Nudging for change
Small shifts in how we design choices can lead to big shifts in behaviour. Nudging for change is a practical, two-day workshop that helps you apply behavioural science to real agricultural and natural resource management projects. You will learn how to design smarter interventions, use nudges ethically, and create communications that make it easier for people to adopt better practices—on-farm and across the value chain.
Is this course for you?
- Do you work in agriculture or natural resource management and want to enable greater, lasting practice change?
- Are you curious about behavioural economics and how it can be applied to real extension projects rather than staying as theory on a page?
- Do you design programs, grants, or advisory services and want them to be more effective, scalable, and measurable?
- Are you looking for practical tools you can use immediately to improve sign-ups, reduce waste, or strengthen safety and sustainability behaviours on farms?
Why enrol?
- Learn the core ideas of behavioural economics and nudging, and what they mean for enablers of change working in agriculture.
- Discover how to structure behavioural projects so they avoid common decision-making traps and deliver clearer outcomes.
- Build confidence in choosing which behaviour to target, and in using data and experiments to test what really works.
- Gain practical communication techniques that make your letters, emails, texts, and web pages easier to read and more likely to prompt action.
- Explore real case studies from agriculture, environment, health, and utilities that show how small design changes can reduce water use, fertiliser use, missed payments, and missed appointments.
What you'll achieve
Across two interactive days, you will work through a series of focused sessions that combine short inputs, group activities, and reflections on your own projects:
- Intro to behavioural economics – unpack fast and slow thinking, heuristics, and nudges, and explore why traditional information-heavy approaches often fall short.
- Creating successful projects – explore how to frame behavioural projects, gather useful data (including with AI tools), and design for success from the outset.
- Communicating more effectively – learn six practical rules for writing and designing communications that are easy to read, navigate, and act on.
- Overview of behavioural strategies – get a guided tour of the key principles of persuasion and see how they have been applied in real organisations.
- Reciprocity and liking – understand how meaningful, customised, and unexpected gestures can build goodwill and how similarity and praise can increase engagement.
- Social proof and authority – see how messages about “what others like you are doing” and credible messengers can shift behaviour at scale.
- Commitment and scarcity – learn how to turn intentions into action through commitments, and when scarcity messages are appropriate and effective.
- Test and learn – practise rapid experimentation using the test–learn–adapt model so you can iterate and improve your interventions with confidence.
By the end of this course, you will have a clearer behavioural lens for your work, a set of nudges tailored to your own projects, and a practical test–learn plan to refine them in the real world.
Submit your details to secure your place.
Who you will learn from
Dr John James is deeply passionate about enabling change and fostering innovation. With a wealth of experience, he specialises in helping organisations enhance the skills and capabilities of their teams in all aspects of extension and adoption. As an Adjunct Associate Professor with The University of Queensland, John brings a practical, hands-on approach to his work, bridging the gap between theory and real-world application. John is a keen supporter of the Australasia-Pacific Extension Network (APEN), having been a past President, the convenor for two international conferences, and is an APEN Life Member.
James West is an experienced consultant with 15 years’ experience applying behavioural economics solutions for clients around the world. He trained with academic and author Professor Robert Cialdini, and his insights were included in the New York Times bestselling book The small big. James brings a rich set of case studies from sectors such as utilities, finance, health, and government, and is passionate about translating behavioural science into practical tools for everyday project work.
Course details
- Format: Two-day in-person workshop (can be adapted for online delivery on request).
- Dates: TBA.
- Time: 9:00 am – 5:00 pm local time each day, including breaks.
- Investment: A$1500 ex GST per person.
- Register your interest: Add your details to this form and we will let you know the next available dates.
Turn small nudges into meaningful, lasting change
Take the next step in designing behavioural projects that are grounded in evidence, thoughtfully nudged, and rigorously tested. Enrol now to gain the tools and confidence to apply behavioural science in your extension work, support better decisions, and enable real, measurable change.
FAQs
What is the Nudging for change workshop about?
Nudging for change is a two-day, highly interactive workshop that introduces you to behavioural economics and shows you how to apply it to real projects in agriculture and natural resource management. You will learn how to pick the right behaviours to focus on, design nudges, craft clearer communications, and use a test–learn–adapt approach to evaluate what works.
Who is this workshop for?
This course is ideal for farm advisors, extension practitioners, program managers, researchers, policy officers, and others involved in designing or delivering change programs. If you are responsible for supporting practice change—whether on farms, in supply chains, or across landscapes—this workshop is designed for you.
Is it only for people in Australia?
No, this course is open to anyone, no matter their location or nationality. While we expect most participants will be located across Australia, we’re looking forward to people from New Zealand and other countries joining in. We’ve scheduled the live sessions at 11:30 am AEDT to accommodate as many time zones as possible.
Can I register multiple people from my organisation at once?
Yes. Simply list all the participants’ names and email addresses in the appropriate fields of the registration form, and then provide the name and email address of the person making the booking in the final comments field, and the tax invoice will be sent to them.
Are places limited?
Yes. To make the workshop engaging and worthwhile, participant numbers are capped. This ensures plenty of opportunity for discussion and interaction with the trainers.
How is the workshop delivered?
The session is delivered live via Zoom. You’ll take part in interactive discussions and activities, with practical examples you can apply immediately in your work.
Do I need any special software or account?
No special software or account is required. You’ll receive a Zoom link by email before the workshop—just click to join. Please check beforehand that you have the latest version of Zoom installed on your computer.
What is the cost?
The registration fee is A$1500 ex GST.
How can I pay?
We prefer payment by bank transfer, as this avoids processing costs. However, for your convenience, you can also pay by credit card (Visa, Mastercard, or American Express) through our secure Stripe payment gateway.
Are there any extra fees?
Only when paying by credit card, as Stripe charges a small processing fee that is automatically added to your total. For Australian cards, this is 1.7% + A$0.30 (inc GST). For international cards, this is 3.5% + A$0.30 (ex GST). These charges are passed on at cost so that we receive the full workshop or course amount. The total payable is displayed clearly before you confirm payment.
Why do you pass on Stripe fees?
As a small business, we prefer to keep our standard prices as low as possible and only recover processing costs from those choosing to pay by card. Paying by bank transfer avoids these fees entirely.
Is my payment secure?
Yes. All card payments are encrypted and processed securely by Stripe, a PCI-compliant global payment provider. We do not store or have access to your credit-card details.
How do I register?
Click the link below to secure your spot.
What if I can’t attend at that date and time?
If the scheduled date for this course doesn’t suit you, simply add your details to this form and we’ll let you know when the course is next offered.
Are refunds available?
We offer refunds up to seven days before the course date; after that point, refunds aren’t available. If something comes up within those final seven days, another person from your organisation is welcome to attend in your place at no additional cost. To arrange this, just email us the full name, role, and contact details of the substitute attendee and we’ll update the registration.
If you have any other questions, feel free to email us: info@enablersofchange.com.au. We’re here to help!