Indlela Behavioural Insights Tests & Projects

What is a Behavioural Insights Test (BIT)?

A BIT is a project that will implement and test a low-cost, scalable intervention or service delivery innovation that is informed by behavioural economics and has the potential to overcome behavioural barriers to essential HIV services. BIT projects should seek to promote behaviours along the HIV care continuum and should have a specific behavioural economics insight or principle that motivates the intervention. Another important feature of a BIT project is an evaluation component that allows for rapid determination of whether or not an intervention is effective.

What are the key characteristics of an Indlela BIT intervention?

• Focuses on changing behaviours and health outcomes including but not limited to HIV testing, linkage to care, early retention in care and/or re-engagement in care,  COVID-19 vaccination, TB testing and treatment)
• Outcomes impacted by the BIT intervention should be aligned with the National Department of Health  policy priorities
• Addresses behavioural obstacles at the patient, provider or organization level and is informed by behavioural science principles
• Low-cost to implement and likely to be sustainable, with high potential to scale
• Implemented within an existing program and using program resources where possible

What does the evaluation component of an Indlela BIT involve?

A hallmark of BIT projects is that they will rapidly assess whether a behavioural intervention (such as a “nudge” for patients or providers) is having the desired impact on human behaviour. As such, each BIT project should include an evaluation component that incorporates the following:

• A scope for rapid implementation and evaluation (approximately 9-18 months)
• An experimental or non-experimental approach to determine the intervention impact
• The application of quantitative methods is preferred
• Reliance on administrative data rather than survey data to assess outcomes is preferred