BIG Difference BC 2025: Changing Behaviour in Complex Systems
When: 9am-4pm on Friday, November 7, 2025
Where: Zoom
Register now or learn more!
All day long, across 7 sessions, we’ll be exploring how behavioural science is being used in British Columbia, across Canada, and around the world to change behaviour in complex systems.
Program Highlights
9:30-10:30am PT || Keynote address
Behavioural Science for Functional Policy & Practice
How do we build governments and systems that truly work? Based on over a decade of research in and with various governments, Elizabeth Linos (Harvard Kennedy School) will draw on new behavioural science research to examine the people, processes, and feedback loops that sustain effective policy and practice—and the big questions that remain unanswered. The talk will chart a shared agenda for researchers and policymakers alike.
1-2:30pm PT || Special session
Expanding Your BI Playbook
Applied behavioural science is constantly evolving—as a field, we are always learning new things about human behaviour and about how to do better science. Lindsay Miles-Pickup (BC Public Service) will moderate this session exploring tools and perspectives that will advance your practice of behavioural science, including:
- Integrating Systems Thinking: Jennifer Macklin (BehaviourWorks Australia) will share how to use behavioural systems mapping to help incorporate systems thinking principles into behavioural science.
- Including Indigenous Perspectives: Emily Salmon (Unxiimtunaat) (Simon Fraser University) will discuss the importance of understanding our own worldviews and including other worldviews.
- Leveraging Qualitative Methods: Rhiannon Mosher (Public Health Agency of Canada) will explain how and why to use mixed methods throughout behavioural science projects.
- Using Artificial Intelligence Wisely: Sasha Tregebov (BIT) will talk about the ways behavioural science practitioners can use AI to increase their efficiency and efficacy.
10:45-11:50am & 2:45-3:50pm PT || Lightning Talks
Morning and afternoon lightning talks will explore projects applying behavioural insights to:
- Hybrid work
- Misinformation
- Credit card debt
- Organ donation
- Technical safety
- Public support for nudges
12:30-1:00pm PT || Micro-Presentations
Mid-day micro-presentations will be divided into 5 tracks with 2 presentations each. Sessions will explore:
- BI tools for policy and process
- Healthy choices
- Financial decisions
- Energy and climate
- Humans and the natural world
Choose one pair of presentations to attend live and catch the other ones via recording!
