Kazakhstan Joins OECD Global Map of Behavioural Innovations in Public Governance
Image: oecd-opsi.org
In June 2026, Kazakhstan joined for the first time the global map of organisations applying behavioural insights in the public sector. The Centre for Public Administration and Behavioural Policy, established within the National Analytical Centre (NAC) at Nazarbayev University, has been added to the international database of the OECD Observatory of Public Sector Innovation (OPSI).
The global map features around 300 organisations from 63 countries that apply behavioural approaches to improve public policy and public services. The inclusion of the NAC Centre for Public Administration and Behavioural Policy marks the first representation of Kazakhstan on the international map of nudge units.
Kazakhstan’s appearance on the OECD global map reflects the Government’s consistent commitment to modernising public administration, introducing evidence-based approaches, and improving the quality of decision-making. Kazakhstan demonstrates its readiness not only to learn from international best practice but also to pilot innovative tools, evaluate their effectiveness, scale up successful solutions, and share its experience with neighbouring countries.
The NAC Centre for Public Administration and Behavioural Policy is the first specialised institution in Kazakhstan dedicated to developing and applying behavioural approaches in public administration. The Centre conducts research, designs and tests behavioural interventions, and provides scientific and methodological support to government institutions. Its establishment forms part of Kazakhstan’s broader transition towards data-driven governance, evidence-informed policymaking, and ex-ante testing of policy solutions. As part of its professional capacity-building activities, NAC closely cooperates with the UK-based Behavioural Insights Team (BIT), a globally recognised leader in behavioural science.
Over the past decade, governments around the world have fundamentally transformed public governance by incorporating behavioural science into policymaking. Kazakhstan is likewise steadily introducing modern behavioural tools that complement traditional regulatory approaches with more flexible, targeted, and evidence-based solutions. Behavioural public policy is reshaping approaches in healthcare, taxation, social policy, and transport. Rather than relying solely on additional restrictions and administrative regulation, behavioural interventions improve decision-making environments and simplify choices that serve the interests of citizens and society while preserving individual freedom of choice. Such approaches are applied across a wide range of areas, from promoting healthy nutrition to encouraging more efficient water and energy consumption and improving personal financial management.
The practical application of behavioural approaches in Kazakhstan has already been tested through a pilot initiative. NAC, together with experts from BIT and the “Magnum Cash & Carry” retail chain, implemented a pilot project aimed at encouraging “economic patriotism” through the promotion of national cheese. Between March and April 2026, visual and audio nudges, including banners, shelf stickers, shelf dividers, and in-store audio announcements labelled “Made in Kazakhstan”, were tested in 8 supermarkets in Astana. During the pilot period, pilot stores recorded a 20% increase in sales of Kazakh cheese products without any price changes or administrative measures.
An important indicator of public authorities’ openness to innovative approaches has been the transition from a local experiment to the broader implementation of its results. The pilot project became the basis for scaling behavioural interventions across all regions under an initiative of the Ministry of Trade and Integration of the Republic of Kazakhstan, implemented jointly with JSC “QazTrade” and regional departments of trade and consumer protection. NAC provides scientific and methodological support for this initiative.
The OECD Observatory of Public Sector Innovation develops international knowledge bases and disseminates information on innovative practices and organisations working in public governance. The inclusion of the NAC Centre for Public Administration and Behavioural Policy on the OECD global map strengthens Kazakhstan’s position as a regional leader in the application of innovative governance approaches and creates additional opportunities for international knowledge exchange and regional cooperation.