written by Marietou Diallo
The Building State Capability (BSC) Community of Practice (CoP) has grown into a vibrant, global network of practitioners committed to learning, experimenting, and supporting one another in their PDIA journeys. What began as a small alumni space has now expanded into a thriving online community of 600+ members from over 105 countries, spanning every region of the world. Over the past year, we’ve taken steps to transform the CoP into an active, collaborative space by creating opportunities for members to connect, share insights, and learn from each other’s work.
One of the ways we’ve strengthened this community has been through a series of events that brought new insights and fresh ideas into the space. Between March and May of 2025, we launched the PDIA CoP Community Conversations. These events, led by practitioners in the community, created a space for cross-national and cross-sector exchanges. We had sector-specific discussions on housing led by IPP alumni and an education-focused event featuring practitioners from Brazil and Zambia. These conversations emphasized the importance of convening diverse actors, building trust, and using relationships to drive positive change. These events reflect the kind of practitioner-driven learning that makes the CoP so valuable by allowing members to learn from each other.
We also introduced several CoP-exclusive sessions designed specifically to meet the needs of practitioners engaging with PDIA in real time. Most recently Matt Andrews and Salimah Samji led an interactive session on Making Peace with Time: Moving from Scarcity to Meaning. In this conversation, we welcomed practitioners from 16 different countries and across 11 different cohorts. The session was an opportunity for members to rethink their relationship with time and shift toward purpose-driven action. Matt also facilitated a deeply practical discussion on how to measure public policy success using relevant, context-sensitive metrics. And during our open Q&A event with Matt and Salimah, members brought real problems they were working on and received live feedback. Collectively, these events created a meaningful space for members to reflect on their work, deepen their PDIA practice, and continue learning together.
The PDIA CoP is not only an online platform, but also a space for real-world connection and engagement. In January 2025, we hosted our first IPP Community of Practice seminar in Bahrain, bringing together 21 alumni from 15 countries. This two-day event created an invaluable opportunity for IPP alumni to learn from one another, sharing how they have used PDIA across the MENA region to address complex policy challenges. The seminar highlighted the positive outcomes emerging from their work while giving practitioners a meaningful chance to connect and collaborate in person. Read the full recap here.
Most recently, BSC hosted sessions such as Finding Purpose in Turbulent Times with Shaun Tomson and Lessons in State Capacity from Delhi’s Schools with Yamini Aiyar which were extended to members of our CoP. These events gave our members access to powerful conversations about leadership, resilience, and system reform.
Beyond events, we’ve also been intentional about making the platform a space for regular engagement. Each week, we share resources ranging from faculty podcasts to guest blogs, PDIA resources, and case studies. These are all designed to give members inspiration, especially when they might find themselves at a roadblock. Interactive polls have helped us learn more about our community while sparking participation, whether through light icebreakers or reflection questions tied to the resources we share. Our weekly announcements keep everyone up to date on upcoming events and often include inspirational quotes to spotlight wisdom from members across our community. All of this helps ensure that the platform remains active, relevant, and useful.
Perhaps most encouraging has been the way members are beginning to connect directly. Recently, one practitioner working in landscape and ecosystem restoration posted a message seeking to connect with others doing similar work in West Africa, Southeast Asia, and the Atlantic Forest. Within days, multiple members replied with offers to share their experiences and insights. Posts like these, which are requests for collaboration, advice, and connection, capture exactly what we envisioned when building this CoP: a space where practitioners can find one another, troubleshoot challenges collaboratively, exchange opportunities, and even plan in-person meetups.
In many ways, the process of establishing this Community of Practice has mirrored PDIA itself. We’ve tried different forms of engagement, tested new ideas, paid attention to what resonates, and adapted as we’ve learned. And we know this work will continue to evolve. As we deepen our understanding of what supports this community, we will keep experimenting, learning, and sharing along the way. Our goal is to create a space where PDIA practitioners can find community, continue to learn, connect with each other and take meaningful steps toward addressing complex challenges.