An analytical typology can help you answer the question, building capability to do what? This is the first of four videos that addresses the analytical questions you need to ask in order to determine the implementation capability required for your activity. In this video, Lant Pritchett explains the meaning of transaction intensive using examples from…Continue Reading BSC Video 19: Is your activity transaction intensive?
BSC Video 18: Why do we need a typology?
An analytical typology can help you answer the question, building capability to do what? In this video, Lant Pritchett uses animals and buildings to illustrate how a typology of implementation capability can differ by appearance as well as by sector. The next four videos will address the four analytical questions you need to ask in…Continue Reading BSC Video 18: Why do we need a typology?
BSC Video 17: Isomorphic Mimicry in Uganda and Melanesia
The systems and structures in development are focused heavily on form and not function. In this video, Michael Woolcock uses examples in Uganda and Melanesia to illustrate what happens when you focus excessively on the form and ignore the function. You can watch the video below or on YouTube. If you are interested in learning…Continue Reading BSC Video 17: Isomorphic Mimicry in Uganda and Melanesia
BSC Video 16: Isomorphic Mimicry in Argentina
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?