Be significant but slow
or
be fast but insignificant.
That is a dilemma many leaders face.
We have to grow our organizations
to make a significant impact
but large organizations often move slowly.
Or can large organizations move quickly?
BRAC believes they’ve found the answer
through this process.
Pilot. Perfect. Scale Up.
“When demand is spotted
— say, a need for financial literacy training
and microfinance products
tailored for teens,
in the case of ELA
— the organization doesn’t waste time
figuring out how to do things elegantly.
It moves.
It then assesses the pilot
and adapts accordingly,
which could mean eliminating
the entire program if necessary.
To do this requires stringent internal monitoring,
and BRAC is often its own harshest critic
via an independent research
and evaluation division set up in 1975.
Only then does it scale up.
This is really a version of
the “fail fast, fail often” innovation strategy
currently in vogue
among business strategists.”
Pilot. Perfect. Scale Up.