As governments and organizations worldwide increasingly adopt approaches based on behavioral insights (BI) to improve decision-making and public service delivery, Malaysia is stepping up its BI initiatives by drawing lessons from Vietnam’s successful public sector reforms. This move reflects Malaysia’s commitment to strengthening policy effectiveness and productivity through evidence-based approaches.

To advance this agenda, the Commission for Standards, Metrology and Quality of Vietnam (STAMEQ) hosted this Behavioral Insights for Enhancing Public-sector Efficiency, Regulatory Reform, and Digital Transformation project, part of the APO Bilateral Cooperation between National Productivity Organizations (BCN) Program, from 16 to 20 June in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. Four delegates from the Malaysia Productivity Corporation (MPC) and the Ministry of Health of Malaysia attended the program, led by two local resource persons. They visited the Quality Training Centre, Vietnam Certification Centre (QUACERT), Hanoi Industrial Textile Garment University, Vietnam National Productivity Institute, Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology Vietnam, Quality Assurance and Testing Center 3 (QUATEST 3), the VNU University of Economics and Business, Van Lang University, and the University of Social Sciences and Humanities.

The project provided a dynamic platform for knowledge exchange and strategic dialogue, highlighting how Vietnam has successfully integrated BI into public service delivery, digital transformation, and regulatory reform. Discussions emphasized the importance of collaboration between public institutions, the private sector, and academia to scale up BI implementation.

As a strategic productivity tool, BI supports more effective policy design, streamlines decision-making, reduces administrative burdens, and enables meaningful behavioral change. The insights gained in Vietnam will inform Malaysia’s efforts to institutionalize BI within its public sector, ensuring that regulatory compliance and service delivery are more efficient and citizen focused.

Looking ahead, continued capacity building and cross-sectoral cooperation will be vital to embedding BI as a cornerstone of governance in Malaysia. The lessons from Vietnam offer a replicable model for driving transformation and fostering a productivity-oriented mindset across public institutions.