written by Salimah Samji International development experts often tell us that they cannot do PDIA because the project processes within their organizations do not allow for flexibility. The truth however, is that all development agencies have some sort of instrument that does allow for experimentation and flexibility. Here’s an example of how a Pay and…Continue Reading World Bank uses PDIA in Sierra Leone
Hello Organization Man: the importance of old (and boring) administration in a new (and exciting) world
written by Matt Andrews Earlier this week, the New York Times ran the following great Op-ed on the lack of administrative focus in governance systems. This is an important article. We need to be saying ‘Hello’ when it comes to learning about organization… no matter how mundane it seems. This inspires me to spend even…Continue Reading Hello Organization Man: the importance of old (and boring) administration in a new (and exciting) world
What is Action Learning?
written by Matt Andrews Action learning is a key part of PDIA. It is “a hybrid technique that allows participants to use what they learn to tackle priority problems within their companies under actual work conditions. Action learning is a social process for resolving the difficulties managers increasingly confront, where history offers no solution. At…Continue Reading What is Action Learning?
Follow “Getting Things Done” at the Harvard Kennedy School
Matt Andrews teaches a course entitled “Getting Things Done: Management in the Development Context,” at the Harvard Kennedy School. He often gets asked about what he teaches in his course. So, he has decided to experiment with blogging about his course after every class. Each blog entry will include his powerpoint presentation, his syllabus, required…Continue Reading Follow “Getting Things Done” at the Harvard Kennedy School
The role of PDIA in fragile states
The coherence and effectiveness of engagement with the world’s ‘fragile and conflict-affected states’—beyond ethical imperatives and geo-strategic considerations—turns on answers to two vexing questions. First, on what defensible basis is any given country, at any given historical moment, deemed to be (or not to be) ‘fragile’? Second, if a defining characteristic of state fragility is…Continue Reading The role of PDIA in fragile states
Helping REAL Capacity Emerge in Rwanda using PDIA
written by Matt Andrews What do you do if your government has been pursuing reforms for years, with apparent success, but your economy is still not growing? What do you do if the constraint seems to be the limited capacity of government organizations? What do you do if this capacity remains stubbornly low even after…Continue Reading Helping REAL Capacity Emerge in Rwanda using PDIA
BSC video 35: Functional indicators as a way to build capacity
Data is an important part of state functionality. If states want to be capable they need to know where people are, how many people there are, etc. in order to deliver basic services. They need to measure functionality and ends rather than forms. In this video, Matt Andrews, uses child registration to illustrate what a…Continue Reading BSC video 35: Functional indicators as a way to build capacity
BSC video 34: Measuring success – means or ends?
Do appearances matter as much as action does? We often forget that governments exist to do and not just to be. We thus focus on the means of being rather than the product of doing. This bias leads to governance indicators and reforms that emphasize perfection of means, often failing to make a connection to…Continue Reading BSC video 34: Measuring success – means or ends?
BSC video 33: Multi-agent leadership in action
Who leads? How do they lead? When do they lead? Why do they lead? Answers to these questions are very important in understanding how change happens. Change is about people and people need to be led. In this video, Matt Andrews, uses the story of Singapore to illustrate how true champions are the ones who…Continue Reading BSC video 33: Multi-agent leadership in action
BSC video 32: Who is the leader?
In a study of successful change, we interviewed 150 people in 12 different places and asked them “who is the leader?” Instead of the listing the 12 champions, they responded with 107 names. In this video, Matt Andrews, highlights that successful change requires someone to authorize the change, motivate, provide money, empower the people, define…Continue Reading BSC video 32: Who is the leader?