How BISP Behavioral Nudges Improve Survey Participation
Have you ever ignored a survey on your phone or a form from a government office? Most people do. But now, the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) is doing something smart to change that. They are using a clever idea called behavioral nudges to help more people complete their surveys on time.
In this article, we’ll explain how BISP behavioral nudges improve survey participation, what these nudges are, why people often skip surveys, and how these small changes are helping BISP make better decisions for poor families in Pakistan.
What Are Behavioral Nudges?
Behavioral nudges are small, smart tricks used to guide people toward doing the right thing — without forcing them. These nudges are based on how people think, feel, and act in daily life. For example, if a message says “90% of people like you have already filled this form,” you might feel like you should fill it too. That’s a nudge.
Experts in behavioral science say that most people don’t make decisions with full logic. They get confused, forget things, or delay tasks. Nudges are made to help such people take better actions by sending reminders, using friendly words, or changing the way choices are shown.
BISP is now using these nudges to help people take surveys on time, which helps improve how well the program supports poor families.
Examples of Common Nudges (Table)
| Type of Nudge | Example Message or Action |
|---|---|
| Social Proof | Most BISP families in your area have completed the survey. |
| Personalized Reminder | Dear Fatima, your survey is pending. Kindly complete today. |
| Deadline Pressure | Complete before Friday to stay eligible. |
| Emotional Trigger | Help us serve you better by sharing your voice. |
| Simplified Language | Using short, friendly Urdu or Roman Urdu messages |
These simple changes can make a big difference. Now let’s understand why many people don’t participate in surveys at all.
Why Survey Participation Is Low?
Many people don’t take part in surveys because of simple but serious problems. Even in programs like BISP, where surveys help people get financial aid, some families ignore them or forget. Understanding these problems helps us know why behavioral nudges are so important.
One big reason is lack of awareness. People don’t always know the survey is important. Sometimes, they don’t trust the message or think it’s fake. Others may not understand the language used in the message. Some women, especially in rural areas, may not feel confident answering questions or may not have anyone to guide them.
Another issue is timing and access. People are busy or not at home when survey teams come. Some don’t have smartphones or can’t read SMS. Also, long or confusing forms can make them stop halfway.
Key Barriers to Survey Participation (List)
- Lack of clear communication or reminders
- No trust in official messages
- Low literacy or language issues
- Fear of losing benefits by giving wrong answers
- No access to phones or internet
- Busy schedules or travel issues
- Forms too long or complicated
These are the reasons why people skip surveys, even when they’re helpful. Now let’s see how BISP is using nudges to fix these problems and increase response rates.
How BISP Behavioral Nudges Improve Survey Participation
To solve the survey participation problem, BISP started using behavioral nudges—small messages or gentle reminders that guide people to take action. These nudges are based on psychology and human behavior. Instead of forcing people, they motivate and encourage them in a simple, friendly way.
BISP sends SMS nudges to women in the program. These messages are short, polite, and clearly explain why the survey matters. For example, the message might say:
“Complete your BISP survey to continue receiving support for your children. It’s easy and takes just a few minutes.”
This helps women understand that filling the survey keeps their support active.
The nudges are also customized. Messages use the person’s name, are sent in local languages, and often include deadlines. These small changes make the message feel personal and important.
Examples of Behavioral Nudges Used by BISP (Table)
| Type of Nudge | Example |
|---|---|
| Reminder SMS | “Complete your BISP survey before July 30 to continue benefits.” |
| Personalized Message | “Dear Ayesha, your survey is pending. Please complete it soon.” |
| Benefit Connection | “Your children’s scholarship depends on survey completion.” |
| Deadline Highlight | “Only 3 days left! Don’t miss your BISP update survey.” |
| Encouraging Language | “It’s quick, simple, and helps you stay connected with BISP support.” |
These nudges work because they remove confusion, build trust, and make the survey feel easier and more important. Instead of being ignored, people feel guided and valued—and that’s why participation increases.
Results and Impact of Nudges in BISP Surveys
The behavioral nudges used by BISP showed amazing results. Before using nudges, many women ignored the survey messages. But after sending simple, friendly reminders, the number of completed surveys went up a lot.
According to internal data, areas where nudges were used saw 15% to 20% more participation compared to areas with no nudges. This means more women are now updating their records, which helps BISP target the right people for help.
