Guest Blog by Daniel Lombana, IPP ’25 Enrolling in the Harvard Kennedy School program Implementing Public Policy has been one of the best educational decisions I have ever made. I am a lawyer by profession, with a degree in Law and Political Science and a master’s in Procedural Law. Over the years, I have pursued…Continue Reading Improving Public Spending Efficiency and Transparency in Panama
Guest Blog by Mayank Grover, IPP ’25 When I applied for the Implementing Public Policy (IPP) program, the biggest doubt I had was whether this course would be too theoretical or academic. The problem-driven iterative adaptation concept seemed a bit alien to the public policy or economic regulation in which I have been working for…Continue Reading Evolving Electricity Distribution Network Roles in Australia
Guest Blog by Maria Agostina Cacault, IPP ’25 When I began the Implementing Public Policy program at Harvard Kennedy School in May 2025, I thought I understood my challenge: there was a “lack of human rights and gender perspective in the legal proceedings of Buenos Aires Province State Attorney’s Office.” Like many of us working…Continue Reading Building Rights-Based Frameworks in Buenos Aires Province’s Fiscal Defense: From Awareness to Action
Guest blog by Abel Capellan Almonte, IPP ’25 I entered IPP with a simple story in my head: students “don’t like” STEM. After months of PDIA, I think that story is convenient but wrong. The problem is not a single decision made by a teenager. It is a system that quietly pushes them toward safer,…Continue Reading Low Student Participation in STEM Careers in the Dominican Republic
Guest blog by Mariam Alkarbi, IPP ’25 When I joined the Implementing Public Policy (IPP) program, I was eager to work on an issue close to my heart: improving school food environments in Abu Dhabi. Childhood obesity is one of the UAE’s most pressing public health challenges, and while we already have nutrition guidelines and…Continue Reading Strengthening Healthy School Nutrition Policy in Abu Dhabi, UAE
Guest blog by Melissa Velez, IPP ’23 Since early 2020, the City of Allentown, in Eastern Pennsylvania, has been working on a complete zoning code rewrite. The plan has been to go from a typical Euclidian type of code to more of a form-based code. The project was stalled for a couple of years due…Continue Reading Zoning in on the Problem: Using PDIA to Build Affordable Housing in Allentown, Pennsylvania
Guest blog by Lobna Jeribi, IPP ’24 Discovering the Power of Small Steps Reflecting on my journey through the IPP program, I feel like I’ve been on a quest – not just for policy solutions but for clarity on how change actually happens. I’m no stranger to the messy realities of public policy. What the…Continue Reading Unpacking Complexity in Tunisia’s Waste Management: A Journey through PDIA
Guest blog by Melissa Velez, IPP ’24 The experiences and learning within the Implementing Public Policy course helped me to look deeper into the problems faced within my city, gave me a step-by-step process to work through those problems with my team, and encouraged me to reflect on my personal leadership and time management skills….Continue Reading Using Zoning to Reduce the Affordable Housing Crisis in Allentown, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Guest blog by Brian Vandenberg, IPP ’24 When I first enrolled in the Harvard Kennedy School’s Implementing Public Policy (IPP) program, I had no idea how transformative the experience would be. At the time, I was working in Tallahassee, Florida, grappling with a particularly pressing challenge: how to make public transportation more financially sustainable within…Continue Reading Changing Jobs and Changing Frameworks for Problem Solving
Guest blog by Joseph Wilson Jr, IPP ’24 I have spent 30 years of my professional life working as an artist. After graduating from the University of Notre Dame with a BA in Government/Political Science, I had every intention of going to law school and some day running for political office. That was the plan,…Continue Reading Building Resiliency and Sustainability in Providence’s Arts and Cultural Sector
