Research Newsletter

Featured Updates

Getting Real about Unknowns in Complex Policy Work

Public policies are often rife with unknowns that cannot be captured in passive planning processes. Through a novel due diligence strategy that examines 25 essential policy questions and cites real-world examples in Mozambique, this paper by Matt Andrews offers policymakers a practical way to engage with public problems in the presence of unknowns. It demonstrates the need for a more modest and realistic approach to doing complex work.

Independent Evaluation of PDIA Application in Africa

In April 2017, BSC began its engagement with the Collaborative Africa Budget Reform Initiative (CABRI), to build capability for Public Financial Management (PFM) reform in Africa. This blog discusses our engagement and highlights the key findings of a recent independent evaluation, commissioned by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, which explores the application of the PDIA approach in the African context.

PDIA in Practice

This new book, PDIA in Action, highlights the work of students from our Spring 2021 field lab course. The PDIA in Action course allows students to gain first-hand exposure to complex problem solving. In January 2021, eight Implementing Public Policy (IPP) program alumni were selected as clients/authorizers to nominate real-world problems for our students. Over the course of seven weeks, students worked alongside their authorizer to adopt a problem driven approach and develop an action strategy using the PDIA framework. This book showcases the students’ work, drawing from their blogs as well as the PDIA in Action event series. We hope you enjoy reading their stories!

WHAT WE'RE LISTENING TO

Pivoting Education Systems in a Crisis - Lessons from Woburn, MA Public Schools

In this BSC podcast, Matt Crowley, Superintendent of the Public School District in Woburn, MA, discusses how his district pivoted to remote learning during the COVID-19 pandemic and the importance of collaboration and adaptability when leading through a crisis.

Additional Updates

Does National Development Lead to Higher Levels of Wellbeing?

Development delivers. In this new paper, Lant Pritchett argues that economic growth is much more important for achieving wellbeing at low versus high levels of income; it matters more for “basic needs” than for other dimensions of wellbeing; and state capability matters more for wellbeing outcomes that depend on public production than on private goods.

Applying Systems Thinking to Education

The RISE Framework identifies four key relationships in an education system: politics, compact, management, and voice and choice. This is a useful approach for characterizing the key actors and interactions in the education system, thinking through how these interactions produce systems outcomes, and identifying ways to intervene that can shift the system towards better outcomes.

Understanding Learning Trajectories is Key to Helping Adolescent Girls

A growing coalition of development partners is focused on improving education outcomes for girls. In many countries, learning trajectories are too shallow and too flat, preventing girls and boys from reaching learning goals. Inducements to keep girls in school without interventions to help them learn are unlikely to significantly improve learning outcomes. Creating, analyzing, and interpreting learning trajectories can support informed decision-making about how to improve outcomes for girls.

WHAT WE'RE WATCHING

A panel discussion on vaccine equity, distribution, and the importance of building resilient health systems, featuring BSC Faculty Director, Matt Andrews.

Executive Education Courses

Public Finance in a Complex World

Jan. 24 – Jan. 28, 2022

Public Finance in a Complex World (online) is an executive program providing a rigorous, evidence-based approach to public financial management. The upcoming online session will bring together officials in charge of implementing reforms in their countries along with leading experts from multilateral organizations to examine the challenges associated with successful systemic reform. The next registration deadline for this 5-day program is January 3, 2022.

Leading Economic Growth

Feb. 28 – May 6, 2022

Leading Economic Growth (online) brings together leading experts in economic development with practitioners from around the globe to focus on practical approaches to shared growth and development. In this highly engaging 10-week course, participants will learn new ways to think about their country’s growth challenges and how to develop a strategy to address these challenges. The next registration deadline for this 10-week program is February 7, 2022.

Implementing Public Policy

May 16 – Dec. 9, 2022

Implementing Public Policy (hybrid) is designed to equip policymakers around the world with both the skills to analyze policies, as well as the field-tested tools and tactics to successfully implement them. This program follows a new blended learning format, offering a combination of both online and in-person learning, as well as applied action learning – where new ideas are applied to daily implementation challenges. The next registration deadline for this seven-month program is April 4, 2022.