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Category: News & Updates

Internal category of news and update posts

Building and Engaging the PDIA Community of Practice 

  • Publication date May 29, 2025
People standing in a circle with their hands on top of each other.

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 on Instagram!

  • Publication date April 9, 2025
A phone with BSC's instagram profile displayed

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!

Apply for our Implementing Public Policy Program!

Building a bridge

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!

BSC 2024: Year in Review

  • Publication date December 1, 2024
BSC Team

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

Event: Motivation and Purpose in the Public Sector

  • Publication date October 14, 2024
Dan Honig headshot

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

Event: The Mirror Cracked? On Democracy, Welfare Politics, and India’s General Election

  • Publication date September 16, 2024
Yamini Aiyar headshot

The Mirror Cracked? On Democracy, Welfare Politics, and India’s General Election featuring Yamini Aiyar, Senior Visiting Fellow at Brown University, was hosted at HKS on September 23, 2024. In this talk, Yamini discusses the intersections between welfare politics, state capability, and democratic institutions in India’s 2024 elections. She examines how direct benefit transfers and technology-driven…Continue Reading Event: The Mirror Cracked? On Democracy, Welfare Politics, and India’s General Election

Event: Why Trust (not Money, Data, Evidence, Argument, Credentials) is the Currency of Change

  • Publication date September 10, 2024
Rakesh Rajani headshot

In this talk, hosted at HKS on September 16, Rakesh Rajani shares candid reflections on the complexities of driving systemic change in government and development. Drawing on 25 years of experience in civil society and philanthropy, Rajani recounts personal stories of success and unexpected failure in Tanzania and beyond. He counters common assumptions about transparency, accountability, and…Continue Reading Event: Why Trust (not Money, Data, Evidence, Argument, Credentials) is the Currency of Change