S2 Ep37: Better bureaucrats in a crisis

10/05/22 • 14 min

What role do bureaucrats play in a crisis? We might think that the best bureaucracy would be made up of people who are very good at doing exactly what they are told. But research into the impact of the 1918 flu pandemic in India suggests that other factors may be important too. Guo Xu talks to Tim Phillips.

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S2 Ep36: How corporate debarment affects workers in Brazil

What are the consequences for workers if they are employed by a firm that is sanctioned for corruption? We’re back in Brazil: Christiane Szerman tells Tim Phillips that the quest to do the right thing is catching guilty companies – but with devastating consequences for thousands of employees.

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S2 Ep38: The challenges of improving public sector management

Imagine an intervention that combined funding, best practice delivered at scale, and near-universal compliance. Should this guarantee it will succeed? Not necessarily, according to a study of a program to improve quality in Indian schools. Abhijeet Singh talks to Tim Phillips.