Guest blog by Mariam Alkarbi, IPP ’25
When I joined the Implementing Public Policy (IPP) program, I was eager to work on an issue close to my heart: improving school food environments in Abu Dhabi. Childhood obesity is one of the UAE’s most pressing public health challenges, and while we already have nutrition guidelines and policies in place, implementation has remained inconsistent. Schools often continue to expose children to unhealthy food environments in both direct and indirect ways.
At first, I saw this as a technical problem: if only we had clearer rules, stronger enforcement, and better planning, things would improve. But through IPP, I learned that the real challenge was deeper, it was adaptive, complex, and dynamic, involving multiple stakeholders with different incentives, behaviors, and priorities.
This program has been a transformative journey, both professionally and personally. I came in expecting to learn new frameworks for policy work, but what I gained was a complete shift in mindset. It didn’t just change how I think about this problem; it changed how I see myself as a practitioner and leader.
Public policy problems are rarely linear, they are complex, adaptive, and deeply embedded in political, social, and institutional realities. Top-down approaches may set direction, but they often miss the mark when they try to impose ready-made predesigned solutions instead of allowing for iteration, adaptation, and learning. The concept of (PDIA) reshaped how I think and work. Instead of searching for one grand solution, I learned to:
- Break down big challenges into smaller, solvable components.
- Work in teams that bring diverse perspectives and shared ownership.
- Use iteration and feedback loops to build legitimacy and buy-in over time.
- Recognize that progress often looks like two steps forward, one step back, and that this is still real progress.
Above all, I learned the value of learning while doing, of engaging with uncertainty instead of avoiding it. This was especially eye-opening for me because I usually rely on plan-and-control approaches: detailed guidelines, rigid timelines, inspection systems. While these provide structure, they assume stability and predictability. In reality, implementation is shaped by politics, shifting priorities, and human behavior.
Tools like the fishbone diagram and triple-A change space analysis helped me break problems into their root causes and identify realistic entry points for progress. But beyond the tools, the most important shift was in mindset: seeing progress not as delivering a polished product, but as building momentum, ownership, and collective capability step by step.
My challenge focused on strengthening school nutrition and healthy meal policies in Abu Dhabi. The concerned entities have long recognized the urgency of addressing childhood obesity and have introduced multiple guidelines. Yet implementation remained fragmented: some schools complied, others didn’t; vendors faced implementation challenges; and parents often sent unhealthy meals from home.
This wasn’t a simple case of “guidelines not followed.” It was a broader, systemic challenge. Schools, families, vendors, regulators, the education sector, and public health agencies all had important roles, yet their efforts were not always aligned. Addressing this required going beyond rules to rethinking how stakeholders engage, how compliance is supported, how parents and students are empowered to adopt healthier habits, and how change can be sustained in practice.
Through the PDIA approach, I realized that progress often looks small at first but can be deeply significant.
- I learned that celebrating small wins, like getting schools to commit to pilots, or suppliers to adapt menus creates momentum and builds trust.
- I learned that authorizations are not one-time events. They need to be cultivated repeatedly, through communication, evidence, and engagement.
- I learned that relationships are as important as technical solutions. Every new partner I brought in, parents, auditors, suppliers, added legitimacy and widened the circle of responsibility.
- And I learned that pilots and pre-assessments are powerful tools. They reduce uncertainty, test feasibility, and generate learning that can be scaled.
Perhaps my biggest insight was this: progress in complex problems isn’t about solving everything at once, it’s about reducing uncertainty and building ownership step by step.
Before this program, I used to design solutions in full and then try to push them through. Now, I will approach challenges differently, I will
- iterate before scaling, testing small steps and learning from them.
- value learning and leads as real indicators of progress, not just outcomes.
- apply the 4Ps of leadership, perception, projection, people, and process to lead with curiosity, empathy, and structure.
- actively create space for reflection even when timelines feel overwhelming.
- celebrate and keep a record of all the small wins made through the process.
- focus on mobilizing authorizers, implementers, and beneficries around shared problems, not just technical fixes.
This means I will not measure my success only by whether a policy is launched, but by whether it is legitimate, owned, and sustainable.
Already, I have started to embed these lessons in my work. For example:
- I use “small wins” updates with my team to sustain momentum.
- I approach stakeholder engagement not as a formality, but as the heart of implementation.
- I design practical tools (like checklists and workshops) that help schools and suppliers turn policy into practice.
- I remind myself and others that setbacks are not failure but learning opportunities.
Beyond my current role, I see myself carrying this mindset into future initiatives, whether in youth-led platforms, public health policy design, or even international collaborations.
Words of Wisdom for Fellow Practitioners
- Embrace the mess. Real problems are complex and sometimes political, don’t shy away from the discomfort.
- Start small, but think big. Tiny iterations build momentum and legitimacy for larger reforms.
- Celebrate learning, not just outcomes. Every lesson, every new relationship, every authorization gained is progress.
- Lead with curiosity and be empathetic. Ask why. Listen deeply. Align around shared purpose. These are the tools of real change.
Most importantly, remember that change is a collective act. You are not alone in the challenge, bring others along, empower them, and the change will be deeper and more lasting.
This program has been more than a professional course, it has been a leadership journey. I came in hoping to “fix” my policy challenge. I leave with a new identity: not just a nutritionist or policy officer, but a problem-solver, coalition-builder, and learner.
The challenge of healthy school nutrition in Abu Dhabi is far from over. But I now see progress differently: not as a single breakthrough, but as a series of small, cumulative steps that build capability, legitimacy, and shared ownership. As I move forward, I carry with me the IPP spirit: be curious, be iterative, be adaptive, and never stop learning.
Mariam Alkarbi holding her certificate at Harvard Kennedy School.
This is a blog series written by the alumni of the Implementing Public Policy Executive Education Program at the Harvard Kennedy School. 36 Participants successfully completed this 5-month hybrid program in September 2025. These are their learning journey stories.