Mission, activities, and ways of working at the Behavioural Science Unit of Public Health Wales

The mission of the Behavioural Science Unit of Public Health Wales is to enable the routine and systematic application of behavioural science to improve and protect health, and reduce inequalities in health, in Wales. This endeavour can enable policymakers and practitioners to "get what they aim for, more often" from their work and help realise a behavioural dividend of increased efficiency, effectiveness, and equity. The evolution of the unit signals an advancement in applying contemporary behavioural science to public health challenges. The unit supports the development and improvement of policy, services, and communications across the domains of public health, acknowledging that sustainable impact requires action around advocacy, advice, capability development, research, and integration into systems and processes. The operating context, guiding principles, modes of working, unit functions, skills, and forward planning encapsulated in a recently completed strategic enabling plan for behavioural science to 2035 are all described here.