More Insights – Busara

Whose values are these anyway? What behavioral science can and can’t tell us about whose values should govern us

In Kuywa, a rural village in western Kenya, Wafula is carefully watching over his grandmother's goats. He counts them ‘one, two, three… sixteen’. That’s right. It's the fourth time he’s…

Designing research outputs with the same empathy we use to design research (Part 2)

If the storyboard helped us design better questions, the storybook asked us to design better answers. Once the research was complete, we had findings about caregivers, teachers, dairy farmers, transporters,…

Coming at it sideways: Designing research outputs with the same empathy we use to design research (Part 1)

This is the first of a two-part series on designing research outputs with the same empathy we use to design the research itself. Part 2 looks at how we present…

Active Citizens Forum: Reflecting on what it takes to build active citizenship

What does it take to build active citizenship? Is it citizens who vote and engage with their leaders? Leaders who listen? Or institutions that are responsive to citizens’ needs? These…

When evidence travels: What can transfer, and what must be redesigned

A solution can be evidence-based and perfectly translated without producing the same result elsewhere. From its Latin America team, Busara argues that contextualization is a strategic capability, not a final…

It’s not what you say, it’s who says it: mapping trust, networks, and prosocial behavior in Uganda

Across the world, Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) and policymakers are often frustrated when their activities, including communication strategies, underperform. They then question why their strategies fail to translate into strong…

Active citizens: Reimagining participation, citizen agency and governance through behavioral science

This blog was first published in the July 2026 issue of the Busara Behavioral Lens. You can subscribe to the newsletter here. A decade ago, a research team from Busara…

When good intentions hurt: Rethinking cultural norms interventions in African societies

Across Africa, cultural traditions play an important role in community life and hold significant relevance. These include rites of passage that celebrate the transition from childhood to adulthood and a…

A turning point in foreign aid: How communities are adapting to shifting development funding.

For a long time, foreign aid steadily flowed to aid-receiving countries in a predictable rhythm, one shaped by donor cycles, bilateral and multilateral partnerships. This aid has been particularly crucial…

Verifying love in the lab: lessons from a financial privacy study

If someone asked you to prove that the person sitting next to you is your spouse, what would you show? A marriage certificate? A shared last name? In many parts…