Insights & Policy · Knowledge hub
New · launching under the Strategic PlanGovernment Innovation Lab
Design thinking, systems thinking and policy hackathons for government departments and donors across Pakistan, from a team with years of work alongside the Government of Balochistan.
The Lab helps the public sector solve problems with the people who live with them. Under the Strategic Plan it becomes a standing, fee-based practice.
At a glance
- Who it’s for
- Government departments and the donors who work with them
- What we do
- Design thinking, systems thinking, policy hackathons, social mobilisation
- Track record
- Government of Balochistan officials across line departments
- Goal
- 15+ public-sector clients by 2031
- How to start
- Request a proposal with the form on this page
Request a proposal
Thank you. The team will be in touch to talk about the problem and who it affects. Your reference is {ref}.Create a free My SIA account to keep everything you do with SIA in one place.
What the Lab offers
Four ways of working
Design thinking
Start with the people a service is for: what they need and where it fails them.
Systems thinking
Map the people, rules and money behind a problem before fixing it.
Policy hackathons
Short events where students, young professionals and officials work on a real policy problem.
Social mobilisation
Reach and involve communities so a public programme is understood and used.
Track record
Work the Lab builds on
Design thinking for government
Workshops for Government of Balochistan officials across line departments, extended to rural community workers with IDSP.
Balochistan Education Leadership Forum
With UNICEF and PITE, on gender-sensitive reforms and social protection.
Teacher development
Professional development for teachers with JICA and BHCIP (ASPIRE).
Immunisation outreach
A 3-day communication course for district immunisation staff, under the World Bank-financed BHCIP, with bilingual manuals.
Policy Hackathon and Policy Making Competition 2024
At BUITEMS, 2024: university students design policy solutions through design thinking. 66+ participants per cohort, seed grants for winning ideas.
Public Policy Hackathon, Quetta
With USEFP, 22–24 December 2023: PKR 150,000 in seed grants.
How a project runs
From a problem to a tested idea
Every project is shaped with the department or donor that asks for it.
- 1Talk to usThe problem and who it affects
- 2ScopeThe question, the people, the timeline
- 3Work with peopleWorkshops, mapping or a hackathon
- 4Test ideasTry the best ones on a small scale
- 5ReportWhat we found and what to do next
FAQ
Questions about the Lab
Who can work with the Lab?
Government departments at any level, and the donors and development partners who work with them.
How much does it cost?
Each project is priced after a first conversation about its scope. Use the form on this page to request a proposal.
Can you run a hackathon for our department?
Yes. Tell us the problem you want solved and the people you want involved.
