Sector – Building State Capability

Lack of Monitoring and Reporting on the Capital Investment Budget in Papua New Guinea

Publication date May 6, 2024

Guest blog by Langa Kopio, Herry Mek, Frank Awape, Linson Karu, Joe Willie Over the past 7 weeks our team has been working on our problem statement, which is the ‘Lack of Monitoring, Evaluation and Reporting on the Capital Investment Budget (CIB) in Papua New Guinea’. We started off with the lack of governance in…Continue Reading Lack of Monitoring and Reporting on the Capital Investment Budget in Papua New Guinea

Expanding Affordable Housing in Lagos, Nigeria

Publication date May 3, 2024

Guest blog by Akinderu Fatai Moruf, IPP’23 In 2019, I was privileged to assume the role of Commissioner of Housing in Lagos State, the commercial capital of Nigeria with a large population of about 23 million. I was entrusted with the pivotal task of spearheading strategic initiatives to facilitate the expansion of affordable housing. Apart…Continue Reading Expanding Affordable Housing in Lagos, Nigeria

Low Rate of Female Employment in STEM in Costa Rica

Publication date May 1, 2024

Guest blog by Lilliana Carranza, LEG’23 One of the main lessons learned in addressing the growth challenges in my country was to eliminate the idea that successful external recipes will lead us to solve local problems. This practice is very widespread in Latin America where the recipes of the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank,…Continue Reading Low Rate of Female Employment in STEM in Costa Rica

Death and Taxes in Papua New Guinea

Publication date April 23, 2024

Guest blog written by Minnie Banimbi, Salome Delabu, Michelle Fimaimba, Cieran Kelly, Eunice Takendu Embarking on a journey through the PDIA course, we discovered a rich tapestry of skills crucial for effective problem-solving. We focused on the essentials of collective action, including teamwork, the clear articulation and deconstruction of problems, action facilitation and authorization, and…Continue Reading Death and Taxes in Papua New Guinea

Navigating the Waters of Education Reform: A Reflection on Implementing Public Policy

Publication date April 22, 2024

Guest blog by Georgia Hachem, IPP’23 Embarking on the journey of Harvard’s Implementing Public Policy (IPP) course has been a transformative experience, particularly as I delved into the complex realm of education reform. Over the course of numerous assignments and hands-on experiences, I encountered both challenges and revelations that have significantly shaped my understanding of…Continue Reading Navigating the Waters of Education Reform: A Reflection on Implementing Public Policy

Second Chances for Indiana: Key Learnings and Insights

Publication date April 19, 2024

Guest blog by Andrea Cuellar, Fabio Ostermann, Nanditha Menon As a team working on the problem of high recidivism in Marion County, Indiana, we have been through an enriching journey utilizing the Problem-Driven Iterative Adaptation (PDIA) framework. This course has broadened our understanding and provided valuable insights into tackling this complex issue, using coherent small…Continue Reading Second Chances for Indiana: Key Learnings and Insights

Rediscovering malnutrition in Angola through a PDIA lens

Publication date April 17, 2024

View of traditional village in Malange, Angola, backs of a child walking, tropical vegetation and dramatic cloudy sky as background

Guest blog by Achref Aouadi, Catalina Reyes Villegas, Gabriela Dutra, Mustafa Rasheed As we sat in our first PDIA class, we had no idea how experiential the course would be. We knew we would be part of a team working on a problem, but we did not know which one. Options ranged from transportation in…Continue Reading Rediscovering malnutrition in Angola through a PDIA lens

The Challenge of Youth Unemployment in Papua New Guinea

Publication date April 16, 2024

Guest blog written by Lucy Napitalai, Kimberly Naris, Pushpa Srinivas As we embark on the final reflections of this 12-week course, the echoes of wisdom and insights gained resonate in the corridors of our experience. This journey has been more than an academic exploration; a dynamic and immersive expedition woven with challenges, revelations, and a…Continue Reading The Challenge of Youth Unemployment in Papua New Guinea

Improved Infrastructural Development in Lagos State, Nigeria

Publication date April 15, 2024

A panorama shot of a Landscape showing the coastline of Lagos Island, Nigeria at sunset, the Atlantic and a rig

Guest blog by Dr. Oyeyemi Ayoola FCA, IPP’23 My expectation for attending this Implementing Public Policy (IPP) Course is a tip of the iceberg compared to the learnings and competency skills in project implementation that I have garnered throughout this period of training, the course have changed my perspective and narratives of policy and project…Continue Reading Improved Infrastructural Development in Lagos State, Nigeria

Building Bridges to Economic Growth in Laramie, Wyoming

Publication date April 12, 2024

A drone shot of Laramie Wyoming neighborhood's cityscape with greenery, sunlight and cloudy sky

Guest blog written by Lili Vessereau, Boris Houenou, Daniel Saka Mbumba, Daksh Baheti We are a team at Harvard Kennedy School (HKS), enrolled in the Problem Driven Interactive Adaptation (PDIA) course taught by Professor Matt Andrews and Ms. Salimah Samji at HKS. As a team of development and policy practitioners, during Spring 2024, we used…Continue Reading Building Bridges to Economic Growth in Laramie, Wyoming