The “Decade of Building State Capability” podcast series features interviews with practitioners who reflect on their experience using the PDIA approach and their engagement with Building State Capability over the past 10 years. Today, BSC Director Salimah Samji interviews Awa Touray to hear more about how she is utilizing the PDIA approach as she works to resolve public problems. Awa is the Deputy Chief of Party for USAID’s Education Systems Strengthening Activity (ESSA) in Liberia, a project that uses PDIA as a key approach to build a more capable education system. She joined FHI 360, a global development organization, in July 2023. Prior to joining FHI 360, Awa worked as an international consultant on an EU funded State Building Contract in Sierra Leone, an Associate and Public Financial Management Specialist at CABRI, and as a public servant at the Gambian Ministry of Finance, where she was involved in various PFM initiatives. She has a Master’s in Public Policy from the National University of Singapore, where she was awarded the Lee Kuan Yew Scholarship for academic excellence. She also holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of Ghana. Awa has a passion for public policy and development.