Guest blog by Sue Oh, IPP’ 22
I had been in my role as the Homeless Outreach Coordinator for six months before I was presented with the opportunity to be a part of the Implementing Public Policy Program. There was an increasing number of people experiencing homelessness in the City and I had been tasked to find a solution. I was so excited because I had so many ideas, but I did not know where to start. I didn’t fully know what I was getting into and how much I would actually get out of this course.
I learned how to start with a problem, not the solution. I realized that I had a solution in mind but had not dug down deep into the problem. Homelessness has been worked on, battled, tackled, and fought in many cities in the world. I realized a solution for another city would not necessarily solve the problem in my city. I had to look at what homelessness meant in my city.
A very important lesson I learned was to create a team. I always thought that if I worked really hard on my own, things would get done the best. I was so wrong. I learned that a team can be made up of so many different people. I started talking to the police department, non-profit organizations, the faith community, even the real state and legal department! These people had so much to offer to the team. There are many people who have so much knowledge and information and who want to help. I just had to start talking to them.
Through PDIA, I have been able to propose, start, iterate, and adapt many homeless services for the City. Many agencies had already been doing great things around the city and when people with authority were given information and data, many programs were given the green light. Although some programs didn’t work and others are still a work in progress, I am so proud of how far my city has come.
This approach has taught me to focus on the problem and why it matters. I question my problems and make sure that it is not a solution.
In my notebook, I wrote down so many great quotes that were made by Professor Matt Andrews. Here’s one of them: “We don’t need to do something perfect but we need to do something good enough together so that we can do something together.”
Do not be afraid to fail. Failing helped me grow and be stronger to try something else. Implementing public policy is a hard journey so take people with you. Finally, remember to celebrate the little wins because that is what may help you to keep going.
This is a blog series written by the alumni of the Implementing Public Policy Executive Education Program at the Harvard Kennedy School. Participants successfully completed this 6-month online learning course in December 2022. These are their learning journey stories.