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Behavioural science methods are increasingly used to design and evaluate public policies that better reflect human behaviour and decision making. However, there is a lack of standardization in selecting and labelling these methods, making it difficult for policymakers to choose the appropriate one for a specific policy context. To address this, this working paper proposes guidelines and a visual roadmap, including five key questions to guide the selection of appropriate methods, and seven different experimental or non-experimental methods to choose from. The aim is to provide a simple and practical framework for policymakers to choose the most fit-for-purpose method for their policy context.

The frequency and severity of extreme wildfires are on the rise in Portugal, causing unprecedented disruption and increasingly challenging the country’s capacity to contain losses and damages. These challenges are set to keep growing in the context of climate change, highlighting the need to scale up wildfire prevention and climate change adaptation. This paper provides an overview of Portugal’s wildfire policies and practices and assesses the extent to which wildfire management in the country is evolving to adapt to growing wildfire risk under climate change.

Access to justice is a fundamental underpinning of democracy and the bedrock of a strong social contract. As the world reaches the halfway point in implementing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), there is growing concern that countries are collectively not on track to achieve them, including SDG 16.3 on access to justice and the rule of law. To this end, this policy paper highlights how the indicator SDG 16.3.3 supports countries in monitoring progress on access to justice around the globe. It identifies lessons learnt, challenges, opportunities and good practices from countries reporting on this indicator. It also pinpoints areas for action to improve monitoring and supporting tools to help countries report to SDG 16.3.3.

Generative artificial intelligence (AI) creates new content in response to prompts, offering transformative potential across multiple sectors such as education, entertainment, healthcare and scientific research. However, these technologies also pose critical societal and policy challenges that policy makers must confront: potential shifts in labour markets, copyright uncertainties, and risk associated with the perpetuation of societal biases and the potential for misuse in the creation of disinformation and manipulated content. Consequences could extend to the spreading of mis- and disinformation, perpetuation of discrimination, distortion of public discourse and markets, and the incitement of violence. Governments recognise the transformative impact of generative AI and are actively working to address these challenges. This paper aims to inform these policy considerations and support decision makers in addressing them.

Half a century after independence, Bangladesh has achieved impressive progress. The country has transformed from one of the poorest nations into a global textile manufacturing hub capable of meeting its medical needs almost entirely through domestic pharmaceutical production. The country will graduate from the least developed country (LDC) category in 2026 and aspires to be a high-income nation through industrialisation by 2041. Meeting this challenge requires accelerating economic transformation through diversification and innovation. This Production Transformation Policy Review (PTPR), implemented with the support and collaboration of the European Union (EU), and in partnership with the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), identifies concrete options for supporting Bangladesh’s development. It calls for leveraging digitalisation to address persistent fragilities and it advocates for a new pact based on shared responsibilities between the national government, the private sector and international partners to shift to a new development phase and ensure sustainable, smooth and irreversible graduation.

This working paper discusses strategic foresight initiatives and methodologies that support decision making and process design. It highlights case studies, international benchmarks, and best practices, as well as methodological recommendations and options for promoting the adoption and use of strategic foresight in government. The paper has four sections, each centred on a critical action to improve decision making through strategic foresight: (i) framing strategic foresight, (ii) building its fundamental components in governments, (iii) fine-tuning foresight interventions to specific contexts, and (iv) undertaking concrete activities to solve specific policy challenges. Given its exploratory nature, this working paper and its proposals should be seen as contributing to ongoing debates about the use of strategic foresight for decision making in government. The ultimate purpose of this paper is to help governments become more proactive and prospective.

This report explores how governments in Latin America and the Caribbean can use digital technology and data to foster responsiveness, resilience and proactiveness in the public sector. This report looks at governance frameworks, digital government capabilities, data-driven public sector, public service design and delivery, and digital innovation in the public sector. It identifies trends, challenges, strengths, and opportunities for cross-border collaboration and provides policy recommendations to achieve an efficient and sustainable digital transformation of governments across the region.

Public procurement accounts for 13% of GDP in OECD countries. Pressures on public spending – as well as the need for greater accountability, better monitoring of public policies, and more effective risk management – have made it increasingly important to measure the performance of public procurement. However, many countries still have not established a formal performance management system with key performance indicators. This paper provides a comprehensive, ready-to-use performance measurement framework for the consistent assessment of procurement processes. The framework should also support data-based policy- and decision making in public procurement.

This report analyses Egypt’s legal and policy framework and takes stock of the Egyptian Government’s efforts to co-ordinate child justice services and make the justice system in Egypt more child-friendly. It includes an analysis of specific design and delivery mechanisms of justice and support services based on the legal needs of children and identifies the roles, responsibilities and co-operation opportunities for relevant governmental stakeholders involved in child-friendly justice. The review considers a range of essential components of a child-friendly justice system in all its forms – criminal, civil and administrative justice. It highlights the results achieved so far and provides tailored policy recommendations to support Egypt in better meeting the justice needs of children, in line with international standards and treaties.

The Toolkit for Mainstreaming and Implementing Gender Equality 2023 is a practical resource to help governments, parliaments and judiciaries implement the OECD Recommendation on Gender Equality in Public Life. It contains self-assessment tools to guide governments and other decision-making institutions in assessing the strengths and weaknesses of their policies, mechanisms, and frameworks for gender equality, and in setting priorities for improvement. The Toolkit highlights a range of possible actions to take and pitfalls to avoid in implementing the various provisions of the Recommendation. A revision of the 2018 online Toolkit on Mainstreaming and Implementing Gender Equality, it introduces concepts such as intersectionality and the future of work; includes expanded areas such as budgeting, public procurement and infrastructure; and provides the latest lessons and good practices from OECD countries.