written by Matt Andrews I often hear talk of moving from best practice to best fit in development. When I ask what people mean by this I seldom get the same answer. But the basic idea is that multiple solutions are considered instead of a one-best-way solution. I like the idea in concept and have…Continue Reading Getting Best Fit in Development Projects is like buying a new suit
Getting real about development; It is hard
Written by Matt Andrews I’m reminded so regularly that development is about change. If it’s done well it is about change that sticks, and even more about countries becoming adaptive (able to change continuously at the right pace and in the right way). This requires learning and building a specific type of DNA in people,…Continue Reading Getting real about development; It is hard
How do you keep 100 students awake on a Friday afternoon? Fast feedback and iterative adaptation seem to work
Guest blog written by Duncan Green There’s a character in a Moliere play who is surprised and delighted to learn that he has been speaking prose all his life without knowing it. I thought of him a couple of weeks into my new role as a part-time Professor in Practice in LSE’s International Development Department, when I…Continue Reading How do you keep 100 students awake on a Friday afternoon? Fast feedback and iterative adaptation seem to work
Tacit Knowledge: What and How?
written by Matt Andrews Tacit knowledge is an important focal point of my work. I think that many reforms fail because they try to transfer formal, codified knowledge only; when the key knowledge we need in governments and in the development process is tacit–knowledge that cannot be easily communicated in writing or even in words…Continue Reading Tacit Knowledge: What and How?
Contexts and Policy Implementation: 4 factors to think about
written by Matt Andrews I recently blogged about what matters about the context. Here’s a video of a class I taught on the topic at the University of Cape Town over the summer (their winter). It is a short clip where I try to flesh out the 4 factors that I look at when thinking…Continue Reading Contexts and Policy Implementation: 4 factors to think about
How can we learn when we don’t understand the problem?
written by Salimah Samji Most development practitioners think that they are working on problems. However, what they often mean by the word ‘problem’ is the ‘lack of a solution’. This leads to designing typical, business as usual interventions, without addressing the actual problem. Essentially, they sell solutions to specific problems they have identified and prioritized…Continue Reading How can we learn when we don’t understand the problem?
Why many development initiatives have achievement gaps…and what to do about this
written by Matt Andrews Yesterday I blogged about Hirschman’s Hiding Hand. As I interpret it, a central part of his idea is that many development projects: focus on solving complex problems, and only once they have started does a ‘hiding hand’ lift to show how hard the problem is to solve, but because policy-makers and…Continue Reading Why many development initiatives have achievement gaps…and what to do about this
Hirschman’s Hiding Hand and Problem Driven Change
written by Matt Andrews I referred to Albert Hirschman’s work on the “Principle of the Hiding Hand” in my class today. It is a great principle, and has real application when thinking about PDIA and problem driven change. In his essay, “The Principle of the Hiding Hand” Hirschman argues that creative solutions most frequently come from adapting…Continue Reading Hirschman’s Hiding Hand and Problem Driven Change
Hello Organization Man: the importance of old (and boring) administration in a new (and exciting) world
written by Matt Andrews Earlier this week, the New York Times ran the following great Op-ed on the lack of administrative focus in governance systems. This is an important article. We need to be saying ‘Hello’ when it comes to learning about organization… no matter how mundane it seems. This inspires me to spend even…Continue Reading Hello Organization Man: the importance of old (and boring) administration in a new (and exciting) world
What is Action Learning?
written by Matt Andrews Action learning is a key part of PDIA. It is “a hybrid technique that allows participants to use what they learn to tackle priority problems within their companies under actual work conditions. Action learning is a social process for resolving the difficulties managers increasingly confront, where history offers no solution. At…Continue Reading What is Action Learning?