The BSC blog, launched in 2013, features stories from practitioners around the world who are working to solve some of the world’s most pressing and complex problems. Browse blogs below by region.
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Africa
Insufficient Financing for Energy Transition in Africa
Guest blog by Mekalia Paulos Aklilu, IPP ’24 The last 6 months have been truly insightful as I embarked on the ‘IPP journey’. I thought I knew sufficiently enough about public policy, but yet was keen on broadening my perspectives and reinforcing, fine-tuning and honing my expertise on the issue. IPP exceeded my expectations! It…Continue…
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Australia & New Zealand
Scrabble, Fishbones, and Positive Deviance: A Perspective from New Zealand
Guest blog by Mark Lea, LEG ’24 I have really enjoyed participating in the Harvard Kennedy School’s Leading Economic Growth 2024 programme, led by Professors Ricardo Hausmann and Matt Andrews, and supported by their wider faculty team. Both Professors shared the theories, tools and frameworks they have developed to help us think about our economic…Continue…
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Europe & Central Asia
Agricultural Reform in Karabakh
Guest blog by Vahid Hajiyev, LEG ’24 One of the most important lessons from this course is that addressing complex growth challenges requires a problem-driven approach. Tools such as the Toyota “6 Whys” and the fishbone diagram were particularly useful in helping me understand the underlying causes and identify binding constraints. These tools taught me…Continue…
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Latin America & Caribbean
Transitioning from a Planning and Control Approach to PDIA in Niteroi-RJ, Brazil
Guest blog by Ellen Bonadio Benedetti, IPP ’24 For years, I have practiced the traditional approach of planning and control, which is crucial for supporting public agents in their daily responsibilities. However, public issues are often complex, marked by uncertainties and limited information, which can compromise the effectiveness of the planning process. The PDIA (Problem-Driven…Continue…
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Middle East & North Africa
Event: PDIA in Tunisia and Jordan
Earlier this year, 21 IPP alumni from 15 countries gathered in Bahrain for our first Implementing Public Policy (IPP) community of practice seminar for the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. As part of this event, IPP alums, Lobna Jeribi and Tim Kornprobst discussed their experience using the PDIA approach to address solid waste…Continue…
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North America
Using Zoning to Reduce the Affordable Housing Crisis in Allentown, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Guest blog by Melissa Velez, IPP ’24 The experiences and learning within the Implementing Public Policy course helped me to look deeper into the problems faced within my city, gave me a step-by-step process to work through those problems with my team, and encouraged me to reflect on my personal leadership and time management skills….Continue…
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South Asia & Pacific
Addressing Imbalanced Sectoral Credit Growth and High Inflation in the Lao PDR
Guest blog by Phengphaivanh (Susan) Sitpraxay, IPP ’24 I attended the IPP course during one of the toughest periods over 14 years of my work life as a policy maker in the central bank of Laos-the Bank of the Lao PDR. This is my first course at Harvard University, a place I have long aspired…Continue…