Discover how the PLC can help you become a more effective leader.
Pauline Charazac, whose work focuses on international relations and public policy in emerging economies, has more than a decade of experience advising global leaders from both the public and private sectors on a vast spectrum of topics—spanning economic prosperity and livelihood enhancement to regulatory compliance and innovative finance. Even with her deep expertise in her field, she sought out the Harvard Kennedy School (HKS) Public Leadership Credential (PLC) with an awareness of the professional skills she wanted to hone to both advance her career and the mission of her work. “While I had extensive experience in strategic coordination and high-level negotiations, I wanted to further refine my leadership skills, particularly in consensus-building and data-driven policy design,” she said. “Through the PLC program, I was eager to gain valuable insights into three specific areas, namely policy effectiveness, leadership in uncertain times, and the role of data in decision-making.”
Her decision to register for the PLC came after an enriching experience with a different sector of Harvard Kennedy School, its Executive Education programs, where she completed the Executive Certificate in Public Policy. She felt called to pursue further education at HKS, she said, to “enhance my ability to craft, implement and monitor policies that drive meaningful change in emerging countries, particularly in Mauritius. I was also very eager to learn from my peers and to be confronted with a wide range of different opinions and perspectives.”
The cohort she worked alongside in the PLC indeed provided those unique perspectives she sought, which were transformational for Pauline’s learning experience. She explained, “One of the greatest strengths of PLC is its cross-sector cohort—professionals from the public sector, private sector, and NGOs. This dynamic learning environment fosters rich discussions and meaningful exchanges that challenged and expanded my own thinking. While engaging on a weekly basis with my peers through live-sessions, I have learned to “agree to disagree”, but also to change my mind on topics I thought I was certain about. This is how powerful this Harvard learning journey, supported by the values of mutual respect and intellectual humility, is.”
Pauline found the caliber of the cohort was matched by the curriculum and faculty. She emphatically said, “PLC is truly a life-changing experience. I couldn’t recommend the PLC program enough to any aspiring changemaker eager to embark on the transformative journey of authentic leadership. The program offers a unique blend of Harvard academic rigor, practical application, and global perspectives. The case studies, real-world scenarios, and group discussions provide invaluable insights into how policies are shaped, implemented and evaluated across different contexts. The HKS professors are simply outstanding.”
The flexibility of the program also served her well, allowing Pauline to complete it from France and Mauritius, while working full time. “Personally, I found that learning at my own pace while having the opportunity to set-up the group discussions on weekends was essential to successfully combine the PLC program with my busy work schedule,” she said.
Having completed the PLC, she is now proactively putting her learnings to everyday use in her work. “I committed myself to applying the PLC lessons I learned by facilitating multi-stakeholder dialogues and ensuring that different views are reflected in strategic discussions,” she said. “My recent term as Secretary for 2024 of the Group of Directors of Capacity Building and Cooperation of French-speaking Central Banks (Groupe des Directeurs de la Formation et de la Coopération des Banques Centrales Francophones) is a testament to this. Additionally, the program deepened my understanding of the increasing role of data in policymaking and the application of key frameworks such as the Theory of Change, enabling me to incorporate more structured analytical approaches and recommendations. Whether in high-level international negotiations, grassroots policy initiatives or academic debates, the lessons from PLC continue to shape my approach to problem-solving and leadership.”
She is not only using her new skills to advance both her career and the organizations she works with but is also sharing her learnings on a larger platform for the betterment of other changemakers. “The PLC helped me realize the crucial importance of knowledge-sharing. Feeling inspired by the dedication of the PLC professors, I have since become a Lecturer and guest speaker at Sciences Po Paris, where I was a student 15 years ago. I see this as an effective way for me to give back to the academic sphere and nurture tomorrow’s leaders.”
With two HKS learning journeys completed, Pauline has significantly strengthened her leadership skillset, and her vision for the change she wants to foster remains as steadfast as ever. “The PLC program strongly reinforced my belief that well-crafted policies do improve the lives of the people we are called to serve with clear vision and dedication,” she said. “I am committed to further using my expertise to shape effective policies and drive global synergies that create tangible benefits and unlock long-term potential.”