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MLD 102 B

GETTING THINGS DONE

MANAGEMENT IN THE DEVELOPMENT CONTEXT

Syllabus, August 31, 2014

Instructor: Professor Matt Andrews

Office hours: to be advised

Faculty Assistant: Derya Honça

Class times and venue

Monday and Wednesday 8:40 to 10:00

L140

Note the first day of class is Friday Sep.5

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Course description and focus group

We have many good policy ideas in the development field. These range from ideas to decrease corruption, increase growth, improve health care and education, curb environmental degradation, and more. They are frequently embraced by governments, NGOs, multilaterals and bilateral organizations working in the development domain. Sometimes they are formalized into strategies and policies, even with supporting legislation. Too often, this is where they end. Implementation is weak; results are poor.

This course asks why so much does not get done in development and examines prominent ideas about how to make and implement policy so that more actually gets done.

The course is designed for students who are working on the frontlines of development and who are asking why so many policy ideas fail to take root or boom. It is also designed for students who see themselves working from some kind of external basis in developing countries in the future—as a senior official with external accreditation of having studied abroad, or working for a multilateral, NGO or even social enterprise. It is also relevant for students in developed countries who share the experience of doing only half a reform or introducing a still born policy or simply managing an organization that has failed to deliver.

Course flow

The course is split into three parts:

• The first part looks at the challenge of getting things done and prominent ideas about getting things done. In 7 classes, this part of the course looks particularly at ideas and tools emerging from the scientific management, classical bureaucratic theory, and new public management. It asks what principles and tools have emerged as ways of ensuring that things get done, and how these have worked (especially in developing countries, but also in developed). This examination shows that there is a vast toolbox to draw from in thinking about getting things done, but also that many efforts that draw from the existing toolbox still fail. One of the main reasons for this, as discussed in the last class of the section, is that organizations have multiple objectives and—in development especially—are especially focused on doing things that make them appear better than they are.

• The second part of the course looks at a new approach to getting things done. It starts by reflecting on the way organizational ‘mimicry’ crowds out efforts to ‘get things done’, leaving half implemented policies and reforms in the process. This is the thinking behind the capability traps work and the “Big Stuck” we see in many developing countries. This understanding of the problem is new in development but allows us to identify specific organizational and environmental

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attributes that foster gaps between intention and results—which is an important first step in closing such gap. The course then goes on to present a general framework for thinking about making change happen in development—understanding that all new policy involves change. The framework is simple and practical, emphasizing ways of engaging with complex contexts, problems and groups to get things done.

• A final lecture focuses on what students should do after the course; how the course material could be used practically and how they should view themselves as development practitioners.

Logistics and a note on teams

Classes will begin promptly at 8:40 and end at 10:00. Students are requested to attend all classes and registers will be taken (apart from the first class on Friday 5 September). I am asking that students ensure they are seated at the latest by 8:45 each morning. Students who come late to class interrupt the proceedings. This is a large class and a potentially exciting learning environment, but interruptions undermine such. Students are expected to do all readings listed as required for each class. The classes will draw on these readings extensively and students who have not read will fall behind. The readings have been chosen especially for this class and cover a wide ranging set of ideas and applications. I therefore do not expect everyone to love every reading, but please have patience and work through each reading as I advise in the syllabus—I truly believe these are valuable and will contribute to your intellectual and professional growth. You will notice that I have given descriptions of what the class is about for all classes up to the first test: including some directions on what to look for in readings (in places this is explicit as I provide a table to structure your reading). I will monitor how useful this is in September and provide the next wave of detailed class descriptions and reading advisories if these seem to help you manage the material and prepare. Some of the classes have ‘team learning’ assignments where members of student teams will read specific—and different—readings as part of class preparation. This is because each student will do work in a team this semester. The work program for the teams is demanding—especially at first—but this is intentional, as I am trying to use the class in an applied way to have some action learning about what makes a good team. This is thus not just a gimmick; working in the team is actually a core part of the course. I am going to issue team norms and rules in the first week of class and we will spend quite a lot of time discussing team work in the course itself. My teaching approach blends many types but always has an element of action learning embedded, where ideas are related in some way to the real world and discussed as such. Given the size of our learning community, the major form of action learning will be in discussions within your teams around applied case tasks. I expect all students to take these seriously and contribute in a robust, respectful and informed manner.

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Team and individual work, and impact on final grades

Each student will do three types of work, for grades; team exercises, in-class tests, and a final individual assignment. These are listed below. There is more detail on the first two team exercises in the detailed class outline. Details of all other assignments and tests will be provided as you progress—at least two weeks before due dates.

Team exercises: 40% of final grade

First team exercise due 5pm Friday Sep. 12 10% of final grade

Second team exercise due 5pm Friday Sep. 26 10% of final grade

Third team exercise due 5pm Friday Oct. 24 10% of final grade

Fourth team exercise due 5pm Friday Nov. 21 10% of final grade

In-class test dates (for individuals): 30% of final grade

First in-class test, Sep 29 15% of final grade

Second in-class test, Nov 12 15% of final grade

Final individual assignment (for individuals): 30% of final grade

Final individual assignment, due 5pm Dec. 10 30% of final grade

The course follows Kennedy School grading allocation rules, such that about 10% of the class will get A’s, another 15% A minus grades, and the rest B+ or B grades. These rules will be used to guide grading on all exercises, tests and assignments. An A is any score between 92 and 100. An A minus is any score between 85 and 92. A B plus is any score between 75 and 85. A B is any score between 65 and 75. Any score below B is recorded as a failing grade.

Please note: It will not be possible to get an A in the tests without having some knowledge of additional readings I discuss in class. This means that the students getting A grades will need to pay special attention in class (I will only test material from these readings that I cover in class).

