DDD and large programmes: possible? Posted with Budiati Prasetiamartati a blog that discusses how approaches to complex social problems often start on the wrong foot, because they prescribe solutions and promise results. The Doing Development Differently (DDD) community instead advocates for something slightly different: to be problem driven, to try to work with conveners who […]
Blog post on Doing Development Differently Read More »
I found a couple of interesting articles about Indonesia on innovation, higher education and in a sense the future of the use of knowledge and research evidence in policy decision making. Jonathan Pincus, writes about foreign universities establishing branches in Asia. The conditions are favorable: rising incomes, favorable demography, growing college enrollments for years to come. Singapore, is a pioneer in the internationalization of
Higher Education & Doing Development DIfferently in Indonesia Read More »
A couple of weeks ago I sat with Robert Kirkpatrick, the head of the UN Global Pulse Initiative who was over from the UN headquarter in New York and Diastika Rahwidiati a consultant at PulseLab Jakarta. We had an interesting chat about things that are important to us: data, big data, evidence, demand of evidence,
Don’t be scared of big data! Read More »
I contributed with Widya Sutiyo to this review written by Jessica Mackenzie of different models of government think tanks. Key points from the paper: Government think tanks have several benefits over external think tanks, including their strong understanding of government programs and priorities (which helps them to tailor advice to actual needs) and an ability to coordinate across government departments. There is
Establishing Government Think Tanks Read More »
Scary stuff happening in Miami. I read some time ago the report by Robin McKie about the rise of sea level next to a city which on average is 1,8 meters above sea level. This means that more than 2,4 million people living in the city are at risk of higher sea level and already face problems
The struggles of scientific evidence in Miami Read More »
“There’s a frustrating gap there so policy makers need skills to enable them to listen to the science and probe it for reliability.\” Here an interesting article published some time ago in The Guardian but still very relevant: Top 20 things politicians need to know about science
The illusion of controlling the future has always been with us designing and implementing development projects and programmes. Tool after tool we have had an uncomfortable relationship with the idea that development is very messy, risky, prone to failure as well as success. Forecast and planning are key activities in our work: theories of change, logframes, the old zopp, outputs, outcomes, goal. All this to maintain some control
Superforecasters exist: they are people who are ready to challenge their own ideas Read More »
Here is the 10 minutes video that summarizes the key points of the Data Innovation for Policy Making conference held in Bali in November 2014. [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z6r811R_JlE&w=560&h=315]
Video of the Data Innovation for Policy Making Conference (Nov 2014) Read More »