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Apply for our Leading Economic Growth Executive Program!

  • Publication date August 26, 2025
Global map view with countries highlighted in blue where LEG participants are

We are offering Leading Economic Growth online again from September 29 – December 5th 2025. Application deadline is September 8th, 2025. Stimulating growth is the top economic priority for many countries and localities around the world. Yet many are trapped, lacking the productive capability to solve problems and expand to new industries to drive development. New growth strategies…Continue Reading Apply for our Leading Economic Growth Executive Program!

The 4P Framework for Strategic Leadership

  • Publication date July 16, 2025
Leader in center of circle

A Four-Part Podcast Series with Rob Wilkinson Effective leadership requires more than making decisions and giving orders. A good leader needs to understand perspectives, manage group dynamics, connect with people on an emotional level, and craft compelling visions for the future. In this four-part podcast series, Harvard Kennedy School’s Robert Wilkinson talks us through his…Continue Reading The 4P Framework for Strategic Leadership

The Leadership Program Reshaping Cambodia

  • Publication date July 7, 2025
Aerial view of streets and roundabout in Phnom Penh, Cambodia

The Leadership and Innovation Program (LIP), launched in 2020 by the Royal School of Administration and supported by the World Bank’s Coalitions for Reforms (C4R) Global Program, including Michael Woolcock, has trained over 1,000 senior officials across ministries and provinces in Cambodia. The program was designed to address persistent challenges in Cambodia’s public sector, such…Continue Reading The Leadership Program Reshaping Cambodia

Zoning in on the Problem: Using PDIA to Build Affordable Housing in Allentown, Pennsylvania

  • Publication date June 24, 2025
Street in Allentown, Pennsylvania

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

Building and Engaging the PDIA Community of Practice 

  • Publication date May 29, 2025
People standing in a circle with their hands on top of each other.

Blog written by Mannat Singh Building State Capability (BSC) has trained over 4,500 public problem solvers in 156 countries to use the Problem Driven Iterative Adaptation (PDIA) approach. However, policy problems are complex and often persist, necessitating constant collaboration and real-time learning.    In December 2024, we launched our new PDIA Community of Practice platform. Designed…Continue Reading Building and Engaging the PDIA Community of Practice 

Event: PDIA in Tunisia and Jordan

  • Publication date April 14, 2025
Tim Kornprobst, Lobna Jeribi, and Peter Harrington presenting

Earlier this year, 21 IPP alumni from 15 countries gathered in Bahrain for our first Implementing Public Policy (IPP) community of practice seminar for the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. As part of this event, IPP alums, Lobna Jeribi and Tim Kornprobst discussed their experience using the PDIA approach to address solid waste…Continue Reading Event: PDIA in Tunisia and Jordan

BSC is on Instagram!

  • Publication date April 9, 2025
A phone with BSC's instagram profile displayed

We are excited to announce that Building State Capability is now on Instagram! We started this account as part of our efforts to expand our reach, showcase our work, and continue to build a thriving PDIA community. Follow us @HarvardBSC to stay up-to-date on the latest BSC events, research, projects, podcasts, and more….Continue Reading BSC is on Instagram!

Case: Using PDIA to Transform Waste Management in Amman

  • Publication date April 7, 2025
Containers from a height with different types of metal, Sorting for remelting metal products

In early 2022, the Greater Amman Municipality (GAM) faced a growing waste crisis. Given its population of 4.5 million people generating approximately 3,000 tons of solid municipal waste daily, half of Jordan’s total, the city’s rapid growth had significantly outpaced its waste management infrastructure. In response to this challenge, a remarkable two-year transformation using Problem-Driven…Continue Reading Case: Using PDIA to Transform Waste Management in Amman

Apply for our Implementing Public Policy Program!

Building a bridge

Are you a public policymaker frustrated with the limited impact of your government’s policies? Do you see many policy ideas starting out with promise but ending up incomplete or ineffectively implemented? Are you trying to improve implementation? If so, you are not alone. Join with peers from around the globe for a dynamic, highly engaging blended learning format of Implementing…Continue Reading Apply for our Implementing Public Policy Program!