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MLD 102, 2014-2015, Course Outline in Brief Day Date Topic

1. The challenge of getting things done, and prominent ideas to do this 1 Fri Sep 5 Problems with getting things done, and a strategy for this course 2 Mon Sep 8 Scientific management and classical bureaucratic theory 3 Weds Sep 10 What to watch for when using bureaucratic solutions* 4 Mon Sep 15 A New Public Management to get things done? 5 Weds Sep 17 When results metrics, targets and the like works (and when it does not)* 6 Mon Sep 22 When contracting out and the like works (and when not) 7 Weds Sep 24 What does ‘getting things done’ mean anyway? 8 Mon Sep 29 First in-class test

2. A new way of thinking about getting things done 9 Weds Oct 1 Capability traps: Why things don’t ‘get done’ despite past management ‘solutions’ 10 Mon Oct 6 PDIA: Principles to get things done (and out of the big stuck)*

2.1. Taking context seriously to get things done 11 Weds Oct 8 The context: What matters, and how does it all impact getting things done? Mon Oct 13 HOLIDAY: NO CLASS 12 Weds Oct 15 Problems: Windows to see into contexts and vehicles to enter* 13 Mon Oct 20 Problem driven work in practice: How do you do it? 14 Weds Oct 22 The politics and practice of problem driven work: Lessons from the field*

2.2. Finding and fitting the right content 15 Mon Oct 27 Breaking down the ‘content demands’ of our interventions? 16 Wed Oct 29 Principles for finding and fitting relevant content (that can be done)* 17 Mon Nov 3 Using design thinking and rapid results to find and fit content 18 Weds Nov 5 Doing evaluation that leads to learning and improves the fit of content to context* Mon Nov 10 HOLIDAY: NO CLASS 19 Wed Nov 12 Second in-class test

2.3. Engaging the right agents 20 Mon Nov 17 Common mistakes policy wonks make re. ‘who’ to engage in getting things done 21 Wed Nov 19 What agents are required to get things done?* 22 Mon Nov 24 Using teams as mechanisms for agency engagement: Basics. Wed Nov 26 HOLIDAY: NO CLASS 23 Mon Dec 1 Using coalitions as mechanisms for agency engagement: Basics

Wrap up 24 Wed Dec 3 Using this class beyond this class

*denotes team learning classes

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MLD 102, 2014-2015, Course Outline in Detail

Part 1. The challenge of getting things done,

and prominent ideas to do this

Class 1. Friday Sep. 5

Problems with getting things done, and a strategy for this course

Class objectives and themes:

To start: Introduce the rationale and structure of the class, including basic rules of the classroom, process of student assessment and grading, and team versus individual work.

Then to discuss the following themes:

1. We need a new theory of organizations/capability to ‘get things done’ in development. 2. There are many past theories to work with; any one idea you have is only one of many.

The challenge is to better understand why so many theories exist (to organize thinking about these theories) and then to develop a strategy for drawing ideas from theories and turning these ideas into practice.

When you are going over the preparation materials (video and reading as well as reflections on your own experience) please take notes on the following: 1. What kinds of gaps and limits do we see in the achievements made in development to date? (How would you classify these gaps and limits?) 2. What organizational theories exist to help us overcome these gaps and limits? (how would you make sense of the different theories that exist and why do you think there are so many theories?) 3. Is there any organizational theory that you are more open to? Why?

Video preparation (watch before class, taking notes on details):

Theme 1: We need a new theory of organizations/capability to ‘get things done’ in development

Lant Pritchett on The Big Stuck http://buildingstatecapability.com/2014/01/21/bsc-video-capability-trapped-in-a-big-stuck-part-213/

The World Bank’s Ani Dasgupta on the Science of Delivery. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6R6laWcWJjQ

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Theme 2: There are many past theories to work with; any one idea you have is only one of many.

Evolution of Management. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EobeHwOw3S4

Required readings (read before class, taking notes on details…perhaps 15 pages here):

Theme 1: We need a new theory of organizations/capability to ‘get things done’ in development

Rasul and Rogger. Managing Bureaucrats. http://www.ideasforafrica.net/articles/managing-bureaucrats

Wagstaff, A. 2013. So what exactly is the “science of delivery”? blog posting http://blogs.worldbank.org/developmenttalk/so-what-exactly-is-the-science-of-delivery

Theme 2: There are many past theories to work with; any one idea you have is only one of many

Calukin, S. 2005. ‘That’s the theory, and it matters…” http://www.theguardian.com/business/2005/oct/02/theobserver.observerbusiness4

Historical and contemporary theories of management. http://www.saylor.org/site/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/BUS208-2.1-Historical-and-ContemporaryTheories-of-Management-FINAL.pdf

Additional readings (I will refer to these in class):

Theme 1: We need a new theory of organizations/capability to ‘get things done’ in development

Andrews, M. 2013. Chapters 1 and 2 of The Limits of Institutional Reform in Development. New York: Cambridge University Press. (drafts available on the class page)

Roodman, P. 1968. Development administration: obstacles, theories and implications for planning. IEP Occasional Paper 2. http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0007/000755/075535eo.pdf

Theme 2: There are many past theories to work with; any one idea you have is only one of many

Ghoshal, S. 2005. ‘Bad Management Theories are Destroying Good Management Practices.’ Academy of Management Learning & Education, 2005, Vol. 4, No. 1, 75–91. http://www.corporation2050.org/documents/Resources/Ghoshal.pdf

Gulrajani, N. 2009. The future of development management: Examining possibilities and potential. Destin Development Studies Institute Working Paper 9/99. http://www.lse.ac.uk/internationalDevelopment/pdf/WP/WP99.pdf

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Class 2. Monday Sep. 8

Scientific management and classical bureaucratic theory:

What is it and does it matter?

Class objectives and themes:

Overall: Scientific management and bureaucratic theory are often taught as the foundations of thinking about management. It is really important to know what this thinking suggests as solutions to the challenge of ‘getting things done’, partly because it does form a foundation and also because it has been very influential in development.

We will discuss the following themes:

1. Scientific management and bureaucratic theory offer a variety of ideas about what ‘good management’ involves: What are these ideas? What do these theories offer as practical additions to a ‘toolbox’ for those of us trying to get things done?

2. How influential has this theory been in development?

Today we will introduce an active learning mechanism into the preparation process and the class. I would like you to listen and read these materials while playing the role of a consultant on a team advising a middle income country (with quite high levels of inequality) called Messaria about how it should reform its health sector. The basic information you have is that:

• The country’s health sector is comprised of three types of providers: private providers (that offer services mostly to higher income people), non-profit (or voluntary) providers (that offer services mostly to lower middle and lower income people), and a set of locally run public sector providers (set up by municipal governments).

