written by Matt Andrews I recently wrote a blog in response to a question I was asked by a colleague about how we move from the foundation or framing workshop in PDIA processes—where problems are constructed and deconstructed—into action, and beyond that, action learning. In this post I will offer some ideas on how we…Continue Reading Initiating action: The action-learning in PDIA
written by Matt Andrews “Once there is interest, how do you start a PDIA project?” Many people have asked me this question. They are often in consulting firms or donor agencies thinking about working on PDIA with host governments, or in some central bureau in the government itself. “We have an authorizer, know the itch that…Continue Reading Initiating PDIA: Start by running…and then run some more
written by Peter Harrington After over two years of working with the government of Albania, and as we embark on a new project to work with the government of Sri Lanka, we at the Building State Capability program (BSC) have been learning a lot about doing PDIA in practice. Lessons have been big and small,…Continue Reading PDIA Notes 2: Learning to Learn
written by Matt Andrews I often hear talk of moving from best practice to best fit in development. When I ask what people mean by this I seldom get the same answer. But the basic idea is that multiple solutions are considered instead of a one-best-way solution. I like the idea in concept and have…Continue Reading Getting Best Fit in Development Projects is like buying a new suit
written by Matt Andrews Yesterday I blogged about Hirschman’s Hiding Hand. As I interpret it, a central part of his idea is that many development projects: focus on solving complex problems, and only once they have started does a ‘hiding hand’ lift to show how hard the problem is to solve, but because policy-makers and…Continue Reading Why many development initiatives have achievement gaps…and what to do about this
written by Matt Andrews I referred to Albert Hirschman’s work on the “Principle of the Hiding Hand” in my class today. It is a great principle, and has real application when thinking about PDIA and problem driven change. In his essay, “The Principle of the Hiding Hand” Hirschman argues that creative solutions most frequently come from adapting…Continue Reading Hirschman’s Hiding Hand and Problem Driven Change
Yesterday was the last day of Doing Development Differently (#differentdev). A group of about 40 development professionals from around the world met to discuss positive cases where development initiatives (call them projects, interventions, activities or whatever) have led to real results and impact. It was another full day with two DDD Exchange Sessions, a PDIA…Continue Reading Doing Development Differently: Day 2 Summary
Today was the first day of Doing Development Differently (#differentdev). It was a full day with two DDD Exchange Sessions, a design thinking session and a wind tunnel meeting. View the videos, tweets and photos. When we designed this workshop, we wanted to maximize the opportunity to hear from as many people as possible. Specifically, we…Continue Reading Doing Development Differently: Day 1 Summary
Last October, we hosted a one-day workshop entitled, Untying Development: Promoting Governance and Government with Impact. The day brought together different voices to discuss the challenge of creating a governance agenda that focuses on solving country-specific problems, involves local people through flexible and context-fitted processes, and emphasizes learning in the reform process. We are proud…Continue Reading Doing Development Differently 2014
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
