Using Zoning to Reduce the Affordable Housing Crisis in Allentown, Pennsylvania, U.S.

Guest blog by Melissa Velez, IPP ’24

The experiences and learning within the Implementing Public Policy course helped me to look deeper into the problems faced within my city, gave me a step-by-step process to work through those problems with my team, and encouraged me to reflect on my personal leadership and time management skills. At the very beginning of this course, I thought my problem was complicated, but not necessarily complex. As we dug in and started working through the PDIA process, I realized that the problem was indeed complex and that there were many smaller complex problems within the overarching problem. My problem statement, shown in Figure 1 below, started out as: How to write and implement a zoning code that promotes affordable housing, job growth, walkability & better building design and have it accepted by the public and city council.

Changing Jobs and Changing Frameworks for Problem Solving

Guest blog by Brian Vandenberg, IPP ’24 

When I first enrolled in the Harvard Kennedy School’s Implementing Public Policy (IPP) program, I had no idea how transformative the experience would be. At the time, I was working in Tallahassee, Florida, grappling with a particularly pressing challenge: how to make public transportation more financially sustainable within a city budget that was already stretched thin. As a Strategic Innovation Manager, I was determined to find overlooked solutions to enhance service delivery while managing the public’s resources responsibly. Little did I know, the journey I was about to embark on—one that would span across states, roles, and even cities—would equip me with the tools and mindset to not only address this challenge but also tackle much larger, more complex issues ahead. 

Transitioning from a Planning and Control Approach to PDIA in Niteroi-RJ, Brazil

Guest blog by Ellen Bonadio Benedetti, IPP ’24 

For years, I have practiced the traditional approach of planning and control, which is crucial for supporting public agents in their daily responsibilities. However, public issues are often complex, marked by uncertainties and limited information, which can compromise the effectiveness of the planning process. The PDIA (Problem-Driven Iterative Adaptation) approach introduced me to an entirely new perspective on tackling complex challenges in public policy. 

Addressing Imbalanced Sectoral Credit Growth and High Inflation in the Lao PDR

Guest blog by Phengphaivanh (Susan) Sitpraxay, IPP ’24 

I attended the IPP course during one of the toughest periods over 14 years of my work life as a policy maker in the central bank of Laos-the Bank of the Lao PDR. This is my first course at Harvard University, a place I have long aspired to study. I came to the course with a lot of passions and strong belief that the course will improve my skills and support my contribution to address the economic and financial difficulties that my country has been facing. After 7 months of learning journey, it has confirmed that I made right decision and I should have joined the course earlier than this.  

Building Momentum Among PDIA Practitioners in the MENA Region

written by Mannat Singh

Over the past six years BSC has trained 382 practitioners in 81 countries through its flagship 6-month Implementing Public Policy (IPP) executive program. The program was created to equip policymakers around the world with multiple tools to solve today’s complex public problems. A key component of the program is the IPP community of practice, a growing and thriving network of program alumni who engage regularly, continue their learning, and support each other in ongoing professional and personal challenges and successes. 

We hosted our first IPP community of practice seminar for the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region in Bahrain from January 31st-February 2nd, 2025. With the generous support of the MENA Centre for Investment and leadership by the event Co-Chairs Mohamed Hejres and Hana Kanoo, both IPP alumni from the class of 2019, along with coordination by Shirley Almeida, the event was a roaring success.  

Event: Inside the Political Mind: The Human Side of Politics

On Monday, March 3rd we hosted a virtual seminar featuring Greg Power OBE, Founder & Board Chair of Global Partners Governance and author of Inside the Political Mind: The Human Side of Politics and How It Shapes Development.

Building Resiliency and Sustainability in Providence’s Arts and Cultural Sector

Guest blog by Joseph Wilson Jr, IPP ’24 

I have spent 30 years of my professional life working as an artist.  After graduating from the University of Notre Dame with a BA in Government/Political Science, I had every intention of going to law school and some day running for political office. That was the plan, until the second semester of my junior year in college when I enrolled in my first acting class.  My life’s path would be forever changed by that experience.  I ended up not going to law school after having been accepted into several across the United States.  Instead, after being chosen through an audition process administered by most professional training programs, I attended the University of Minnesota/Guthrie Theatre performance training program, earning a Master of Fine Arts Degree in Acting!   

Scrabble, Fishbones, and Positive Deviance: A Perspective from New Zealand

Guest blog by Mark Lea, LEG ’24

I have really enjoyed participating in the Harvard Kennedy School’s Leading Economic Growth 2024 programme, led by Professors Ricardo Hausmann and Matt Andrews, and supported by their wider faculty team. Both Professors shared the theories, tools and frameworks they have developed to help us think about our economic growth challenges and how we can make change happen. However, this is not just an academic, theoretical exercise. Both Professors have extensive, real-world experience of putting these theories into practice, working with governments around the world on their economic growth challenges. Hearing their insights based on these experiences was a real highlight of the programme. 

Trade and Labor Policy in South Africa: Shaping Policy Design and Implementation from the Outside

Guest blog by Vuyiswa Mkhabela, IPP ’24 

Embracing my Role as an Outsider 

Joining Harvard Kennedy School’s Implementing Public Policy (IPP) program was not just an academic pursuit for me—it was a professional and personal commitment to becoming more effective in my role as a consulting economist. For years, I have supported South African government departments at the national, provincial, and local levels, advising on various policy challenges. Yet, I constantly grappled with a fundamental limitation: as an outsider, my work has involved providing evidence-based advice without the authority to make or implement policy decisions. Despite this, I hold a deep commitment to being more than just an advisor; I strived to be a genuine partner in advancing impactful policy solutions. Learning about PDIA (Problem Driven Iterative Adaptation) offered me a framework to better support the policy design processes, making it more inclusive, effective, and grounded in reality. 

Solar Generation in New Mexico

Guest blog by Melissa Banks, LEG ’24 

The greatest learnings I’m taking away from this course are related to identifying achievable, incremental, and specific solutions that address binding constraints relevant to nearly any challenge (beyond development challenges). The idea of evolving solutions that build upon one another over time alleviates the pressure taking on significant challenges. A common hurdle I’ve witnessed, and unfortunately participated in, in my industry, is “analysis paralysis” – a trend toward over-analyzing a seemingly complex problem’s many constraints and hurdles, to the point where solutions feel intangible. By focusing on incremental solutions, ones that are aimed solely at solving for the constraints that are most directly and impactfully limiting growth, you can progress solutions and related, targeted growth.