Incentivize behaviour change
Not all problems require technology solutions, sometimes you can have profound behaviour changes by simply having strong policies in governance.
Explaining things through stories is a powerful way to convey a message to audiences. This is a story from the StoryBank publication that you can use next time in your presentation.
The Story
In the early 90s halibut fishing was so dangerous in Alaska, that 3 in 1000 fisherman would not come back from an expedition.
In the 1970s fisherman were allowed to fish for 150 days within the year. As fishing for halibut became more and more popular, the period allowed to fish become smaller and smaller. By the 90s it was reduced to the point where fisherman were only given a few 24 hours periods to fish.
The problem was that the 24 hour period was set so far in advance, that rain hail or shine, fisherman would still go out which led to the high number of deaths. This also resulted in large price fluctuations in price to consumers tied to the 24 hour periods.
In 1995, regulators found a simple solution to this: they introduced Individual Fishing Quotas to fisherman. This meant that a portion of the years total allowable catch was given to each fisherman and they were allowed to fish that volume any time. So when the weather was bad, they could stay home. This also helped to spread out the supply to consumers throughout the year which to manage prices. Fisherman could even lease out their quota to others.
Fish was also handled more carefully as there was more time to fish rather than this mad 24 hour rush.
One downside with this system is that it relies on allocating fairly which is always a challenge. However, the deaths dropped, there was fresher fish, and better supply. All thanks to a policy change.
Key Messages
- Policy changes can have profound impact
- You don’t have to have complex solutions
- The importance of governance
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