• The sector is very disorganized and there is no way to ensure quality in terms of who works in the sector, what facilities do, or what they charge, etc.

• There are many claims of patronage and favoritism in the hiring and management of most health facilities, and of corruption affecting who gets served and how.

• There is a general sense that health outcomes are weak, but no one really measures these. • There is general agreement that most citizens cannot afford health care offered in the

sector, and government wants to work out a way to finance care across the sector.

As part of the consultant team, you have been asked to develop a summary of the approach a classical organizational theorist would take to reorganize the sector. In doing this, you have been asked to fill the following table out and then develop a one page proposal for what the government should do and how the government should do it:

Author/Theory Key ideas, principles Practical ‘tools’ to get things done

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Video preparation (watch before class, taking notes on details):

Theme 1. Scientific management and bureaucratic theory offer a variety of ideas about what ‘good management’ involves: What are these ideas? What do these theories offer as practical additions to a ‘toolbox’ for those of us trying to get things done?.

Weber’s bureaucracy. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4yI1gytXQGs

Henry Fayol’s Administrative Management. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sJrlOfDi2rU

Taylorism on ABC World Report. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=slfFJXVAepE

Required readings (read before class, taking notes on details…30 easy pages here):

Theme 1. Scientific management and bureaucratic theory offer a variety of ideas about what ‘good management’ involves: What are these ideas (or principles)? What do these theories offer as practical additions to a ‘toolbox’ for those of us trying to get things done?

Taylor. Undated. The principles of Scientific Management. Brief section: http://nationalhumanitiescenter.org/pds/gilded/progress/text3/taylor.pdf

Wren and Bedeien. 2009. Chapter 10 of The Evolution of Management Thought. pp. 211-234. http://wiki.zirve.edu.tr/sandbox/groups/economicsandadministrativesciences/wiki/88283/attachments/f41d4/management%20functions%20.pdf

Additional readings (I will refer to these in class…they are not mandatory):

Theme 2. How influential has this theory been in development?

Evans, P. and Rauch, J. 1999. ‘Bureaucracy and Growth: A Cross-National Analysis of the Effects of “Weberian” State Structures on Economic Growth’ American Sociological Review, Vol. 64, No. 5. http://homepage.ntu.edu.tw/~kslin/macro2009/Evans%20and%20Rauch%201999.pdf

Henderson, J., Hulme, D., Jalilian, H., and Phillips, R. 2003. ‘Bureaucratic Effects: ‘Weberian’ state structures and poverty reduction.’ CPRC Working Paper 31. http://www.chronicpoverty.org/uploads/publication_files/WP31_Henderson_et_al.pdf

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Class 3. Wednesday Sep. 10

What to watch for when using bureaucratic solutions…

Note: This is a team learning class, which means that the readings allotted for the class should be shared across the team as advised.

Class objectives and themes:

Overall: The word ‘bureaucracy’ is often used in a pejorative sense, with negative connotations. This class will examine why this is so, and ‘what to watch for when using bureaucratic solutions’.

We will discuss the following themes:

1. What do critics warn about when noting the dangers of bureaucratic organization? 2. What can be done to mitigate the risks of these dangers? (i) Are there any

preconditions we should look for when using bureaucratic solutions? or (ii) Are there any steps we can take to limit the dangers when we actually introduce a bureaucratic solution (design lessons we can adopt, etc.)?

You will prepare today’s class using the active learning mechanism we introduced last class (where you play the role of a consultant on a team advising a middle income country called Messaria about how it should reform its health sector). As part of the team, you were previously asked to develop a summary of the approach a classical organizational theorist would take to reorganize the sector. Now, you have been asked to identify the risks of developing a bureaucratic solution (what should the Messarians ‘watch for’ when introducing these solutions). This is a big topic so you have been asked to work as a team to do this exercise. Each team member must do some common preparation (watch some videos and read a blog post) and then do a summary of a particular article (with all six members reading different articles). Each member must produce a short summary of the article using the following table. The members should centralize all the summaries in one word file before class, and come ready to discuss what they read and learned.

Article number and title

Main critique (what should we ‘watch for’ when using bureaucratic solutions?)

Are there any preconditions we should be aware of that suggest we run higher/lower risks when using bureaucratic solutions?

Are there any steps we can take to limit the dangers of bureaucratic dysfunction (design lessons we can adopt, for instance)?

Video preparation (for everyone to watch before class, taking notes on details):

Milton Friedman on Bureaucracy. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ViAT1TxhBk4&app=desktop

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Newt Gingrich on FEDEX vs. The Bureaucracy.Note the wonderful idea of the ‘World that works and the world that doesn’t work’. Beautiful. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=15D3ElV1Jzw&app=desktop

Required readings (read before class, taking notes on details…30 easy pages here):

For everyone to read:

Macfarlane, A. 2007. ‘What is bureaucracy for?’ Blog post. (short and easy to read) http://letters2lily.blogspot.com/2007/03/17-what-is-bureaucracy-for.html

To be distributed across your team—one reading per person, as advised above:

1. On the political, economic and cultural fit of bureaucratic solutions in developing countries

Haque, M.S. 1997. ‘Incongruity between bureaucracy and society in developing nations: A critique’ Peace and Change Vol.22, 4, 432-462. (about 30 pages) http://profile.nus.edu.sg/fass/polhaque/peace-change.pdf

2. On the informal and irrational nature of bureaucracies (a Kafka-esque perspective)

Hodson, R., Martin, A. W., Lopez, S. H., & Roscigno, V. J. 2013. ‘Rules don’t apply: Kafka’s insights on bureaucracy.’ Organizations 20: 256–278. (22 pages, On the course web page)

3. On the lack of internal democratic process and participation in bureaucracies

Bayo, O. 2013. Democratic deficit: The Dark Side of Weberian Bureaucracy in Nigeria. International Journal of Social Science and Education, Vol. 3 (3), 541-550. (9 pages) http://ijsse.com/sites/default/files/issues/2013/v3i3/Paper-1.pdf

