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Category: News & Updates

Internal category of news and update posts

New Podcast: Authorizer Reflections on Using PDIA in Meghalaya, India

  • Publication date January 22, 2024
Sampath Kumar on a site visit in Meghalaya, India

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

BSC 2023: The Year in Review

  • Publication date January 8, 2024
BSC Team photo: Anisha Poobalan, Matt Andrews, Salimah Samji, Daniel Barjum, and Kathryn Lang

written by Salimah Samji Building State Capability (BSC) resolves public problems with purpose. We have developed a step-by-step approach called Problem Driven Iterative Adaptation (PDIA), a dynamic process with tight feedback loops that allows organizations to build their own solutions that fit their local context. PDIA empowers action, facilitates the emergence of local solutions, and…Continue Reading BSC 2023: The Year in Review

Apply for our Strategies for Inclusive Growth Executive Program!

  • Publication date January 5, 2024
Aerial image of income disparity in South African neighborhoods

We are offering Strategies for Inclusive Growth at the Harvard Kennedy School from April 28 – May 3rd 2024. Application deadline is March 25th, 2024. Paths to economic prosperity are rapidly evolving. Policymakers struggle to meet economic goals as growth remains unsustainable, non-inclusive, or just plain stuck. Organizations often rely on one-size-fits-all approaches that fail to meet…Continue Reading Apply for our Strategies for Inclusive Growth Executive Program!

New Podcast: Ricardo Hausmann Reflects on his Engagement with BSC

  • Publication date January 3, 2024
Ricardo Hausmann headshot

We have released a new episode in our podcast series A Decade of Building State Capability. In this episode, BSC Director Salimah Samji interviews Ricardo Hausmann, Rafik Hariri Professor of the Practice of International Political Economy at the Harvard Kennedy School and founder and Director of Harvard’s Growth Lab. In this episode, Ricardo describes his…Continue Reading New Podcast: Ricardo Hausmann Reflects on his Engagement with BSC

New Podcast: Michael Woolcock Shares how he has Applied PDIA at the World Bank

  • Publication date November 24, 2023
Michael Woolcock presenting

We have released a new episode in our podcast series A Decade of Building State Capability. For our third episode of the series, BSC Director Salimah Samji interviews Michael Woolcock, a co-author of the Building State Capability book. In this episode, Michael discusses the process of coming up with the PDIA approach to help development practitioners…Continue Reading New Podcast: Michael Woolcock Shares how he has Applied PDIA at the World Bank

New Podcast: Andrew Lawson Reflects on his Evaluation of PDIA in Africa

  • Publication date November 13, 2023
Matt Andrews presenting at CABRI with Andrew Lawson in the audience

We have released a new episode in our podcast series A Decade of Building State Capability. Our second episode of the series features Andrew Lawson who did an independent evaluation of PDIA during our work with CABRI in Africa in 2018, commissioned by the Gates Foundation. He published a related piece in the World Development Perspectives in September 2023….Continue Reading New Podcast: Andrew Lawson Reflects on his Evaluation of PDIA in Africa

Event: Reflecting on a Decade of Building State Capability around the World

  • Publication date November 10, 2023
Salimah Samji presenting to audience members

Over the past decade, we have engaged with over 3,500 practitioners in 148 countries. At a recent event, our team discussed the evolution of PDIA and its pedagogical methods, as well as shared reflections on their journey of building capability and igniting change. The event featured a presentation reviewing our work since 2012 and featured…Continue Reading Event: Reflecting on a Decade of Building State Capability around the World

New Podcast Series: A Decade of Building State Capability

  • Publication date October 31, 2023
Awa Touray presenting at CABRI

This past year, Building State Capability (BSC) celebrated its 10-year anniversary. To commemorate this milestone, we are very excited to launch our new podcast series, A Decade of Building State Capability. This series will feature interviews with practitioners who reflect their engagement with Building State Capability over the past 10 years and their experience using…Continue Reading New Podcast Series: A Decade of Building State Capability