Thank you, Kevin, for this informative article on how to identify scalable solutions. I like the three simple questions one must ask about a scalable idea. The two examples; Blue Ventures and Last Mile Health, help to put the issue of doers and payers in good perspective.
I work in an NGO in a program design, monitoring and evaluation (DME) role. Although NGOs are listed as one of the doers, the 3 simple questions tool for scalable ideas identification can be adapted or integrated in our DME processes. This adaption should go alongside clarity on what scalability means for an NGO; how it is related to sustainability (of interventions); and innovative ways to attract the payers especially private philanthropy and Big Aid.
I know there is often strong imperative to innovate and scale solutions, but payers are limited. Despite this, there are numerous opportunities that NGOs can take advantage of. For example, the changing financing arrangements for social interventions, i.e., focus on impact investing, impact bonds, etc. A growing number of social entrepreneurs and private philanthropists are already supporting interventions through this financing arrangement.
Another opportunity is presented by the Big Aid payers. For example, USAID is promoting the localization of development - emphasis on putting development in the hands of local players. This gives International NGOs opportunity to partner or tap into local NGOs for co-creation, scale up of interventions.
If NGOs really aim to “make a big dent in a big social problem”, they need to be self-payers. An NGO can use part of its limited budget to invest in formative research so that the solutions they propose to external payers are ground in scientific evidence.
Once again, thank you for taking time to share your experience and organizations’ work in identifying and funding scalable solutions.
I like your 3-point test. I would just add one question to it, “Is the RoI enough”? No matter how marketable or simple it is, the doers won’t do it correctly, or at all, if they are not sufficiently motivated by potential returns (financial and/or social). If, for example, a business wants to scale using franchising, the business must turn enough of a profit to attract and retain high performing franchise owners. In this case, “enough” must consider the initial and ongoing investment that the individual makes in the franchise. If this question is not accurately answered before deciding to franchise, the whole system will fail. This is the weakest link in social enterprise franchising that we at Stage Six are working to solve.
COMMENTS
BY Godfrey Senkaba
ON December 6, 2019 12:52 PM
Thank you, Kevin, for this informative article on how to identify scalable solutions. I like the three simple questions one must ask about a scalable idea. The two examples; Blue Ventures and Last Mile Health, help to put the issue of doers and payers in good perspective.
I work in an NGO in a program design, monitoring and evaluation (DME) role. Although NGOs are listed as one of the doers, the 3 simple questions tool for scalable ideas identification can be adapted or integrated in our DME processes. This adaption should go alongside clarity on what scalability means for an NGO; how it is related to sustainability (of interventions); and innovative ways to attract the payers especially private philanthropy and Big Aid.
I know there is often strong imperative to innovate and scale solutions, but payers are limited. Despite this, there are numerous opportunities that NGOs can take advantage of. For example, the changing financing arrangements for social interventions, i.e., focus on impact investing, impact bonds, etc. A growing number of social entrepreneurs and private philanthropists are already supporting interventions through this financing arrangement.
Another opportunity is presented by the Big Aid payers. For example, USAID is promoting the localization of development - emphasis on putting development in the hands of local players. This gives International NGOs opportunity to partner or tap into local NGOs for co-creation, scale up of interventions.
If NGOs really aim to “make a big dent in a big social problem”, they need to be self-payers. An NGO can use part of its limited budget to invest in formative research so that the solutions they propose to external payers are ground in scientific evidence.
Once again, thank you for taking time to share your experience and organizations’ work in identifying and funding scalable solutions.
BY Julie McBride
ON December 11, 2019 12:06 PM
I like your 3-point test. I would just add one question to it, “Is the RoI enough”? No matter how marketable or simple it is, the doers won’t do it correctly, or at all, if they are not sufficiently motivated by potential returns (financial and/or social). If, for example, a business wants to scale using franchising, the business must turn enough of a profit to attract and retain high performing franchise owners. In this case, “enough” must consider the initial and ongoing investment that the individual makes in the franchise. If this question is not accurately answered before deciding to franchise, the whole system will fail. This is the weakest link in social enterprise franchising that we at Stage Six are working to solve.