Public Problem Solving - Teaching Resources

The Building State Capability Blog, created by the Building State Capability program at the Harvard Kennedy School, features case studies of organizations that have successfully used the Problem Driven Iterative Adaptation (PDIA) approach to address development challenges.

The Leadership Academy for Development (LAD) trains mid-career government officials and business leaders from developing countries to help the private sector be a constructive force for economic growth and development. LAD makes case studies and videos available to the public, including live case study classes, other live LAD lectures, and interviews on policy reform.

Leadership and Public Problem Solving in the Digital Age, taught by New America's Tara McGuinness at Georgetown University, introduces students to the challenge of public-problem solving in the digital age and dives deep into key leadership and problem-solving tools, methods, and skills necessary to deliver for the public in a changing environment.

The Innovation Skills Accelerator, hosted by the State of New Jersey, is a free, online program to train public entrepreneurs to use innovative methods, including design thinking, evidence-based decision-making and collective intelligence, to solve public problems. Each module includes video instruction, interviews with leading public sector innovators, readings, and self-assessments.

Problem Driven Iterative Adaptation (PDIA), is a step-by-step approach that helps break down problems into its root causes, identify entry points, search for possible solutions, take action, reflect upon what has been learned, adapt and then act again. The PDIAtoolkit is designed to guide you through the process of solving complex problems which require working in teams.