Alicia Harley

Alicia Harley is a senior research fellow in the Sustainability Science Program at Harvard Kennedy School. Her research looks at the capacities necessary for the pursuit of sustainable development. This work stems from the premise that the complex adaptive dynamics of nature-society systems are inherently unpredictable and subject to deep uncertainty. She focuses on a set of six strategic capacities that enable collaborative efforts to foster sustainable development in the face of deeply uncertain futures. These capacities are: 1) the capacity to promote equity; 2) the capacity to measure progress; 3) the capacity to adapt to shocks and surprises; 4) the capacity to transform development pathways; 5) the capacity to govern cooperatively; and 6) the capacity to link knowledge with action. Alicia also writes a regular blog called 'The Sustainability Theorist' and maintains an open access course on sustainable development. These resources can be found at sustainabilityscience.org. She is also on the board of the National Sustainability Society (NSS).