Guest blog written by Ruth Huette Public budget uncertainty is a defining characteristic of the COVID-19 pandemic Last week, governments of France and Germany announced that their countries would enter yet another phase of lockdown as new cases of COVID-19 were on a steep rise again. As Europe is grappling with a second COVID wave,…Continue Reading Leveraging Technology to Improve Forecasting and Monitoring of Local Government Budgets
COVID Budgeting – Fiscal Response and Challenges
Guest blog written by Imaad Syed Most governments across the world responded to challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic through fiscal and monetary support measures. Coordination and implementation issues aside, these measures have been instrumental in saving lives and livelihoods in the short-term. However, budgeting challenges remain given the massive outlays for the COVID response. In…Continue Reading COVID Budgeting – Fiscal Response and Challenges
How Should Governments Manage Budget Cuts of 20% (or more) in 2021?
written by Matt Andrews The months of October, November and December are commonly busy in City Treasuries, Provincial Budget Bureaus and Ministries of Finance across the world. This is the time of year when these officials are finalizing their budget proposals and are getting ready to present the proposals to political representatives. More often than not, one expects to see revenue and expenditure plans for…Continue Reading How Should Governments Manage Budget Cuts of 20% (or more) in 2021?
Will Government Budgets in 2021 involve more COVID-19 ‘Whack-A-Mole’?
written by Matt Andrews Governments started 2020, as they do every year, with budgets that set out plans for raising and spending public money. Then COVID-19 hit, disrupting even the best laid plans and forcing officials to shift from planning to triage mode in the face of rapidly changing crisis conditions. According to a recent informal survey…Continue Reading Will Government Budgets in 2021 involve more COVID-19 ‘Whack-A-Mole’?
COVID-19 is Poised to Exacerbate the Learning Crisis, Evidence from Long-term School Closures in Pakistan
written by Marla Spivack The consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic and of the policies adopted to mitigate its spread will be drastic everywhere and particularly grim in low- and middle-income countries.1 As economies shrink, up to a decade of progress in poverty reduction could be undone. As health systems struggle, millions could go without treatment for preventable infectious diseases…Continue Reading COVID-19 is Poised to Exacerbate the Learning Crisis, Evidence from Long-term School Closures in Pakistan
Charting a new course: Education systems after COVID-19
Written by Dzingai Mutumbuka and Marla Spivack We know that time away from school due to COVID-19 has undermined learning. Children are depending on education leaders – from high level officials to classroom teachers – to start planning now for a new focus on foundational skills. With bold action, and clear focus education systems can…Continue Reading Charting a new course: Education systems after COVID-19
COVID Act Two: Look beyond your borders to navigate what comes next
Guest blog written by Peter Harrington and Ben French Act One of Covid is over. In places it has been frightening, in others orderly, and everywhere completely unprecedented. As we move into Act Two of this astonishing global drama, and a global recession on a scale not seen before, governments and leaders need to prepare themselves…Continue Reading COVID Act Two: Look beyond your borders to navigate what comes next
Flexibility and Learning in Times of Global Uncertainty
Guest blog written by Nahuel Arenas-García Nahuel and his team from Costa Rica successfully completed the 15-week Practice of PDIA online course that ended in May 2017. Between January and May 2017, authorities and technical staff of the Costa Rican National Risk Prevention and Emergency Management Commission (CNE, for its acronym in Spanish) joined staff of…Continue Reading Flexibility and Learning in Times of Global Uncertainty
Listen to our sixth virtual discussion on Leadership Through Crisis
On May 1st, 2020, we hosted a sixth virtual discussion with Matt Andrews, who answered audience questions on his new Public Leadership Through Crisis blog series. Thank you to ALL those who attended our sixth session and for engaging with us. If you missed the session, you can listen to it here or in the player below. https://harvardbsc.simplecast.com/episodes/ltc10-a-virtual-discussion-with-prof-matt-andrews-may-1-2020 BSC’s…Continue Reading Listen to our sixth virtual discussion on Leadership Through Crisis
Growth after the Coronavirus: Thoughts and Questions
written by Matt Andrews A lot of people ask me how governments should support economic growth in the period ‘After Coronavirus’. It is a vital question that I wrestle with daily in preparing for the forthcoming Leading Economic Growth Online executive education program (which I teach with my amazing colleague, Ricardo Hausmann). Here are some…Continue Reading Growth after the Coronavirus: Thoughts and Questions