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
Building Bridges to Economic Growth in Laramie, Wyoming
Guest blog written by Lili Vessereau, Boris Houenou, Daniel Saka Mbumba, Daksh Baheti We are a team at Harvard Kennedy School (HKS), enrolled in the Problem Driven Interactive Adaptation (PDIA) course taught by Professor Matt Andrews and Ms. Salimah Samji at HKS. As a team of development and policy practitioners, during Spring 2024, we used…Continue…
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GOVERNANCE
Improved Infrastructural Development in Lagos State, Nigeria
Guest blog by Dr. Oyeyemi Ayoola FCA, IPP’23 My expectation for attending this Implementing Public Policy (IPP) Course is a tip of the iceberg compared to the learnings and competency skills in project implementation that I have garnered throughout this period of training, the course have changed my perspective and narratives of policy and project…Continue…
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EDUCATION
Navigating the Waters of Education Reform: A Reflection on Implementing Public Policy
Guest blog by Georgia Hachem, IPP’23 Embarking on the journey of Harvard’s Implementing Public Policy (IPP) course has been a transformative experience, particularly as I delved into the complex realm of education reform. Over the course of numerous assignments and hands-on experiences, I encountered both challenges and revelations that have significantly shaped my understanding of…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
Rediscovering malnutrition in Angola through a PDIA lens
Guest blog by Achref Aouadi, Catalina Reyes Villegas, Gabriela Dutra, Mustafa Rasheed As we sat in our first PDIA class, we had no idea how experiential the course would be. We knew we would be part of a team working on a problem, but we did not know which one. Options ranged from transportation in…Continue…
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INFRASTRUCTURE
Building a 15-minute city in lower income neighborhoods – with people, not for people
Guest blog by Joyce Pan Huang, IPP ’23 As someone new to the public sector in the last two years, I leapt at the opportunity to attend the Implementing Public Policy program. I enjoyed building friendships and connections with government officials and policymakers from around the world. While our challenges were different across the world,…Continue…
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PUBLIC FINANCE
Death and Taxes in Papua New Guinea
Guest blog written by Minnie Banimbi, Salome Delabu, Michelle Fimaimba, Cieran Kelly, Eunice Takendu Embarking on a journey through the PDIA course, we discovered a rich tapestry of skills crucial for effective problem-solving. We focused on the essentials of collective action, including teamwork, the clear articulation and deconstruction of problems, action facilitation and authorization, and…Continue…
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OTHER
Second Chances for Indiana: Key Learnings and Insights
Guest blog by Andrea Cuellar, Fabio Ostermann, Nanditha Menon As a team working on the problem of high recidivism in Marion County, Indiana, we have been through an enriching journey utilizing the Problem-Driven Iterative Adaptation (PDIA) framework. This course has broadened our understanding and provided valuable insights into tackling this complex issue, using coherent small…Continue…