Building State Capability Podcast - Building State Capability at Harvard University

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**Building State Capability Podcast – Building State Capability at Harvard University**

The Building State Capability (BSC) program researches strategies and tactics to build the capability of public organizations to implement policies and programs.

BSC has developed the Problem Driven Iterative Adaptation (PDIA) approach, a process of facilitated emergence which focuses on problems (not solutions) and follows a step by step process (not a rigid plan) that allows for flexible learning and adaptation. PDIA is a learning by doing approach that helps organizations develop the capability to solve complex problems while they are actually solving such problems.

Latest Episodes:

Episode 8: PDIA in Action: Challenges and Experiences Mar 01, 2019

Show notes

Interview recorded on March 1, 2019.

Episode 7: Public Policy Failure Feb 09, 2019

Show notes

To learn more about the Implementing Public Policy executive education course, visit www.hks.harvard.edu/EE/IPP. To read the Public Policy Failure paper, visit https://bsc.hks.harvard.edu/publications/public-policy-failure-how-often-and-what-is-failure-anyway/.

// https://bsc.hks.harvard.edu ///
Interview recorded on January 18, 2019.

About Matt Andrews: Matt Andrews is Senior Lecturer in Public Policy. His research focuses on public sector reform, particularly budgeting and financial management reform, and participatory governance in developing and transitional governments. Recent articles focus on forging a theoretical understanding of the nontechnical factors influencing success in reform processes. Specific emphasis lies on the informal institutional context of reform, as well as leadership structures within government-wide networks. This research developed out of his work in the provincial government of Kwa-Zulu Natal in South Africa and more recently from his tenure as a Public Sector Specialist working in the Europe and Central Asia Region of the World Bank. He brings this experience to courses on public management and development. He holds a BCom (Hons) degree from the University of Natal, Durban (South Africa), an MSc from the University of London, and a PhD in Public Administration from the Maxwell School, Syracuse University.

Episode 6: Overcoming the Global Despondency Trap: Strengthening Corporate Accountability in Supply Chains Dec 12, 2018

Show notes

Why do global collective action problems persist, and how do we overcome them? Drawing on 140 interviews with campaigners, politicians, and businesses in 10 European countries, Dr. Alice Evans' research suggests that many activists are stuck in a despondency trap. Never seeing radical reform, they lower their ambitions, and invest in more feasible but sub-optimal alternatives. This creates a negative feedback loop, in which the dearth of radical reform becomes self-fulfilling. But if reformists see advances at home and abroad, they may become more optimistic about collective mobilisation and break out of their despondency trap. In this podcast, Salimah Samji, Director of Building State Capability, interviews Dr. Alice Evans about her latest work on overcoming global despondency traps. This paper is published in the Review of International Political Economy https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/09692290.2019.1679220

Episode 5: PDIAToolkit - A Guide to Solving Complex Problems Nov 01, 2018

Show notes

The PDIAtoolkit is designed to guide you through the process of solving complex problems which requires working in teams. We call it a Do-it-Yourself (DIY) kit, where the ‘you’ is a committed team of 4-6 people mobilized to work together to solve a complex problem that cannot be solved by one person.

Problem Driven Iterative Adaptation (PDIA), is a step-by-step approach which helps you break down your problems into its root causes, identify entry points, search for possible solutions, take action, reflect upon what you have learned, adapt and then act again. It is a dynamic process with tight feedback loops that allows you to build your own solution to your problem that fits your local context.

The PDIAtoolkit draws from two key resources. The first is the Building State Capability: Evidence, Analysis, Action book which is available as a free download and the second is a set of short videos explaining the key concepts of PDIA.

While the PDIA process is not linear, we recommend that you first read this toolkit in sequence to understand the steps. The toolkit has eight sections. Each section introduces a new concept and has one or more worksheets which are the tools to help you try PDIA for yourself. All the tools are dynamic and should be reviewed and adapted on a regular basis.

Episode 4: Politicizing Inequality: The Power of Ideas Nov 01, 2018

Show notes

Interview recorded on November 1, 2018.

Episode 3: Designing a Problem-Driven Donor-Funded Project in Mozambique Jun 25, 2018

Show notes

Interview recorded on June 25th, 2018.

Episode 2: Informing Budget Reform in Mozambique: The Problem Driven Iterative Adaptation Approach Jun 06, 2018

Show notes

More about the PDIA in Practice Series: https://bsc.hks.harvard.edu/publications/pdia-to-inform-budget-reform-in-mozambique/

Interview recorded on June 6th, 2018.

Episode 1: Doing Development Differently Mar 01, 2018

Show notes

CID Student Ambassador Emily Ausubel interviews Salimah Samji, Director of Building State Capability at Harvard University and Matt Andrews, Senior Lecturer in Public Policy at the Harvard Kennedy School and Faculty Director at the same program. Matt and Salimah talk about how the Building State Capability program came about, explain what the Program’s core methodology is and how it is being applied by hundreds of practitioners worldwide. Interview recorded on February 23rd, 2018 www.bsc.hks.harvard.edu

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