the application of a behavioural science lens in policy development and program implementation. This means building capacity, providing advisory services, and designing and evaluating solutions. The BIU often collaborates with academic partners who provide expert advice in the design and evaluation of policies and programs.
Ontario is one of the first jurisdictions in Canada to leverage behavioural sciences to improve outcomes and deliver better services. By seeking to understand how people make decisions and act upon those decisions, governments can design and re-design public services that better reflect how people respond to, engage with and use these services.
Applying behavioural science insights can mean making public services easier to access, by simplifying forms and processes, as well as helping citizens make more informed choices by clearly presenting options and offering timely reminders. Programs and services work best when they are designed with the people who use them in mind.
The use of these insights in Ontario and other jurisdictions have been shown to result in public services that deliver better outcomes, often at a lower cost. By testing what works and just as importantly, what doesn’t through pilot projects, experts in behavioural science are helping design programs that are made to work for Ontarians.