Guest blog by Vuyiswa Mkhabela, IPP ’24
Embracing my Role as an Outsider
Joining Harvard Kennedy School’s Implementing Public Policy (IPP) program was not just an academic pursuit for me—it was a professional and personal commitment to becoming more effective in my role as a consulting economist. For years, I have supported South African government departments at the national, provincial, and local levels, advising on various policy challenges. Yet, I constantly grappled with a fundamental limitation: as an outsider, my work has involved providing evidence-based advice without the authority to make or implement policy decisions. Despite this, I hold a deep commitment to being more than just an advisor; I strived to be a genuine partner in advancing impactful policy solutions. Learning about PDIA (Problem Driven Iterative Adaptation) offered me a framework to better support the policy design processes, making it more inclusive, effective, and grounded in reality.
Tackling the Challenge: Beyond the Immediate Task
While my specific IPP policy challenge focused on understanding pathways to include labor provisions in trade agreements, the real learning went far beyond that. In my day-to-day work, I navigated a wide range of policy issues that required nuanced approaches. The IPP program provided me with invaluable insights on how to identify truly complex problems and equipped me with the tools to address them. PDIA taught me that complexity in policy was not only about technical hurdles but also about the human elements—conflicting interests, power imbalances, and shifting authorizing environments.
Using frameworks such as the Ishikawa diagram and the triple-A change space analysis, I have learnt to break down problems into their core components, identifying the most pressing root causes. This analytical approach has helped me understand that policies need to be more than theoretically sound; they have to be shaped by diverse voices and tested in real-world settings through iterative processes.
Insights that Transformed my Approach
One of the most powerful lessons I learned from PDIA was the value of the authorizing environment. I realized that the success of a policy often depended not just on its technical design but on the trust and engagement of those with the power to implement it. As someone working outside formal government structures, I understood that building and maintaining legitimacy was not a one-time achievement but an ongoing commitment. I learnt how to build relationships that sustained support, even when my advice challenged entrenched perspectives. Learning how to “disappoint my authorizers in ways they could handle”—pushing the boundaries of conventional thinking without compromising trust—has become essential to my policy design process.
Redefining Leadership and Problem-Solving
PDIA has reshaped how I view leadership. Leading research teams and collaborating with clients and stakeholders require more than just technical knowledge; it demands continuous learning, adaptability, and empathy. I have learnt that effective leaders don’t just oversee tasks—they create environments where team members feel safe and valued, encouraging them to express their ideas openly. This atmosphere of psychological safety sparks innovation and fuels meaningful discussions, turning complex problem-solving into a collective effort.
The iterative nature of PDIA reflects the kind of leader I aim to be: one who acts, reflects, learns, and adapts. I realize that strategic delegation is not just about distributing workload efficiently but about empowering others and nurturing their potential. This approach amplifies the team’s capability and ensures that the solutions we create are enriched by diverse insights and perspectives.
The Power of Diverse Perspectives
A truly humbling and enriching part of the IPP program was being among a cohort of participants from diverse backgrounds. Everyone brought a unique mix of experiences—both professional and personal—to the table. We were all there for the same reason: to find better ways to tackle the policy challenges we faced.
Conversations with my peers—whether in formal settings or over informal chats—felt like tapping into an ongoing source of wisdom and solidarity. The honesty and vulnerability that my peers brought made these interactions more than just discussions; they became moments of real connection. I was reminded that the struggle to create meaningful change was shared and that there was immense value in hearing how others approached similar obstacles. The exchange of ideas and stories within this community was one of the greatest gifts of the program.
The peer learning groups, especially, were a lifeline. They provided a space where I could lean on others for support, challenge my own assumptions, and gain new insights. This experience reinforced that learning didn’t only come from expert faculty, though their expertise was phenomenal, but also from engaging with others who were on similar journeys. Being exposed to such a diverse range of perspectives expanded my understanding and solidified the importance of inclusive approaches in policymaking.
Applying PDIA in Real Life
I have integrated PDIA principles into my policy advisory work, whether advising on trade issues or supporting small business initiatives, I prioritized fostering collaborative environments and encouraging genuine stakeholder engagement. Applying crawling the design space; testing multiple small-scale solutions and refining them based on feedback has proved invaluable in developing practical and sustainable strategies.
My policy design approach is now more than ever centered around co-creation with stakeholders, ensuring that policies are not just designed but are implementable and adapted to real-world contexts. This iterative and inclusive process has yielded tangible results, allowing me to produce policy design recommendations that have gained buy-in from authorizers and stakeholders that have been part of the crawling the design space.
Advice for Fellow Practitioners
For those embarking on a PDIA journey, remember that progress in addressing complex policy challenges is rarely linear. Embrace the uncertainty and learn from every step along the way. Create an environment where your team feels safe to experiment and adapt. Trust the process of strategic iteration and maintain a commitment to transparency and inclusivity. Above all, remember that policy is fundamentally about people and a solution that is not co-created considering various perspectives is unlikely to be effectively implemented and, in the end, no solution at all.
Lastly, for those of us working outside government structures, PDIA serves as a reminder that while we may not wield formal authority, we can still drive meaningful change. It starts with asking the right questions, fostering trust, and leading with a mindset that embraces learning and growth.
This is a blog series written by the alumni of the Implementing Public Policy Executive Education Program at the Harvard Kennedy School. 42 Participants successfully completed this 6-month hybrid program in November 2024. These are their learning journey stories.