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 sector.
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ECONOMIC GROWTH
Sustained and Inclusive Economic Growth and Governance in Colombia
Guest blog by Ernesto Correa Valderrama, LEG ’24 In Colombia, armed conflict, poverty, illicit crops and, although it may seem strange, even deforestation are located where there are no good quality roads. That was the basis on which the Transport Infrastructure Program Roads for Equity1 was structured and awarded transparently in 2015 for more than…Continue…
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GOVERNANCE
Using PDIA to Reduce Gun Violence in New York
Pablo Uribe thought he was done with fighting crime. That was his job as the deputy security director of his hometown of Cali, Colombia. He’d had success with reducing the murder rate there, but was feeling burned out by the work. So when Uribe left to get his master’s at the Harvard Kennedy School, he…Continue…
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EDUCATION
Improving the Learning Outcomes of Filipino Students One Small Win at a Time
Guest blog by Fatima Lipp D. Panontongan, IPP ’24 The on-campus session was extraordinary. Learning from both the professors and my classmates in my cohort was priceless. Everybody was warm and kind. I loved the study sessions before the classes because we got to discuss the readings on a more personal level. I enjoyed hearing…Continue…
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CRISIS LEADERSHIP
Public policy during a crisis: 3 Lessons learned from Ecuador’s earthquake
Guest blog written by Sandra Naranjo Bautista Last October, I was a guest lecturer at Harvard’s Executive Education Program, Budgeting Through Crisis. I talked about my experience as a minister during Ecuador’s 2016 earthquake with Salimah Samji, Director of the Building State Capability Program. Our conversation brought up memories that motivated me to write this blog. You can also…Continue…
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HEALTH
Addressing the Increasing Spread of Chronic and Infectious Diseases in North Africa
Guest blog by Benjamin Musungu, IPP ’24 My IPP implementation challenge was far from typical! When I first landed in Sahrawi Republic on April 2023, I was not sure of what to expect. I was half-excited and half-anxious to lead a high-stakes health diplomacy visit in a distant country fraught with geopolitical uncertainties and unknowns….Continue…
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INFRASTRUCTURE
Sustained and Inclusive Economic Growth and Governance in Colombia
Guest blog by Ernesto Correa Valderrama, LEG ’24 In Colombia, armed conflict, poverty, illicit crops and, although it may seem strange, even deforestation are located where there are no good quality roads. That was the basis on which the Transport Infrastructure Program Roads for Equity1 was structured and awarded transparently in 2015 for more than…Continue…
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PUBLIC FINANCE
Exploring the lack of access to revenue in Wyoming
Guest blog by Tom Brauer, Justin D. Farley, Amber Pollock In Wyoming, much like throughout the United States, communities lack access to revenue and control of the revenue-raising mechanisms needed to self-determine their future. Over the past 12 weeks, The Wild Optimists have been immersed in the Problem-Driven Iterative Adaptation (PDIA) course, where we’ve grown…Continue…
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OTHER
The Elated PDIA Enthusiast: Minimizing Waste in Johannesburg
Guest blog written by Pinky Ferland, IPP ’24 Are you struggling with implementing your organizational or country policy? If your answer is yes, then read on and experience the journey I travelled with Harvard Kennedy School which led to my capability of implementing my organizational policy with success. A catalyst for change – that is…Continue…