Rethinking Ends and Means, Together

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Two fallacies constrain learning across countries.  

• “If it worked there, it will work here.”  
• “This place is unique—we can’t learn from others.” 

What I call "convening" goes beyond this polarity. Convenings stimulate learning and problem solving. From outside come data, models, and case studies of success. From inside come local knowledge and problem solving. The result: solutions that would not have happened otherwise. “What Will Work Here: Inferences from Evaluations in Complex Ecologies.” 

   Ian Clark provides a summary:: http://www.atlas101.ca/pm/concepts/klitgaards-policy-analysis-and-evaluation-version-2-0/

The crucial issues facing regions, countries, and the world cannot be solved by governments acting alone or by privatization. Instead, government, business, and civil society must work together to create new strategies, forge new methods of implementation, and evaluate together what works where.
  Fortunately, success stories provide inspiration. And economic principles help: who is best at what, and how can information and incentives be aligned across different kinds of institutions? 

“Designing and Implementing a Technology-Driven Public-Private Partnership.” and in Bold and Humble  (details under Books).

My work brings three pieces of news to practitioners fighting corruption. 

1. It’s not hopeless, even when corruption is pervasive. 
2. Corruption is not just about ethics, it’s about equilibriums of incentives and information that need to be disrupted—and can be.  
3. Collaboration across the public-private divide is crucial. 

   Some of my phrases have become commonplace. Corruption is the misuse of public office for private gain. Fry big fish. Corruption equals monopoly plus discretion minus accountability. 

   This 7-minute video (one in English, one in Spanish) shows how my model is used to organize practical anti-corruption efforts. 

   My work was used in China after President Xi took power to guide the anti-corruption strategy (http://roll.sohu.com/20130324/n370042755.shtml; https://www.theglobalist.com/chinas-battle-against-corruption-gets-serious/)

   My later involvement in China, in workshops in Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, conveyed the message of less repression and more learning from successes within China (https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2051133/china-should-champion-its-anti-corruption-success-stories).

The Culture and Development Manifesto shows how to take account of cultural diversity in economic and political development, with inspiring examples from around the world. Details under Books.. Here is the concluding chapter:  “Rethinking Culture and Development”. 

   A conversation on the book: https://youtu.be/arHUcnGUhUI

   Ian Clark provides an overview for public policy people:    http://www.atlas101.ca/pm/concepts/klitgaards-culture-and-development-manifesto/

Generative AI tools is transforming how we learn, collaborate, and innovate. What's amazing about ChatGPT and its kin is that you can do remarkable things after only a week or so of experimentation. This isn't like learning to play tennis, much less mastering econometrics. And yet, there is resistance--for good and bad reasons--even among leaders in academic and professional communities. I hope both Using ChatGPT in Graduate Education: (2024) and Co-Intelligence Applied. (2025) will inspire people to dive in (Details under Books.)

Find your own inspiration in Prevail: How to Face Upheavals and Make Big Choices with the Help of Heroes (2022)-- also available as an audiobook. Ian Clark applies Prevail to public policy and management here http://www.atlas101.ca/pm/concepts/klitgaards-framework-for-prevailing/  and here http://www.atlas101.ca/pm/concepts/klitgaards-insights-on-big-insights/ (Details under Books.)

   You'll find more inspiration, I hope, in Policy Analysis for Big Issues: Confronting Corruption, Elitism, Inequality, and Despair (2023).

   In a quite different vein, you'll be invigorated and challenged by an anthology of nine remarkable writers, artists, scientists, and philosophers: Christianity for Young Intellectuals: Warm-up Exercises for Big Thinkers (2024).