Building State Capability (BSC) has been successfully applying its Problem Driven Iterative Adaptation (PDIA) methodology in various governments across the world, including in growth enhancing policy initiatives directly related to the promotion of investment.
BSC has trained several government officials from the Republic of South Africa in their PDIA online course. Two teams from the Department of Small Business Development (DSBD), one team from the Government Technical Advisory Center at the Treasury, and one team from the Office of the Premier of the Northern Cape successfully completed the course that ended in December 2018.
In August 2019, BSC signed an MOU to work with 5 teams of individuals drawn from the Western Cape Provincial Government and the City of Cape Town, with facilitators from Wesgro, to promote economic growth in the region using their PDIA methodology. This was initiated by the Premier Alan Winde.
The teams are working on five priority sectors which include:
- Construction and property development
- Light manufacturing
- Atlantis special economic zone (manufacturing hub that focuses on green energy)
- Information technology and business process outsourcing
- Commuter transport
This engagement entails the creation of an economic war room where BSC provides online learning environment where the teams learn how to apply the PDIA approach to solving their complex problems. The teams report jointly to the Premier and the Mayor of Cape Town.
A recent article by Claire Bisseker in the Financial Mail, entitled, Strategic shift for Western Cape, details some of this engagement.
Earlier this week, Premier Alan Winde attended the mid-project check-in facilitation process and was impressed by the progress, dedication and hard work of the teams. Here’s a photo of his tweet.
There are still several weeks left in this engagement, so stay tuned for more on this adventure as it unfolds!
To learn more, visit our website or download the PDIAtoolkit (available in English and Spanish) or listen to our podcast.