4. On the importance of power, interagency relationships and cohesion in bureaucracies

Chibber, V. 2002. ‘Bureaucratic Rationality and the Developmental State’ American Journal of Sociology, Vol.17(4), 951-89. (38 pages of text) http://sociology.fas.nyu.edu/docs/IO/225/ajs.jan.2002.pdf

5. On the importance of the political interface in public bureaucracies

Dasandi, N. 2013. ‘The Politics-Bureaucracy Interface in Developing Countries’ Global Centre for Public Service Excellence Discussion paper (about 40 pages of text). www.worldwewant2015.org/file/435661/download/474405 6. On the key characteristics of a functional bureaucracy and the varying experience with these Hyden, G. Court, J., and Meese, K. 2003. ‘The Bureaucracy and Governance in 16 Developing Countries’. World Governance Survey Discussion Paper 7. (27 easy pages) http://www.odi.org/sites/odi.org.uk/files/odi-assets/publications-opinion-files/4104.pdf

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Additional readings (I will refer to these in class):

How to sort good bureaucracy from bad. Blog post. http://www.systemicleadershipinstitute.org/systemic-leadership/applying-systemic-leadership-in-organisations/sorting-out-the-good-bureaucracy-from-the-bad/

Fukuyama, F. 2012. ‘What is Governance?’ http://www.cgdev.org/files/1426906_file_Fukuyama_What_Is_Governance.pdf

Some fun (if it’s possible…):

‘The Place that Sends You Mad’ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JtEkUmYecnk

First team exercise due 5pm Sep. 12 (Friday)

Details of the first team exercise:

I know this is early, but we are trying to consolidate our learning aggressively and also ensure teams are working together on consequential tasks. The task, however, is not too

onerous.

The President of Messaria would like your team to give her a presentation on the full bureaucratic solution you would advise that her government adopt to address the health sector issues. She knows that you don’t have significant background on her country but

asks that you provide the advice anyway, given what you know.

Write an advisory note of no more than 500 words (or do a video presentation of no more than four minutes) where you advise on (i) the specific bureaucratic measures her

government should consider to re-organize the sector, (ii) the reasons you advise that they adopt these mechanisms, (iii) the risks of adopting the bureaucratic mechanisms you

suggest, and (iv) ways her government can mitigate these risks.

Your product must be produced by the entire team and must be submitted on the class web page by 5pm on Sep. 5.

In doing the exercise, think carefully about what you advise and why, and how you communicate the advice (will you use diagrams or examples in a video, for example, or a

sectoral or organizational chart in an advisory note).

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Class 4. Monday Sep. 15

A New Public Management to get things done?

Overall: New Public Management (NPM) emerged in the 1980s and 1990s as a ne way of thinking about organizing to get things done in the public sector. It has been quite prominent in thinking about how to structure developing country governments. But what does NPM suggest, and how useful is it as a contributor to the toolbox of ideas and practices to get things done?

We will discuss the following themes:

1. NPM emerged out of various strands of thought about managing in public organizations: What are these strands and why are they important?

2. NPM offers new ideas about what ‘good management’ involves, especially in the public sector: What are these ideas? What do these theories offer as practical additions to a ‘toolbox’ for those of us trying to get things done?

3. How influential has this theory been in development?

I would like you to read the class materials while still playing the role of a consultant on a team advising Messaria about how it should reform its health sector. As part of the consultant team (but working on your own as you prepare), you have been asked to develop a summary of the approach a new public management theorist would take to reorganize the sector. In doing this, you have been asked to fill the following table out and then develop a one page proposal for what the government should do and how the government should do it:

Influential theory (eg. New Public Adminsitration, Public Choice Theory, etc.)

Key ideas, principles Practical ‘tools’ to get things done

Required reading (only about 22 pages…an easy load for today):

Gruening, G. 2001. ‘Origin and theoretical basis of New Public Management’ International Public Management Journal, 4, 1-25 (read pages 3-18) http://www.ipmn.net/index.php/component/docman/doc_download/52-origin-and-theoretical-basis-of-new-public-management

Pfiffner, J. 2004. Traditional Public Administration versus New Public Management: Accountability versus Efficiency. pp. 5-8. http://pfiffner.gmu.edu/files/pdfs/Book_Chapters/NewPublicMgt.doc.pdf

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Class 5. Wednesday Sep. 17

When results metrics, targets, and the like work

(and when they don’t)

Note: This is a team learning class, which means that the readings allotted for the class should be shared across the team as advised.

Class objectives and themes:

Overall: ‘Managing for results’, ‘performance management’ and ‘targeting’ and the like are very important ideas associated with the New Public Management (NPM). Most organizations now have some results metrics in place and tie these to organizational structure, pay processes, and more. The experience with using metrics to improve ‘getting things done’ has not always ben smooth, however, and there are many lessons to learn about when and why and how these tools can be used. This class will look to draw some of these lessons out.

We will discuss the following themes:

1. What lessons can be learned about using performance metrics effectively? 2. What lessons can be learned about the risks of using performance metrics? 3. How can one ensure not to make mistakes with performance metrics?

You will prepare today’s class using the active learning mechanism where you are on the team advising the President of Messaria about restructuring her health sector. As part of the consultant team, you were previously asked to develop a summary of the approach a NPM theorist would take to reorganize the sector. Now, you have been asked to identify the risks or dangers of pushing for performance measurement or the use of results metrics in the sector (this is a key element in the NPM).

This is a vast topic, with many dimensions, so you have been asked to work as a team to do this exercise. Each team member must do some common preparation (read the summary of an article on the case of targeting in the UK National Health Service between 2002 and 2006, look at performance data from that case in 2010, and watch two short videos capturing critiques of the targets) and then do a summary of one particular article (with all six team members reading different articles).

• On the basis of the common case readings, each team member must come ready to participate in a short debate at the start of class, where we will ask the question: “Has the use of performance targets in the UK National Health Service been a success?”

• Beyond the case materials, each team member must produce a short summary of the article they focused on, using the following table. The team members should centralize all the summaries in one word file before class, and come ready to discuss what they read and learned. Each member will contribute to a discussion on “lessons from the NHS and beyond about when, how and why we use performance data to manage better…”

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Article number and title

What are the key lessons (or warnings) about using metrics for better public management?

