We spoke to Nassima, who took our intermediate training course on 'Applied Principles and Practice of Behaviour Change' in September 2024.
Please tell us a bit about yourself, and what brought you to the Centre for Behaviour Change.

I was motivated to sign up for this course because behaviour change is a critical component of my work in advancing gender equality and inclusion. My goal was to gain practical skills and frameworks that would allow me to design effective, evidence-based behaviour change interventions to support gender-transformative programming and policies.
The course stood out for its evidence-based approach and reputation for providing expertise in behaviour change science. The course’s practical structure, which included a focus on real-life projects and tailored plans, aligned perfectly with my needs. I was looking for more advanced and practical courses where complex case studies and real-life challenges could be discussed. I appreciated the interactive format, which blended theory, group discussions, and practical application to address challenges specific to my field of work.
How did you find the course?
I thoroughly enjoyed the interactive nature of the course, especially the mentoring sessions and live Q&A sessions. The facilitators were highly knowledgeable and approachable, making the live sessions both stimulating and practical. The opportunity to apply the course content directly to a project relevant to my work was particularly useful, as I left with a more practical understanding of how to apply the COM-B model and work around problems encountered in real-life.
“I would highly recommend this course to anyone interested in understanding and applying the principles of behaviour change to their work. The course provides a robust framework and practical tools that are directly applicable to real-world challenges. The interactive and supportive learning environment, combined with expert facilitators, makes it a valuable investment in both personal and professional development.
What have you gained from the course?
The course equipped me with skills to identify behaviours to target within a system, analyse the drivers of behaviours using the COM-B model, and design comprehensive strategies using the Behaviour Change Wheel. I also learned to select specific behaviour change techniques that fit the context of the interventions.
I plan to use these tools to design and refine gender-transformative interventions in my work. Additionally, I will share this knowledge with colleagues through workshops and training sessions to strengthen our organisation’s capacity in gender-transformative programming.
On a personal note, the skills I’ve gained also helped develop and stick to new behaviours to improve my health and wellbeing, such as incorporating more movement into my workday and developing a workout routine that I genuinely enjoy.