Reconciling Parenthood and Employment through Collective Action in Belgium

Guest blog by Silvia Steisel, IPP ’23

On May 14, 2024, a group of twenty leaders from civil society organizations focused on parenting in Belgium gathered in a central Brussels meeting room. They were brought together by the Degroof Petercam Foundation (DPF), not because the foundation is an expert in parenting—indeed, it knows far less about the topic than the organizations represented—but because DPF has, for over a decade, been committed to addressing pressing societal issues, particularly those related to employment. The foundation’s interest in this area was sparked by the alarming correlation between female poverty, which is three times higher than that of men in Belgium, and the lower employment rate among women. This low rate is closely linked to the dominant role women still play as parents in the country.

Event: Why Trust (not Money, Data, Evidence, Argument, Credentials) is the Currency of Change

In this talk, hosted at HKS on September 16, Rakesh Rajani shares candid reflections on the complexities of driving systemic change in government and development. Drawing on 25 years of experience in civil society and philanthropy, Rajani recounts personal stories of success and unexpected failure in Tanzania and beyond. He counters common assumptions about transparency, accountability, and state capability, arguing that well-intended efforts can often undermine the systems they aim to improve.

Rajani discusses key findings from research on state capability initiatives, highlighting the importance of understanding political contexts, focusing on implementation over policy design, and reimagining accountability as a collaborative rather than adversarial process. He emphasizes the need for deep work and the ability to build working coalitions across differences. This thought-provoking talk provides valuable insights for policymakers, activists, and development professionals hoping to effect meaningful change in complex political systems.

Apply for our Leading Economic Growth Executive Program!

We are offering Leading Economic Growth online again from September 30 – December 6^th 2024. Application deadline is September 20th, 2024.

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 need paths, processes and organizations to address this problem.

Sophisticated Tools. Practical Approaches.

In this ten-week program, you will learn how to develop a set of policies and tools to define your growth problem, detect constraints to growth, and design solutions to unlock growth. Through peer learning groups and live class sessions, you will apply the frameworks and tools to your own economic growth challenge.

PDIA to Support Teaching Training in Brazil

Guest blog by Seiji Isotani, IPP ’23

A summary of the activities carried out at UNIVESP – Virtual University of the State of Sao Paulo. UNIVESP is the largest online university in Brazil and it is responsible for graduating more than 10,000 teachers every year.

We ran several workshops with at least 10 people each where we discussed the challenges of training teachers in Brazil and in UNIVESP. With particular attention to potential problems and their causes.

Agile Work Process for Urban Innovation in Amsterdam

Guest blog by Bruno Ávila Eça de Matos, IPP ’23

Embarking on the Implementing Public Policy (IPP) program offered by Harvard Kennedy School (HKS) marked the beginning of an eye-opening journey, shifting my perspective from traditional program management and the instruments of the Scrum framework to a new methodology that embraces uncertainty and the need to learn more about the problem we are trying to address. The program offered a deep dive into the art and science of public policy implementation, informed by world-class professors with substantial hands-on experience. 

The Voice Inc Welcomes BSC to PNG 

This week, Matt Andrews is visiting Papua New Guinea in a continuation of BSC’s work with The Voice Inc (TVI). Professor Andrews and the Building State Capability team have been working with TVI for the past three years, leading PDIA online action learning programs which aim to build the capability of local leaders to create broad coalitions for change.

Matt has a full week of activities as part of TVI’s Local Leadership and Collective Action Program (LLCAP), which supports a network of local leaders working on public policy reform and implementation. He will engage with practitioners on critical issues, from policy implementation to youth law and childhood literacy. Read the full press release to learn more.

Namibia’s Readiness to Support the Nascent Oil and Gas Industry

Guest blog by Ileana I. Ferber, IPP ’22 

In the past seven years, I have been immersed and fascinated with local content policies related to the extractive sector (mining, oil, and gas). Once I became comfortable in analyzing and assessing the fitness of these policies to their specific country of origin, I started advocating for reasonable and flexible guidelines.  The most important consideration is the capability of resource-holder countries to provide operators with what they need to carry out a project from cradle to grave. In oil and gas, the lifecycle of a project includes four phases: exploration, development, production, and decommissioning (ranging from 20-30 years altogether). For each phase, operators will have different needs for people, goods, services, permitting, as well as government support. 

The challenge is that Namibia is unprepared to support the O&G sector. Why? Because the local workforce doesn’t have the necessary skill levels, the local suppliers don’t have the capabilities to provide goods and services, the local market is not competitive, and the government doesn’t have the experience to support and understand the needs of the industry.  

Inclusive Education in Belize using PDIA

Christy Almeida, Programme Coordinator for the Special Education Unit in Belize, has made it her mission to bring voices to the voiceless and expand awareness and resources for children with special needs.

Strategic Policymaking in Azerbaijan

Guest blog by Nuru Suleymanov, LEG ’23

I am thrilled to have had the opportunity to participate in this unique course, during which leading scholars and practitioners Professor Matt Andrews and Professor Ricardo Hausmann, as well as other members of the Harvard Kennedy School team, shared with us their valuable experience, knowledge and insights in the field of economic growth and inclusive development. 

New Podcast: Applying PDIA in Timor-Leste and Papua New Guinea

We have released a new episode in our podcast series A Decade of Building State Capability. In this episode, Salimah Samji interviews Kirk Gibson who discusses his work tackling youth unemployment and social change in Timor-Leste and Papua New Guinea using PDIA principles.