Are there any preconditions we should be aware of when using performance metrics?

Are there steps we can take to limit the dangers of using performance metrics to improve management?

Required case readings and video (for all students):

Bevan, G. and Hood, C. 2006.’Have targets improved performance in the English NHS?’ British Medical Journal, February 2006. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1370980/ (just read the summary on the web page…not the full article)

Have Targets Improved NHS Performance? http://www.kingsfund.org.uk/projects/general-election-2010/key-election-questions/performance-targets

NHS Too Target Driven, Complacent, and Unaccountable. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f6E04wfFop4

Get rid of NHS targets https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RK_zwAT32W4

Required readings (to be allocated to different team members):

1. Deliverology: Using targets to promote delivery

McKinsey. Deliverology: From Idea to Implementation. (On the course page, about 10 pages) http://us.yhs4.search.yahoo.com/r/_ylt=A0oG7qccIPlRjzYAqc0PxQt.;_ylu=X3oDMTBzaDVoc25xBHNlYwNzcgRwb3MDMTEEY29sbwNhYzIEdnRpZAM-/SIG=15mak79sd/EXP=1375309980/**http%3a//www.mckinsey.com/~/media/McKinsey/dotcom/client_service/Public%2520Sector/PDFS/McK%2520on%2520Govt/Change%2520under%2520pressure/TG_MoG_6_Deliverology.ashx

Deliverology and all that (short blog post by Shanta Devarajan) http://blogs.worldbank.org/developmenttalk/deliverology-and-all

2. The limits of what can be measured; and how a results culture can be overly bureaucratic

Natsios, M. 2010. The clash of the counter-bureaucracy and development. (about 45 pages) http://www.cgdev.org/sites/default/files/1424271_file_Natsios_Counterbureaucracy.pdf

3. The dangers of gaming and interpreting performance information

Hood, C. 2006. ‘Gaming in Targetworld: The targets approach to managing British Public Services’ Public Administration Review July/August. (really short 6 pages) http://www.lse.ac.uk/study/executiveEducation/customisedExecutiveEducation/INAP/Targetworld.pdf

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Motivation Revamped. Blog post. (http://checkside.wordpress.com/2012/01/20/motivation-revamped-a-summary-of-daniel-h-pinks-new-theory-of-what-motivates-us/) (a really short blog on motivation…which impacts how we use performance data)

4. Performance metrics, politics, and complexity

Van Dooren, W. and Thijs, N. 2010. Paradoxes of improving performance management (systems) in public administration. EIPASCOPE 2010/2. (17 pages)

http://www.eipa.eu/files/repository/eipascope/20101022101218_Eipascope_2010_2_Article2.pdf

5. Measures, targets, and lessons from past experience

Castro, F. 2011. Defining and using performance indicators and targets in government M&E systems. (about ten pages) http://siteresources.worldbank.org/INTPOVERTY/Resources/335642-1276521901256/ME12_v2.pdf

6. Types of performance metrics and their uses and potential influence

Chris Hood on ‘The use of measured performance indicators’ part 1 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lbemM4icX-k) and part 2 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sY_1DUEtgqw) (30 minutes of viewing in total)

Kamensky, J. 2013. ‘3 Performance Measures That Don’t Work (But Sometimes Do)’ The Government Executive (really short reading). http://www.govexec.com/excellence/promising-practices/2013/01/3-data-driven-performance-measures-dont-work-sometimes-do/60960/

Additional reading and resources (I will refer to these in class):

Tomono, K. 2008. What money can’t buy: Health care reform in the UK since 2000. Reuters Fellowship Paper, Oxford University. https://reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac.uk/sites/default/files/What%20Money%20Can't%20Buy%20-%20Healthcare%20reform%20in%20the%20UK%20since%202000.pdf

Targets don’t work. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nPvAhy9LWYc

Buntaine, M., Buch, B., and Parks, B. 2014. Why the “Results Agenda” Produces Few Results: An Evaluation of the LongRun Institutional Development Impacts of World Bank Environmental Projects. http://www.uni-heidelberg.de/md/awi/peio/buntaine__buch__parks_23.08.2013.pdf

Smith, P. and Busse, R. Undated. ‘Targets and performance measurement’ Chapter 5.1 in Performance Measurement for Health System Improvement. (only chapter 5.1) http://www.euro.who.int/__data/assets/pdf_file/0003/135975/E94887_Part_V.pdf

Bob Behn’s Performance Leadership Report. See his interesting blog entries. http://www.hks.harvard.edu/thebehnreport/ Interview with Bob Behn (podcast). http://govinnovator.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/Bob-Behn.mp3

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Class 6. Monday Sep. 22

When contracting-out and the like works (and when it does not)

Class objectives and themes:

Overall: ‘Privatization’, ‘contracting out’, or even ‘contracting-in’ and the like are very important ideas associated with the New Public Management (NPM). Most governments have been through some kind of process to delegate service delivery activities within their organizations, or to split purchasers and providers. The experience with these reforms designed to improve ‘getting things done’ has not always ben smooth, however, and there are many lessons to learn about when and why and how these tools can be used. This class will look to draw some of these lessons out.

We will discuss the following themes:

1. What lessons can be learned about using contracting-out etc. effectively? 2. What lessons can be learned about the risks of contracting out, etc.? 3. How can one ensure not to make mistakes with contracting out, etc.?

You will prepare today’s class using the active learning mechanism where you are on the team advising the President of Messaria about restructuring her health sector. As part of the consultant team, you were previously asked to develop a summary of the approach a NPM theorist would take to reorganize the sector. Now, you have been asked to identify the risks or dangers of pushing for contracting out/privatization and concessions in the sector. You will work on your own (this is not a full team preparation activity) and prepare to engage in a case discussion on Cancun, and in drawing lessons from the three short readings:

• Come prepared to engage in a leading discussion on Cancun: Why did the government choose a concessions agreement for its reform? Would you say it was successful? What lessons can we learn from this experience?

