A government designs a great service or program to support its residents. Although many people qualify, the program receives just a few applications. How can we increase uptake?

This is a common question the Behavioral Insights Team (BIT) has helped governments answer across many policy areas—from COVID-19 vaccine uptake to public workforce recruitment. While marketing can sometimes raise awareness of programs, encouraging people to actually make use of them may involve a series of actions that advertising alone can’t address. Applying a behavioral insights lens can help identify and address these barriers.

From April 2019 to October 2021, BIT partnered with nine cites through Bloomberg Philanthropies’ What Works Cities Economic Mobility Initiative. In this innovative cohort, cities were brought together to advance the shared goal of accelerating economic mobility.

Access this resource to read the report.