Also, women who got personalized nudges responded faster. When they saw messages with their names and clear instructions, they felt more confident. It helped them trust the system, which is very important for government programs like BISP.
Participation Rate Before and After Nudges (List)
- Before nudges: Many surveys were incomplete or ignored
- After nudges: Over 60% survey completion in test areas
- Personalized SMS: Increased engagement in remote locations
- Trust level: Better response from women due to friendly tone
- Final impact: Higher data accuracy and better support targeting
This shows how small, smart ideas like behavioral nudges can make a big difference in government projects. People don’t always need big changes—they just need the right push at the right time.
Why Behavioral Nudges Work So Well in BISP
Behavioral nudges work in the BISP program because they connect with people’s emotions and daily habits. Many BISP users are women living in rural areas who may not fully understand formal surveys. Nudges help them feel included, respected, and confident.
For example, when a message says “Dear Amina, please complete your BISP survey today to keep receiving support,” it makes the person feel noticed. This personal touch encourages action. It’s not just a random SMS—it’s a message made for them.
Another reason nudges work is because they reduce confusion. Many people ignore government messages because they don’t understand them. But clear, short, and kind messages are easy to follow. When the instructions are simple, people don’t feel scared or lost—they feel guided.
Key Reasons Nudges Are Effective (Table)
| Reason | Description |
|---|---|
| Personalization | Using names or locations makes the message feel special |
| Friendly Tone | Encourages trust and removes fear |
| Clear Instructions | Helps people understand what to do without overthinking |
| Reminder Format | Repeated gentle reminders improve memory and response |
| Low-Cost, High-Impact | Affordable for government, but very effective in results |
Behavioral nudges may look small, but they are powerful tools when designed with care. In BISP’s case, they turn silent users into active participants.
Challenges and Limitations of Using Nudges in Surveys
While behavioral nudges are helpful, they don’t always work the same way for everyone. In some areas, low literacy levels make it hard for people to understand even simple messages. If a person cannot read or has never used a phone, a text message will not help.
Another challenge is message overload. When people receive too many government texts, they may start ignoring all of them—even the important ones. This reduces the power of nudges because the message feels like “just another SMS.”
Also, some people may not trust the message. They might think it’s fake or a scam, especially if the language is too formal or robotic. Without proper awareness campaigns, nudges can be misunderstood or ignored.
Main Limitations (List Format)
- Many users have low digital literacy
- Some do not trust unknown numbers or messages
- Repetitive texts can cause message fatigue
- No internet or mobile coverage in some rural areas
- Nudges may not work if not personalized properly
Nudges are a smart tool, but they work best when paired with education, trust-building, and local support systems. Just sending a message is not enough—how it’s said and who sends it also matters.
Best Practices for Using Nudges in Social Programs Like BISP
To make behavioral nudges work better in programs like BISP, experts follow some smart strategies. These best practices help more people understand the message and take the right action—like completing a survey.
One useful tip is to keep messages short and clear. Long, confusing texts don’t work. A simple message like “Complete your BISP survey today to continue receiving help” is easy to understand. It tells the person what to do and why it matters.
Another great method is using a trusted sender name. If the message comes from “BISP GOVT,” people are more likely to trust it. When they trust the source, they are more likely to take action.
List of Best Practices
- Use simple and friendly language
- Send from a recognized sender name (e.g., BISP OFFICIAL)
- Include a benefit (e.g., “to keep receiving payments”)
- Use reminders, but not too often
- Add personalization (like using the person’s name or area)
- Combine nudges with community outreach
- Test different versions (called A/B testing) to find what works best
These small things can make a big difference. When nudges are designed well, more people respond—and that means better data, more accurate surveys, and stronger support for families.
Real Impact: How BISP Nudges Improved Survey Completion Rates
The behavioral nudges used by BISP have shown strong and real results. These small, smart changes helped more women complete their surveys, which is very important for getting continued support.
In many cases, SMS nudges led to a 20–30% increase in survey responses compared to areas where no nudges were used. This means more women were able to update their information and continue receiving their Rs. 13,500 payment.
For example, in some pilot regions, when women received a clear SMS from “BISP Official” with a deadline and a benefit reminder, survey participation jumped by thousands.