• From the readings, draw up lessons about doing contracting out, privatizations, etc. that you could share with the President of Messaria or others.

Article number and title (where you draw the lessons from)

What are the key lessons (or warnings) about contracting out etc. for better public management?

Are there any preconditions we should be aware of when contracting out etc.?

Are there any steps we can take to limit the dangers of contracting out etc. to improve management?

Case to be prepared before class:

Cancún, Mexico: Water System Privatization. HKS case 1593.0 and 1593.1 (the sequel)

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Required reading:

Nichols, R. 2010. ‘The pros and cons of privatizing government functions.’ Governing. http://www.governing.com/topics/mgmt/pros-cons-privatizing-government-functions.html

Schick, A. 1998. Why most developing countries should not try New Zealand style reforms. (8 pages) http://www1.worldbank.org/publicsector/pe/befa05/NZReforms.pdf

Manning, N. 2001. ‘The Legacy of the New Public Management in Developing Countries’ International Review of Administrative Sciences 67(2) (12 pages). http://www.gsdrc.org/docs/open/PF22.pdf

Additional readings (I will draw on these in class):

Polidano. C. 1999. ‘The New Public Management in Developing Countries’ IDPM Public Policy and Management Working Paper no. 13. http://unpan1.un.org/intradoc/groups/public/documents/apcity/unpan014322.pdf

Ehasn, N. and Naz, F. 2003. ‘Origin, Ideas and Practice of New Public Management’. Asian Affairs, 25 (3), 30-48. http://www.cdrb.org/journal/2003/3/2.pdf

Da Cunha Rezende, F. 2008. ‘The implementation problem of new public management reforms’ International Public Management Review 9(2). http://www1.imp.unisg.ch/org/idt/ipmr.nsf/ac4c1079924cf935c1256c76004ba1a6/881d4d3110e82279c12574e4004e4e4c/$FILE/Da%20Cunha%20Rezende_IPMR_Volume%209_Issue%202.pdf

Dan, S. and Pollitt, C. 2014. NPM Can Work… https://lirias.kuleuven.be/bitstream/123456789/447615/2/Dan_and_Pollitt_NPM+can+work_preprint.pdf

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Class 7. Wednesday Sep. 24

What does ‘getting things done’ mean anyway?

Overall: Classical and NPM approaches arguably assume that organizations always focus on achieving performance goals—this being the measure of ‘success’. Many observers argue that both bureaucratic and NPM reforms often seem to have limited results because this assumption is not correct—organizations, governments and the like have other conceptions of success and focus on multiple dimensions of success. This observation is an important one to unpack and make sense of, as it helps to direct thinking about what it means to ‘get things done’.

We will discuss the following themes:

1. How do organizations conceive of ‘success’? 2. Does the way an organization thinks about success impact on our thinking about

‘getting things done’?

To prepare for this class, please read the two case studies and the short reading. Come prepared to participate in a class discussion around the case, which will start with the question, “Which of the two revenue agencies—Nomburo or Zombeta—was successful…and why?”

Case to be prepared before class:

Effective Revenue Collection in Nomburo (or not). HKS case 1934.0 and

Collecting Revenue in Zombeta (case provided online)

Required reading:

Rainey, Hal. G. 2003. “Organizational Goals and Effectiveness” In Understanding and Managing Public Organizations. New York: Jossey Bass. 127-150. (23 pages on the class website)

Additional readings (I will draw on these in class):

Baker, K. and Branch, K. undated. ‘Concepts Underlying Organizational Effectiveness: Trends in the Organization and Management Science Literature’ http://www.au.af.mil/au/awc/awcgate/doe/benchmark/ch01.pdf

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Second team exercise due 5pm Sep. 26 (Friday)

Details of the second team exercise:

This exercise is intended to consolidate the lessons about New Public Management and organizational success. It builds on two weeks worth of work and ensures that every

person has worked in a team on all of the material that will be tested in next week’s test.

The President of Messaria would like your team to give her a presentation on how she might use performance metrics and contracting out etc. to address the health sector issues

in her country. As with the last exercise, she knows that you don’t have significant background on her country but asks that you provide the advice anyway, given what you

know.

Write an advisory note of no more than 1000 words (or do a video presentation of no more than eight minutes) where you advise on (i) the specific performance management and contracting out measures her government should consider to re-organize the sector, (ii) the reasons you advise that they adopt these, (iii) the risks of adopting these, and (iv)

ways her government can mitigate these risks to do the job right.

Your product must be produced by the entire team and must be submitted on the class web page by 5pm on Sep. 26.

In doing the exercise, think carefully about what you advise and why, and how you communicate the advice (will you use diagrams or examples in a video, for example, or a

sectoral or organizational chart in an advisory note).

Class 8. Monday Sep. 29

First in-class test

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Part 2. A new way of thinking about getting things done

Class 9. Wednesday Oct. 1

Capability traps:

Why things don’t ‘get done’ despite past management ‘solutions’

Class objectives and reading advice to be provided.

Required reading:

Pritchett, L., M. Woolcock and M.Andrews. 2012. Looking Like a State: Techniques of Persistent Failure in State Capability for Implementation. CID Working Paper No. 240, June 2012. http://www.hks.harvard.edu/var/ezp_site/storage/fckeditor/file/pdfs/centers-programs/centers/cid/publications/faculty/wp/240.pdf

Additional reading:

Pritchett and Woolcock. 2002. Solutions when the solution is the problem. http://www.cgdev.org/sites/default/files/2780_file_cgd_wp010.pdf

Class 10. Monday Oct. 6

PDIA: Principles to get things done (and out of the big stuck)

Note: This is a team learning class, which means that the readings allotted for the class should be shared across the team. Advice of doing this will be provided in advance.

Class objectives and reading advice to be provided.

