Intervention trials: How to know if your intervention works

As part of a large study designed to reduce harm in Victorian hospitals, we ran a simulation-based training program to increase health service board members' communication skills. The results of the randomised controlled trial are in BMJ Open.

In Victoria, the human papillomavirus vaccine is delivered within a secondary school vaccine program, administered by local government. In this trial, we tested the hypothesis that sending an SMS reminder to parents would lead to greater uptake of the vaccine. A randomised control trial design was used across 31 schools within seven local government areas. The results were published in the Journal of Adolescent Health.

In Government Information Quarterly, we publish the results of a quasi-experimental trial looking at how to increase citizen uptake and use of use of an e-government service.

As part of a multi-agency Waste and Circular Economy Collaboration, we recently ran a series of Online Experiments and Field Trials to see 'what works' in reducing contamination in our household/kerbside bins. In this video, program co-lead Jenni Downes explains the pros and cons of each method and why field trials were necessary in this context.

In this second video, Waste and Circular Economy co-lead, Jenni Downes explains how online experiments can be a useful tool in allowing you to pre-test different types of systems, materials and messages.

From the Cambridge University Press Handbook of Behavior Change, Part II - Methods and Processes of Behavior Change: Intervention Development, Application, and Translation, is this guide to exploring the utility of an intervention, looking at efficacy, “real-world” effectiveness and how the intervention works to produce change within a particular context.

The second edition of the World Bank's Impact Evaluation in Practice handbook offers an accessible introduction to impact evaluation for policymakers and development practitioners. It features real-world examples and practical guidelines for designing and implementing with impact.

In this chapter of Behavioural Public Policy (Cambridge University Press) the authors discuss how, in some policy contexts, a well-designed laboratory study can be a good – perhaps the best – way to answer the kinds of research questions that policymakers ask.