Guest blog by Parrish Spisz, IPP ’23 I need to tell the truth. I almost didn’t make it to this Harvard Kennedy School Implementing Public Policy (IPP) course. I glanced the first email announcing the course and deleted it. Another email was sent and I deleted it. A third email was sent. I read it…Continue Reading Taking Action to Reduce Poverty in Tempe, Arizona
Guest blog by Cintia Smith, IPP ’23 I started the IPP program a year after beginning the analysis of the public issue we were addressing, which, in our case, was “the malfunctioning of municipal service to deliver procedures due to bureaucratic burdens.” Just when we were about to start implementing the governmental digital services and…Continue Reading Regulatory improvement and digitization of the government procedure service in Monterrey City
Guest blog by Silvia Steisel, IPP ’23 My role as a leader in a philanthropic organization focused on employment has led me to the realization multiple times that we were attempting to address complex issues in an inadequate manner. Employment is a multifaceted sector influenced by various cyclical, cultural, social, and political factors. Challenges related…Continue Reading Combining parenthood and employment in Belgium: What is the problem?
Guest blog by Jennifer Hale Christy, IPP ’23 I began my Implementing Public Policy journey in May of 2023, eight months into serving as Chief of Staff to the Mayor of Beaverton, Oregon. Before that, I served as the Mayor’s Communication Officer for nearly two years. My journey to public service was unconventional–from seminary to…Continue Reading Building public trust in the midst of crisis and change
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 Reading Building a 15-minute city in lower income neighborhoods – with people, not for people
BSC has been exploring how the PDIA methodology can help build capability to improve the implementation of education policies and programs. In 2022, the team developed a custom PDIA for Education Systems online action learning program for Education Development Trust (EDT), funded by United Kingdom’s Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO). The goal of this…Continue Reading Applying PDIA to Education Systems
Guest blog by Salamatu Idris Isah, IPP ’23 PDIA: Learning by Doing and Getting it Right Working in a public space has never been easy, especially when you are saddled with the responsibility of making sure everything you proposed, that has been adopted, has a developmental impact. My participation in the 2023 IPP course was an eye-opener, as we were introduced to the Problem-Driven Iterative Adaptation (PDIA) Concept. Taking a…Continue Reading Improving reading proficiency and learning outcomes in Kaduna State, Nigeria
Guest blog by Chiu Hao Chen, IPP ’23 My Odyssey with PDIA In a time overshadowed by rising tensions among nations, unprecedented increases in natural disasters, and the world’s collective shortfall on all Sustainable Development Goals, I set forth on a quest alongside revered Masters of PDIA (Problem Driven Iterative Adaptation) at the sanctified halls…Continue Reading Effectively tackling industry-level climate risks to ensure inclusive participation in the green economy by all organizations
We have released a new episode in our podcast series A Decade of Building State Capability. In this episode, BSC Director Salimah Samji interviews Sampath Kumar, Health Secretary and Development Commissioner of the government of Meghalaya. Sampath attended Harvard Kennedy School in 2013 where he had his first exposure to Building State Capability. In this…Continue Reading New Podcast: Authorizer Reflections on Using PDIA in Meghalaya, India
Guest blog by Marcio Paes Barreto, IPP ’23 As my course Implementing Public Policy (IPP) ended I recognized a familiar feeling that relates to my experience leading NOLS wilderness expeditions. At the end of those expeditions, participants often reflected on what they couldn’t bring back from the wilderness, and some felt uneasy about returning to…Continue Reading Reflections on IPP and Returning to Work