Case to be prepared before class:

Internal audit reforms in Malaysia and Burkina Faso (available on class web page)

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Preparatory video:

Lant Pritchett on PDIA. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oTq3fQ1SZC0

Matt Andrews on ‘Learn, Iterate, Adapt’ http://buildingstatecapability.com/2014/02/12/bsc-video-learn-iterate-adapt-part-1113/#comments

Required reading (for all members of class):

Andrews, M., L. Pritchett and M. Woolcock. 2012. Escaping Capability Traps through Problem-Driven Iterative Adaptation (PDIA). CID Working Paper No. 239, June 2012. http://www.hks.harvard.edu/var/ezp_site/storage/fckeditor/file/pdfs/centers-programs/centers/cid/publications/faculty/wp/239.pdf

Required reading (for members of the team):

Stachowiak, S. 2009. Pathways for Change. http://orsimpact.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/Center_Pathways_FINAL.pdf

Korten, 1980. ‘Community organization and rural development: A learning process approach’ Public Administration Review. http://livingeconomiesforum.org/sites/files/pdfs/Community%20Organization%20and%20Rural%20Development.pdf

Rondinelli, D. 1982. ‘The Dilemma of Development Administration: Complexity and Uncertainty in Control-Oriented Bureaucracies.’ World Politics, Vol. 35, No. 1 (Oct., 1982), 43-72

Allen, W. 2013. Complicated or complex: Knowing the difference is important. http://learningforsustainability.net/sparksforchange/complicated-or-complex-knowing-the-difference-is-important-for-the-management-of-adaptive-systems/

Glouberman, S. and B. Zimmerman. 2002. Complicated and Complex Systems: What Would Successful Reform of Medicare Look Like? Pages 1-3. http://www.plexusinstitute.org/resource/collection/6528ED29-9907-4BC7-8D00-8DC907679FED/ComplicatedAndComplexSystems-ZimmermanReport_Medicare_reform.pdf

Pollitt, C. 2011 blog post. 30 years of public management reforms: Has there been a pattern? http://blogs.worldbank.org/governance/30-years-of-public-management-reforms-has-there-been-a-pattern

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Part 2.1. Taking context seriously to get things done

Class 11. Wednesday Oct. 8

The context:

What matters, and how does it impact getting things done?

Class objectives and reading advice to be provided.

Case reading/video:

Matt Andrews on Form vs Function. http://buildingstatecapability.com/tag/bsc-video/page/5/

Getting new regulatory policy done: Crowdfunding commercial real estate in the USA

How does Title III Equity crowdfunding work? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lQeOUfrNys8

Required reading:

Andrews, M. 2013. The Limits of Institutional Reform in Development. Chapter 3.

Monday Oct. 13 HOLIDAY: NO CLASS

Class 12. Wednesday Oct. 15

Problems: Windows to see into contexts and vehicles to enter

Note: This is a team learning class, which means that the readings allotted for the class should be shared across the team. Advice of doing this will be provided in advance.

Class objectives and reading advice to be provided.

Required reading:

Andrews, M. 2013. The Limits of Institutional Reform in Development. Chapter 7.

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Cameron, K. 1984. “Assessing institutional ineffectiveness: A strategy for improvement.” New Directions for Institutional Research, vol. 1984, 67–83, http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com.ezp-prod1.hul.harvard.edu/doi/10.1002/ir.37019844108/pdf.

Vis, B. and van Kersbergen, K. 2007. “Why and how do Political Actors Pursue Risky Reforms?” Journal of Theoretical Politics Vol. 19. No.2: 153-172.

Dorey, P. 2005. Policy Making in Britain. London: Sage. Chapter two: Defining Problems and Devising Policies. www.sagepub.com/upm-data/9607_019989ch02.pdf

Veselý, A. 2007. Problem delineation in public policy analysis. Central European Journal of Public Policy. http://www.ceeol.com/aspx/getdocument.aspx?logid=5&id=deb704a22c1b463fbb43a989cf44b9cc

Levy, J. 2003. ‘Applications of Prospect Theory to Political Science’ Synthese 135: 215–241. http://fas-polisci.rutgers.edu/levy/2003%20Prospect%20Theory%20-%20Synthese.pdf

Luechauer, D.L. 1999. ‘Applying Appreciative Inquiry Instead of Problem-Solving Techniques to Facilitate Change’ http://www8.esc.edu/ESConline/Across_ESC/Forumjournal.nsf/web+view/5A8D486A2C5F9B0E852568FD00561F17?opendocument

Class 13. Monday Oct. 20

Problem driven work in practice: How do you do it?

Class objectives and reading advice to be provided.

Case reading/video:

Matt Andrews on reforms in Mozambique.

Required reading:

Andrews, M. 2014. Can one retell a Mozambican reform story through problem driven iterative adaptation? http://www.hks.harvard.edu/var/ezp_site/storage/fckeditor/file/pdfs/centers-programs/centers/cid/publications/faculty/wp/278_Andrews_Mozambique%20Retelling%20Method.pdf

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Wong, K.C. 2011. “Using an Ishikawa diagram as a tool to assist memory and retrieval of relevant medical cases from the medical literature.” Journal of Medical Case Reports 2011, 5:120 http://www.jmedicalcasereports.com/content/5/1/120

Class 14. Wednesday Oct. 22

The politics and practice of problem driven work:

Lessons from the field

Note: This is a team learning class, which means that the readings allotted for the class should be shared across the team. Advice of doing this will be provided in advance.

Class objectives and reading advice to be provided.

Class materials to be advised: Guest lecturers

Third team exercise due 5pm Oct. 24 (Friday)

Details of the third team exercise to be provided.

Part 2.2. Finding and fitting the right content

Class 15. Monday Oct. 27

Breaking down the ‘content demands’ of our interventions

Class objectives and reading advice to be provided.

Required reading:

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Andrews, M. 2013. The Limits of Institutional Reform in Development. Chapter 4.

Additional reading:

Zeghal, D., and K. Mhedhbi. 2006. An analysis of the factors affecting the adoption of international accounting standards by developing countries. The International Journal of Accounting, 41: 373-386.

Szulanski, G. 1996. Exploring Internal Stickiness: Impediments to the Transfer of Best Practice Within the Firm. Strategic Management Journal, Vol. 17: 27-43.

Class 16. Wednesday Oct. 29

Principles for finding and fitting relevant content

Note: This is a team learning class, which means that the readings allotted for the class should be shared across the team. Advice of doing this will be provided in advance

Class objectives and reading advice to be provided.

