Effective policy implementation is both an art and a science. It’s not only about knowing what to do but how to do it. Often, those insights come from practice, not just theory. There’s no better way to learn than to listen to those that have been in the trenches.
Listen to this conversation with Gulzar Natarajan. He is the Secretary of Finance of the State Government of Andhra Pradesh in India and a member of the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), the elite tier of the Indian bureaucracy. In his 17-year career, he has worked on both policy design and program implementation at all levels of government including the office of India’s Prime Minister. Today he shares some of his reflections on what it takes to get things done in practice, some of the lessons he has learned, and some practical tips to improve policy implementation.
(5:47) The details of policy implementation
In last week’s blog, we talked about the need to focus on the details for effective policy implementation. This week, I wanted to give you a more practical view with examples from someone that has had a fascinating career in the public sector. These are some of the things we discussed.
The bureaucrat on the field is a doer. She needs to get stuff done. The problem with someone in the bureaucracy is not that they don’t know what to do, but they struggle with how to do it. One thing is to have an idea, but implementing it is another story.
(10:24) How to get into the details of policy implementation?
It’s impossible to plan for everything. Gulzar thinks a more viable option is to adopt the concept of a minimum viable product. This means to start with something, set up a team to monitor the project closely, have tight feedback loops until you get into a sort of steady-state, equilibrium.
Leadership is also essential for effective policy implementation. Sometimes we underestimate the role of human agency in the public sector and don’t realize that entrepreneurial bureaucrats are fundamental for policy implementation.
(16:00) Supporting the entrepreneurial bureaucrat
How is the most difficult challenge in development. Thinking about how to improve policy implementation, the highest investment in the public sector would be in training public leaders. Gulzar talks about identifying potential leaders and how to capacitate them. It’s not they are not aware of the challenges of implementation, but they would benefit from having a framework to approach the challenges of the public sector. A framework that helps them see the possibility and expand on the capabilities they already have.
(24:29) Three things you wish you knew earlier
- It’s all about execution, attention to detail.
- Importance of iteration on implementation. There’s no right plan. You need to start with something, iterate, adapt until you find a steady state.
- Judgment. Policymaking and governance are about choices and decisions. Good judgment comes from experience.
(29:29) Where to focus your energy when struggling to get things done
- Understand that you can’t solve development problems, like you solve a technical equation.
- Therefore, you must iterate with a problem, both in design and implementation. Then development becomes a journey, where you’re constantly engaged.
- Engage with the problems in probabilistic terms.
(36:18) Practical tips to keep in mind
Gulzar emphasized three things: probabilistic thinking, attention to detail and good judgment. One common blind spot he mentioned is logic.
Final reflections
I enjoyed the conversation with Gulzar because he summarizes some of the real-world struggles of policy implementation, which is something rare in our field, but the most useful. I liked his practical approach to daily challenges and the weight he gave to experience in this public sector journey. A journey where we are constantly learning, improving and adapting.
About Gulzar Natarajan
Gulzar is the Secretary of Finance of the State Government of Andhra Pradesh in India. He is a member of the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), the elite tier of the Indian bureaucracy. In a seventeen-year career in the IAS, he has worked on both policy design and program implementation—rural and urban development, health and education, infrastructure creation and public-private partnerships, and regulatory governance and public finance.
Gulzar has worked in the Office of the Prime Minister of India, in leadership positions as municipal commissioner of a city with a population of 1.5 million, as chairman and managing director of an electricity distribution company, as the head of the district government of Hyderabad District, and later as the vice-chairman and managing director of the Infrastructure Corporation of Andhra Pradesh.
Resources to complement this conversation
- How to get the details right for effective policy implementation
- How to make smarter decisions with Professor Dan Levy (If you want to know more about probabilistic terms)
- How to improve decision making in uncertain situations
