written by Lant Pritchett The PDIA approach to building state capability grew out of a sense among practitioner/academics (or “pracademics”) that (a) organizational capability for implementation was key to success—as, if not more important the adoption of new policies or the creation of new programs and (b) that the existing models (both in the mainstream…Continue Reading The Big Stuck: Updated
Lost in Authorization in Japan
Guest blog written by Marcello Milanello “The more you know who you are and what you want, the less you let things upset you”. Despite the advice from Bob Harris, a protagonist role played by a melancholic Bill Murray, in the movie ‘Lost in translation’, he remains pessimistic and bland for the entire journey…Continue Reading Lost in Authorization in Japan
Growth after the Coronavirus: Thoughts and Questions
written by Matt Andrews A lot of people ask me how governments should support economic growth in the period ‘After Coronavirus’. It is a vital question that I wrestle with daily in preparing for the forthcoming Leading Economic Growth Online executive education program (which I teach with my amazing colleague, Ricardo Hausmann). Here are some…Continue Reading Growth after the Coronavirus: Thoughts and Questions
COVID-19: Planning for Tomorrow’s Problems Today
Guest blog written by Peter Harrington When he started his blog series on crisis leadership on these pages, Matt Andrews asked: can public leaders navigate high winds and big waves in little boats? We could add to that question: how do you build the boat when you are already at sea and the storm is…Continue Reading COVID-19: Planning for Tomorrow’s Problems Today
Public Leadership Through Crisis 19: How do political leaders commonly structure their roles?
written by Matt Andrews This is the second of four blogs addressing questions about political engagement in crisis response organization. The questions are: Who are political leaders and what roles do they play in crises? How do political leaders commonly structure their roles? How can political leaders structure their roles more effectively? I will offer…Continue Reading Public Leadership Through Crisis 19: How do political leaders commonly structure their roles?
Public Leadership Through Crisis 15: The COVID-19 Crisis in Bahrain
written by Matt Andrews Hamad Almalki is the Undersecretary for National Economy at Bahrain’s Ministry of Finance and National Economy. He is a graduate of the Edward S. Mason mid-career Masters in Public Administration program at the Harvard Kennedy School. My Zoom interview captures Hamad’s reflections (as of April 3) on Bahrain’s response to the…Continue Reading Public Leadership Through Crisis 15: The COVID-19 Crisis in Bahrain
Public Leadership Through Crisis 12: Course correct; it’s hard, but you must—and can—do it
written by Matt Andrews My last blog post recounted, briefly, how Liberia changed the organizational structures it used to respond to the 2014 Ebola crisis, mid-stream through the crisis. I wanted to tell the story primarily to demonstrate how the country ultimately adopted a flat, fast, and flexible ‘snowflake’ like structure (in the Incident Management …Continue Reading Public Leadership Through Crisis 12: Course correct; it’s hard, but you must—and can—do it
Leading Remote Teams during Covid-19
Guest blog written by Lindsey Marchessault In the last few weeks, many organizations around the world have had to pivot sharply to remote work due to the Covid-19 pandemic. This shift can be a daunting transition. However, there are many strategies and tactics that can help teams to maintain effectiveness, productivity, and a sense of…Continue Reading Leading Remote Teams during Covid-19
Public Leadership Through Crisis 9: Pursue flat, fast, and flexible organizing structures
written by Matt Andrews In my last post, I argued that you should prepare to work differently. In this blog I will offer ideas on doing that. I am informed by my BSC team’s work with countries employing PDIA (problem driven iterative adaptation) in the face of problems (some crises) and the work of people like…Continue Reading Public Leadership Through Crisis 9: Pursue flat, fast, and flexible organizing structures
Public Leadership Through Crisis 8: You’re not ready. No one is. Prepare to work differently
written by Matt Andrews I have spent 7 posts discussing leadership challenges in crisis for the leader herself or himself; what the individual needs to get ready and steady to help people through crises. In this post I am going to start pivoting to thinking about your organizational capability. I am hoping that a wide…Continue Reading Public Leadership Through Crisis 8: You’re not ready. No one is. Prepare to work differently