In this talk hosted at HKS on November 3rd, Yamini Aiyar, senior fellow at Brown University’s Watson Institute and former president of the Center for Policy Research in Delhi, discusses her book Lessons in State Capacity from Delhi’s Schools and shares her path from a pivotal 2010 meeting in Bihar to a groundbreaking three-year ethnographic…Continue Reading Event: Lessons in State Capacity from Delhi’s Schools
In this talk hosted at Harvard Kennedy School on October 16th, Shaun Tomson, a former surfing world champion turned purpose coach, shares his journey from business to purpose-driven work following the tragic loss of his 15-year-old son Matthew in 2006. Tomson now speaks globally about purpose, arguing that our words have transformational power which create…Continue Reading Event: Finding Purpose in Turbulent Times
We are offering Leading Economic Growth online again from September 29 – December 5th 2025. Application deadline is September 8th, 2025. Stimulating growth is the top economic priority for many countries and localities around the world. Yet many are trapped, lacking the productive capability to solve problems and expand to new industries to drive development. New growth strategies…Continue Reading Apply for our Leading Economic Growth Executive Program!
Blog written by Mannat Singh Building State Capability (BSC) has trained over 4,500 public problem solvers in 156 countries to use the Problem Driven Iterative Adaptation (PDIA) approach. However, policy problems are complex and often persist, necessitating constant collaboration and real-time learning. In December 2024, we launched our new PDIA Community of Practice platform. Designed…Continue Reading Building and Engaging the PDIA Community of Practice
BSC is hiring! We are looking for a talented research fellow and communications assistant to join the BSC team!…Continue Reading We’re Hiring!
We are excited to announce that Building State Capability is now on Instagram! We started this account as part of our efforts to expand our reach, showcase our work, and continue to build a thriving PDIA community. Follow us @HarvardBSC to stay up-to-date on the latest BSC events, research, projects, podcasts, and more….Continue Reading BSC is on Instagram!
Are you a public policymaker frustrated with the limited impact of your government’s policies? Do you see many policy ideas starting out with promise but ending up incomplete or ineffectively implemented? Are you trying to improve implementation? If so, you are not alone. Join with peers from around the globe for a dynamic, highly engaging blended learning format of Implementing…Continue Reading Apply for our Implementing Public Policy Program!
On Monday, March 3rd we hosted a virtual seminar featuring Greg Power OBE, Founder & Board Chair of Global Partners Governance and author of Inside the Political Mind: The Human Side of Politics and How It Shapes Development….Continue Reading Event: Inside the Political Mind: The Human Side of Politics
written by Salimah Samji At Building State Capability (BSC) we resolve public problems with purpose. The increasingly complex, interdependent, and uncertain world we live in requires more flexible and adaptive approaches to solve complex problems, making the core of our mission more important than ever. 2024 was a year of new beginnings for BSC. We…Continue Reading BSC 2024: Year in Review
On Monday, October 28th, we co-hosted a seminar with The People Lab featuring Dan Honig, BSC Associate, Associate Professor at Georgetown McCourt School of Public Policy and University College London in conversation with Elizabeth Linos, Emma Bloomberg Associate Professor of Public Policy and Management at Harvard Kennedy School. In this talk, Dan Honig discusses the…Continue Reading Event: Motivation and Purpose in the Public Sector
