PDIA in Action
This is a field-lab class where students learn a research-oriented version of PDIA by working on public problems – they learn by doing.
Matt Andrews and Salimah Samji have been co-teaching PDIA in Action: Development through Facilitated Emergence at the Harvard Kennedy School since 2018. Each year we select alumni of our Implementing Public Policy (IPP) executive program to nominate real-world problems for our students to work on. Over the course of seven weeks, students work in teams alongside their authorizer/client, adopt a problem driven approach and develop an action strategy using the PDIA framework. Teams present their key takeaways and recommendations to authorizers on the last day of class.
See student work below.
2026
In Spring 2026, four BSC program alumni worked with 16 students across Harvard on the following problems: (i) Creating resilience and sustainability in arts and culture in Providence, Rhode Island, (ii) Reducing learning poverty in Sierra Leone’s education system, (iii) Scaling and monetizing technology innovation in Australia, and (iv) Improving air quality in Punjab, Pakistan. Read the student learning journey blog posts below.
2024
In Spring 2024, eight IPP alumni worked with 33 students across Harvard on the following problems: (i) Transit Ridership in New Orleans, Louisiana (ii) Reengaging Marginalized Populations into the Workforce in the state of Wyoming, (iii) Attracting Financing to Zambia, (iv) Housing Crisis for Ukrainian Refugees in Massachusetts, (v) Access to Space for Saudi Arabia, (vi) Lack of Collaboration for Economic Development in Laramie, Wyoming, (vii) Chronic Malnutrition in Angola, (viii) Re-integrating justice involved citizens in Indianapolis. Read the student learning journey blog posts below.
2023
In Spring 2023, eight IPP alumni worked with 45 students across Harvard on the following problems: (i) Homelessness and Lack of Housing in Philadelphia, (ii) Low Utilization of Quality Health Services in Kaduna State – Nigeria, (iii) Mobilizing Communities to Co-Manage Public Assets in Bristol – UK, (iv) Lack of Transitional Housing in Scranton, PA, (v) Tax Evasion and Lack of Compliance in Trinidad & Tobago, (vi) Exploring Labor Market Challenges in Bogota – Colombia, (vii) Affordable Housing in Tarrant County, Texas, (viii) Increasing Enrollment in Employment Programs for Elderly in Massachusetts. Read the student learning journey blog posts below.
2022
In Spring 2022, eight IPP alumni worked with 40 students across Harvard on the following problems: (i) Disaster risk management in Kenya, (ii) Civic education in Peru, (iii) Economic diversification in Azerbaijan, (iv) Engaging youth in the sustainable development of Barbados, (v) Municipal solid waste management in China, (vi) Strengthening the collaboration between government and civil society on innovations in France, (vii) Dependence on oil and gas revenue in Ecuador, (viii) Teacher shortage in Loudon County Public Schools (USA). Read the student learning journey blog posts below.
The students presented their work at a public event series and a collection of their work is also showcased in the PDIA in Action book. Read the student learning journey blog posts below.
2021
In Spring 2021, eight IPP alumni worked with 37 students across Harvard on the following problems: (i) Implementing reparations in Asheville, North Carolina, (ii) Tackling blood safety in Nigeria, (iii) Exploring police and community relations in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, (iv) Access to affordable childcare in Burien, Washington, (v) Legal education reform in the Ukraine, (vi) Exploring trade between Kenya and Canada, (vii) Abandoned projects in Nigeria, and (viii) Radicalization in France.
The students presented their work at a public event series and a collection of their work is also showcased in the PDIA in Action book. Read the student learning journey blog posts below.
2020
In Spring 2020, three IPP alumni worked with 26 students across Harvard on the following problems: (i) Dementia in the workplace, (ii) Homelessness in Tarrant County, Texas, (iii) Homicides in Charlotte, North Carolina, and (iv) Maternal mortality in Meghalaya. Read the student learning journey blog posts below.
