Teresa Bellefontaine and Monica Soliman
Many current public sector challenges are characterized by layers of complexity; to address them, no single discipline or approach would be sufficient. Systemic design -the marriage of systems thinking and design thinking- has been identified as one promising avenue for tackling complexity. In the case of complex societal issues where human behaviour is at the core, we propose leveraging behavioural science within a systemic design framework. This paper outlines a case study of a systemic design project undertaken by Employment and Social Development Canada on an education savings incentive called the Canada Learning Bond. The project explored decision-making and
perceptions of education, savings, and finances among families living on low incomes, and it demonstrates the practical application and value of systemic design and behavioural science in a public sector context.
Keywords: education, public policy, behavioural science, design thinking, systemic design