In the city of Blueville, after understanding their recycling problem through the Problem-Driven Iterative Adaptation (PDIA) process, the team faced a new challenge: the mayor requested a six-month action plan focused on quick and effective problem-solving. While the timeline seemed daunting given the complexity of the recycling issue, their coach encouraged an adaptive strategy emphasizing rapid, iterative development of solutions.
The team began by identifying specific areas for intervention – a two-block area in the city center and two large bus stops – and setting measurable targets. They then transformed their problem analysis into a capabilities-focused roadmap, converting challenges like “constituents don’t know what can be recycled” into positive capabilities like “constituents know what is recyclable.” Using criteria of criticality and accessibility, they selected two initial capabilities to develop: improving constituent knowledge of recyclables and creating city incentives for compliance. This structured, sequential approach to building new capabilities provided a clear path forward while maintaining flexibility for learning and adaptation.
This case offers several key implementation lessons for practitioners of adaptive policy work:
- The value of translating problems into needed capabilities
- The importance of selecting specific, manageable areas for initial intervention
- The effectiveness of prioritizing work based on criticality and accessibility
- The power of structured, sequential approaches in tackling complex challenges
This is part two of a 2-part case study showcasing how adaptive policy implementation works in practice. To learn more, read the case Finding Entry Points and Sequencing Adaptive Work.
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