LAD Training Programs

This course is designed to equip public sector leaders with the skills needed to navigate the political, economic, and institutional complexities of infrastructure development and policy reform. Through case-based learning, topical lectures, and collaborative projects, participants explore how strategic public policy and procurement practices can mobilize private sector engagement to drive economic growth.

A central theme is the role of public-private partnerships (PPPs) as a framework for risk-sharing, incentive alignment, and stakeholder engagement. Participants learn how to structure PPPs such that they strengthen state capacity, improve service delivery, and foster innovation while maintaining public accountability.

A core component of the program is the case-teaching method, which leverages the Leadership Academy for Development’s library of teaching case studies on large infrastructure projects. LAD’s infrastructure case studies cover a range of sectoral topics, including public consultation and stakeholder engagement, managing political risk in infrastructure investment, structuring and procuring PPPs, renegotiating and restructuring major project contracts, reforms of infrastructure institutions and regulatory regimes, and effective multilateral investment partnerships with domestic infrastructure agencies.

Rather than offering a one-size-fits-all roadmap, the course introduces a diagnostic toolkit:

• Common barriers to infrastructure reform
• Warning signs of policy failure
• Strategic options tailored to local context

Participants develop leadership skills to:

• Provide public goods under political and fiscal constraints
• Bypass bureaucratic bottlenecks
• Facilitate private investment responsibly
• Build coalitions across sectors and interests

Course participants apply these skills during case discussions and during a final study group presentation on a current development challenge. The LAD Public Policy for Infrastructure course provides a customizable educational experience and a forum for collaboration for senior public sector leaders in the infrastructure sector. 

This course is designed to equip public sector leaders with tools to diagnose and overcome common barriers to policy reform. Drawing on global case studies and interactive lectures, participants explore why reform efforts often fall short—whether due to political resistance, implementation failures, rent-seeking behavior, or challenges in scaling successful pilots.

The course is organized around five core challenges:

1. Building coalitions of support
2. Changing behavior of target populations
3. Strengthening state capacity
4. Scaling reforms without mission drift
5. Navigating local and sector-specific constraints

Rather than offering a fixed roadmap, the course introduces a diagnostic toolkit:

• Checklists of common reform barriers
• Warning signs of policy failure
• Strategic options tailored to context

Participants will be able to:

• Understand key reform challenges
• Anticipate and diagnose barriers
• Evaluate strategic options for reform

A core component of the program is the case-teaching method, which leverages the Leadership Academy for Development’s library of teaching case studies as well as cases from Harvard and Princeton. Cases highlight the political and analytical challenges of policy reform, often drawn from the region where the course is held.

Course participants apply these skills during case discussions and during a final study group presentation on a current development challenge. The LAD Strategic Management of Policy Reform course provides a customizable educational experience and a forum for collaboration for senior public sector leaders.

This course explores why individuals and businesses often fail to comply with government policies—even when those policies align with their self-interest. Drawing on behavioral economics, social psychology, law, and political science, participants examine barriers to behavior change and strategies to improve compliance across sectors such as education, health, labor, and anti-corruption.

Key strategies include:

• Social marketing and framing
• Incentives and choice architecture
• Monitoring, enforcement, and resource alignment
• Political constraints on implementation

A core component of the course is the case teaching method, which leverages the Leadership Academy for Development’s library of teaching case studies as well as the libraries of Harvard and Princeton. Often tailored to the host region, cases highlight real-world compliance challenges and policy responses. Sessions cover topics such as cognitive biases, peer effects, business behavior, and scaling behavioral interventions.

Participants develop leadership skills to:

• Diagnose barriers to compliance
• Design research strategies to investigate behavior
• Evaluate and apply context-specific solutions

Course participants apply these skills during case discussions and during a final study group presentation addressing a current behavior issue. Groups apply course insights to develop and present responses to real-world challenges.

This workshop designed to equip faculty at policy-focused universities and training institutions with skills in participant-centered teaching and case writing. Offered in flexible formats, the course emphasizes interactive teaching strategies and the development of compelling, discussion-driven case studies.

In multi-day formats, participants begin with hands-on training in case teaching—crafting teaching plans, practicing class openings, and analyzing existing cases. Core techniques include time and whiteboard management, framing opening questions, and closing with key takeaways.

The course then shifts to case writing, covering how to define learning objectives, structure content, and build engagement. Advanced sessions explore simulation design and multi-player role-play cases. Participants work on their own case drafts throughout the workshop, receiving feedback from both peers and instructors.