Required reading:

Andrews, M. 2013. The Limits of Institutional Reform in Development. Chapter 8.

Lindblom, C. 1959. “The Science of ‘Muddling Through’.” Public Administration Review Vol.19, No.2. 79-88.

Hirschman, A.O. 1967. The principle of the hiding hand. http://www.nationalaffairs.com/doclib/20080516_196700602theprincipleofthehidinghandalbertohirschman.pdf

Class 17. Monday Nov. 3

Stepwise experimentation, positive deviance, and the search for relevant content

Class objectives and reading advice to be provided.

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Required reading:

Matta, N and P. Morgan. 2011. “Local empowerment through rapid results” Stanford Social Innovation Review, http://rapidresults.org/docs/Local+Empowerment+Through+Rapid+Results.pdf?top=0.

O’bongo, Sylvester. Undated. Institutionalization of Results Based Management in Kenya Public Service. http://www.capam.org/_documents/rapidresultsapproach.kenya.pdf

Marsh, D.R., Schroeder, D.G., Dearden, K.A., Sternin, J. and Sternin, M. 2009. The Power of Positive Deviance. www.bu.edu/cghd/files/2010/10/Dearden-2009-Power-of-positive-deviance.pdf

Class 18. Wednesday Nov. 5

Doing evaluation that leads to learning and improves the fit of content to context

Note: This is a team learning class, which means that the readings allotted for the class should be shared across the team. Advice of doing this will be provided in advance.

Class objectives and reading advice to be provided.

Required reading:

Pritchett,L., Samji, S, & Hammer, J. 2013. “It’s All About MeE. Using Structured Experiential Learning (‘e’) to Crawl the Design Space.” UNU Wider Working Paper No. 2012/104.

Rogers, P. 2005. ‘Evaluating Complicated—and Complex—Programs Using Theory of Change’ The Evaluation Exchange. Volume XI, Number 2, Summer 2005. http://www.hfrp.org/evaluation/the-evaluation-exchange/issue-archive/evaluation-methodology/evaluating-complicated-and-complex-programs-using-theory-of-change

Rogers, P. 2005. ‘Using Programme Theory to Evaluate Complicated and Complex Aspects of Interventions’ Evaluation Vol.14(1), 29-48. http://www.wmich.edu/evalphd/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/Using_Progamme_Theory.pdf

Harkema, S. 2003. ‘A complex adaptive perspective on learning within innovation projects’, The Learning Organization,, Vol. 10 Iss: 6. Earlier version at http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/soc/wbs/conf/olkc/archive/oklc4/papers/oklc2003_harkema.pdf

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Monday Nov. 10 HOLIDAY: NO CLASS

Class 19. Wednesday Nov. 12

Second in-class test

Part 2.3. Engaging the right agents

Class 20. Monday Nov. 17

Common mistakes policy wonks make about

‘who’ to engage in getting things done

Class objectives and reading advice to be provided.

Case reading:

Vian, T. and Bicknell, W.J. 2013. “Good Governance and Budget Reform in Lesotho Public Hospitals: Performance, Root Causes, and Reality.” Health Policy and Planning, January, 1-12. http://www.bu.edu/cghd/publication/good-governance-and-budget-reform-in-lesotho-public-hospitals-performance-root-causes-and-reality/

Required reading:

Andrews, M. 2013. The Limits of Institutional Reform in Development. Chapter 5.

Class 21. Wednesday Nov. 19

Which agents are required to get things done?

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Note: This is a team learning class, which means that the readings allotted for the class should be shared across the team. Advice of doing this will be provided in advance.

Class objectives and reading advice to be provided.

Required readings:

Andrews, M. 2013. The Limits of Institutional Reform in Development. Chapter 9.

Dorado, S. 2005. “Institutional Entrepreneurship, Partaking, and Convening.” Organization Studies 26(3), 385–414.

Meijer, A.J. 2013. “From Hero-Innovators to Distributed Heroism: An in-depth analysis of the role of individuals in public sector innovation.” Public Management Review. http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/14719037.2013.806575

Andrews, M. 2013. Who really leads development? http://www.wider.unu.edu/publications/working-papers/2013/en_GB/wp2013-092/

Final team exercise due 5pm Nov. 21 (Friday)

Class 22. Monday Nov. 24

Using teams as mechanisms for agency engagement

Class objectives and reading advice to be provided.

Case reading:

Transforming the Ecuadorian Customs Service.

Required readings:

Hackman, R. ‘Why Teams Don’t Work’ Chapter 12 of Why Teams Don’t Work. http://blogs.ext.vt.edu/impact-communication/files/2012/07/Why-Teams-Dont-Work-by-J.-Richard-Hackman.pdf

Stein, J. undated. ‘Using the stages of team development’. Online summary of Tuckman’s work on stages of team development. http://hrweb.mit.edu/learning-development/learning-topics/teams/articles/stages-development

Additional reading/video:

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Team Building in Remember the Titans. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hEJaz3sinEs

Wednesday Nov. 26 HOLIDAY: NO CLASS

Class 23. Monday Dec. 1

Adaptive Leadership, Coalitions and Getting Things Done

Class objectives and reading advice to be provided.

Required reading:

Heifetz, R. and Laurie, D. (1999) Mobilizing Adaptive Work: Beyond Visionary Leadership. In J. Conger, et al. (Eds.), The Leader’s Change Handbook. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, pp. 55-86. Wolff, T. 2001. “A practitioner’s guide to successful coalitions.” American Journal of Community Psychology, 29(2), 2001, http://www.springerlink.com/content/kr91467244l27788/fulltext.pdf. McDonough, J.E., Rosman, B., Phelps, F. and Shannon, M. “The Third Wave of Massachusetts Health Care Access Reform” Health Affairs November 2006 vol. 25 no. 6 w420-431. http://content.healthaffairs.org/content/25/6/w420.full

Class 24. Wednesday Dec. 3

Using this class beyond this class

Class objectives and reading advice to be provided.

Required reading:

Easterly, W. 2006. “Planners vs. Searchers in Foreign Aid.” Asian Development Bank Distinguished Speakers’ Series. http://sunburst.usd.edu/~clehmann/courses/Ideas/Easterly.pdf