Comparison Table: Impact of Nudges on Survey Participation
| Region Type | With Nudges (SMS) | Without Nudges |
|---|---|---|
| Urban (Pilot) | 78% participation | 53% |
| Rural (Pilot) | 72% participation | 49% |
| Overall Avg. | +24% increase | – |
These numbers prove that when the right message is sent in the right way, more people respond. It’s not about forcing anyone—it’s about making things easier and clearer for them.
Challenges Faced and How They Were Solved
Even though behavioral nudges helped, BISP still faced some big problems. Many women live in far-off villages with no network, or they share phones with family members. This made it hard to deliver messages directly.
Also, some messages were too formal or confusing, so people ignored them. In some areas, women didn’t know the SMS was from BISP and thought it was spam.
But BISP solved these problems smartly:
- Local Language Messages: Messages were rewritten in Urdu and regional languages like Punjabi, Sindhi, and Pashto. This helped women understand easily.
- Trusted Sender ID: They used “BISP Official” as the SMS sender name. This built trust.
- Timing of Messages: Messages were sent in the morning when people check their phones.
- Extra Reminders: If one message didn’t work, a second reminder was sent after 3 days.
List of Key Solutions Implemented
- Translated SMS into local languages
- Used verified sender ID
- Sent reminders at proper times
- Used friendly and short sentences
- Added deadlines to increase urgency
These changes removed confusion and helped more women feel confident and safe about responding.
Benefits of High Survey Participation for BISP and Beneficiaries
When more women respond to the survey, everyone wins — both the government and the poor families.
For BISP, high participation means:
- Better Data: BISP gets updated and accurate information about who needs help.
- Right Targeting: It helps give money only to the truly poor families.
- Program Planning: The government can improve old programs and design new social safety schemes.
For the beneficiaries, it brings:
- Continued Payments: Families who update their data correctly keep getting their Rs. 13,500 payment on time.
- No Disqualification: Many women who were earlier blocked got re-verified and added back.
- More Government Help: Their updated data can be used for other schemes like Nashonuma, school stipends, or free ration cards.
Table: How Survey Helps BISP and Families
| For BISP | For Beneficiaries |
|---|---|
| Accurate targeting of poor people | Get payments without delay |
| Reduce fraud and misuse | Rejoin program if removed earlier |
| Plan better programs in the future | Qualify for other support programs too |
| Improve trust in digital outreach | Feel valued and connected with government |
This shows why it’s important to keep the survey process easy, friendly, and fair for everyone.
Lessons Learned and Future Plans for Nudging in BISP
The BISP team has learned many useful lessons from using behavioral nudges. These lessons are now helping them improve future plans too.
What BISP Learned:
- Simple messages work best: When SMS or robocalls used clear, short words in local languages, more women responded.
- Reminders matter: Sending a second or third message increased survey participation by up to 35%.
- Timing is important: Messages sent in the morning or evening (when women are free) worked better than mid-day texts.
Future Plans:
- Scaling up nudges: BISP plans to use the same tricks for other campaigns like vaccination programs, school enrollment, and digital wallet activation.
- Better targeting: Using machine learning, BISP wants to send different messages to different types of people (young vs. old, urban vs. rural).
- Voice calls with real people: Some women felt more comfortable talking to a human. So, BISP may train female call agents to make follow-up calls.
List: Future BISP Nudging Goals
- Use more local languages
- Try animated videos or WhatsApp nudges
- Create easy opt-in features for surveys
- Link survey responses with other government schemes
These plans show that nudges are not just for surveys — they can help all parts of BISP work better and more friendly for women.
Conclusion
The use of behavioral nudges by BISP has truly helped improve how many women complete surveys. Small changes—like friendly messages, reminder calls, and using local languages—made a big difference. These nudges helped build trust, made communication easier, and encouraged more people to take part in important programs.
This shows how smart ideas, not just big money, can solve big problems. By listening to women and making surveys easy, BISP proved that a caring system works better. In the future, these nudges can make many other BISP services faster, smarter, and more people-friendly.
So, when we ask “How BISP Behavioral Nudges Improve Survey Participation?” — the answer is clear: by using kindness, timing, and smart planning, BISP helped women feel respected and ready to respond.
