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Category: Africa

Improving reading proficiency and learning outcomes in Kaduna State, Nigeria

  • Publication date January 26, 2024
Children in Nigeria

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

Developing a Harmonized Legal and Regulatory Framework for Reforming Public Sector Pay in Sierra Leone

  • Publication date January 17, 2024
Freetown, Sierra Leone

Guest blog by Sonia Umu Karim, IPP ’23 One of my favourite quotations, which I came across during my secondary school years and which has kept me going through many frustrating ups and downs working on public sector reforms in Sierra Leone is by Henry David Thoreau; it goes “All endeavour calls for the ability to tramp…Continue Reading Developing a Harmonized Legal and Regulatory Framework for Reforming Public Sector Pay in Sierra Leone

Event: They Eat Our Sweat: Transport Labor, Corruption, and Survival in Urban Nigeria

  • Publication date December 1, 2023
Daniel Agbiboa and Salimah Samji presenting to audience

The informal transportation network, characteristic of many African cities, is notoriously dangerous. In Lagos, drivers are constantly threatened and forced to pay bribes; they suffer health problems like hypertension and partial blindness, and accidents are common. Fear is a form of governance. The police and the union extract money from transport drivers and share it…Continue Reading Event: They Eat Our Sweat: Transport Labor, Corruption, and Survival in Urban Nigeria

The developing world needs to get ‘shoveling’

  • Publication date November 30, 2023
A person shoveling dirt

Guest blog by Yaveneshaa Madurai, LEG’23 The Harvard Kennedy School Leading Economic Growth (LEG) programme challenged me in quite a different way, than I’m ‘used to’. As a Strategist, I’m used to delivering things that are ‘neatly processed’ – you choose your ‘weapon of choice’ (a previously developed strategy model by one of the ‘gurus’,…Continue Reading The developing world needs to get ‘shoveling’

Low Private Sector Investment in Liberia

  • Publication date November 22, 2023
Aerial view of Monrovia, Liberia

Guest blog by Marcus B. Zarway, LEG’23 Through the course, I learned many things; especially things related to my past and present work, as well as totally new ideas. I have developed and implemented catalytic private sector (entrepreneurship) and other development projects successful, and now supporting government agencies in reforms for economic development, unknowingly applying…Continue Reading Low Private Sector Investment in Liberia

Growing through Understanding: Tackling Namibia’s Income Inequality Problem

  • Publication date November 20, 2023
Windhoek, Namibia neighborhood

Guest blog by Anna Niita Etuna Nahambelelwe Shatika, LEG’23 Embarking on the Harvard course on Leading Economic Growth has been a transformative 10-week journey. Throughout the course, I gained invaluable insights and knowledge that will shape my approach to addressing the growth challenges faced by Namibia. In this blog, I will share key ideas and…Continue Reading Growing through Understanding: Tackling Namibia’s Income Inequality Problem

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

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