Mimicry is an effective strategy for governments to get short-term support from external development organizations. However, it is an ineffective strategy for building long-term capability. In this video, Matt Andrews uses the lack of fiscal rules in Argentina as an example to illustrate that mimicry does not lead to change. You can watch the video…Continue Reading BSC Video 16: Isomorphic Mimicry in Argentina
BSC Video 15: PDIA – Moving from Mimicry to Results
It is important to understand why development interventions succeed and why they fail. In this video, Lant Pritchett uses a 2×2 matrix to illustrate that PDIA is an attempt to move from failed mimics to effective innovators. You can watch the video below or on YouTube. If you are interested in learning more, watch Development…Continue Reading BSC Video 15: PDIA – Moving from Mimicry to Results
BSC Video 14: How is PDIA different?
Today we are proud to launch the next set of BSC videos. These build upon the first 13 videos and provide more details about our approach. We will be releasing 22 videos over the next few months. We hope you enjoy them! One question we often hear after making a presentation on PDIA is, “this…Continue Reading BSC Video 14: How is PDIA different?
Getting Real about Governance and Governance Indicators
written by Matt Andrews Many have asked me how I personally think about governance and assess governance when I visit countries. I have a new working paper that presents my thoughts on this. These thoughts manifest in what I call an ends-means approach to looking at governance. I focus on ends as a starting point…Continue Reading Getting Real about Governance and Governance Indicators
The Chief Minister Posed Questions We Couldn’t Answer
Guest post written by Jeffrey Hammer I was recently at a conference in Lahore, Pakistan sponsored by the International Growth Centre where the keynote address was given by Shahbaz Sharif, the Chief Minister of the province of Punjab, Pakistan (100+ million people). While fun to see old friends and colleagues, the conference was a little depressing in…Continue Reading The Chief Minister Posed Questions We Couldn’t Answer
You cannot Juggle without the Struggle: How the USA historically avoided the “Tyranny of Experts”
written by Lant Pritchett The period between the end of the American Civil War and the end of World War II saw a transformation of America with the rise of dominant large organizations in both the private economy and public life. The economic historian Alfred Chandler’s in The Visible Hand and Scale and Scope documents…Continue Reading You cannot Juggle without the Struggle: How the USA historically avoided the “Tyranny of Experts”
Rigorous evaluation, but to what end?
written by Salimah Samji Many development projects fail because of poor design. They have no clear roadmap of how they will get from A to B and therefore no way of knowing whether they are on the right track. However, design alone is not enough for success. In fact, many development projects that are well…Continue Reading Rigorous evaluation, but to what end?
Can PDIA help to deliver services for the poor?
10 years ago, the World Development Report (WDR) 2004 entitled Making Services Work for Poor People, marked a watershed moment in the development agenda. It recognized that politics and accountability are crucial to improving services. Furthermore, it shifted the focus from measuring inputs to outputs. Earlier this month, ODI and the World Bank jointly organized…Continue Reading Can PDIA help to deliver services for the poor?
The 5 M’s of Development: Mobilizers matter (Part 5 of 5)
written by Matt Andrews As I reflect on how change happens in development, 5 themes come to mind. I have written about the importance of moments, muddling, the mundane and multiple men and women. In keeping with the ‘m’s’, today I will emphasize the importance of mobilizers. These are the people who bring multiple men…Continue Reading The 5 M’s of Development: Mobilizers matter (Part 5 of 5)
The 5 M’s of Development: Multiple Men and Women matter (Part 4 of 5)
written by Matt Andrews As I reflect on how change happens in development, 5 themes come to mind. I have written about the importance of moments, muddling and the mundane. Today I will discuss the fourth one: multiple men and women matter. In my experience, development and governance reform is about people, not as targets of…Continue Reading The 5 M’s of Development: Multiple Men and Women matter (Part 4 of 5)