Notes from William Easterlys: The White Mans Burden: Why the Wests Effort to Aid the Rest Have Done So Much Ill and so Little Good

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The topic is, of course, of the utmost significance to the state of human affairs. Beyond that, this masterpiece is perhaps the best book Ive read on implementation in general.

The West spent … $2.3 trillion on foreign aid over the last five decades and still has not managed to get twelve-cent medicines to children to prevent half of all malaria deaths. The West spent $2.3 trillion and still not managed to get three dollars to each new mother to prevent five million child deaths. … But I and many other like-minded people keep trying, not to abandon aid to the poor, but to make sure it reaches them. on foreign aid over the last five decades and still has not managed to get twelve-cent medicines to children to prevent half of all malaria deaths. The West spent $2.3 trillion and still not managed to get three dollars to each new mother to prevent five million child deaths. … But I and many other like-minded people keep trying, not to abandon aid to the poor, but to make sure it reaches them.

Easterly, maligned by many, is the arch-enemy of the Big Plan [his capital letters, not mine] sent from afar; and the vociferous fan of practical activities of those he calls Searchers … who learn the ins and outs of the culture, politics and local conditions on the ground in order to use local levers and local players, and get those 12- sent from afar; and the vociferous fan of practical activities of those he calls Searchers … who learn the ins and outs of the culture, politics and local conditions on the ground in order to use local levers and local players, and get those 12- cent medicines to community members. Read on, Planners vs Searchers …

In foreign aid, Planners announce good intentions but dont motivate anyone to carry them out; Searchers find things that work and get some reward. Planners raise expectations but take no responsibility for meeting them; Searchers accept responsibility for their actions; Planners determine what to supply; Searchers find out what is in demand. Planners apply global blueprints; Searchers adapt to local conditions. Planners at the top lack knowledge of the bottom; Searchers find out what the reality is at the bottom. Planners never hear whether the planned recipients got what they needed; Searchers find out if the customer is satisfied. … A Planner thinks he already knows the answers; he thinks of poverty as a technical engineering problem that his answers will solve. A Searcher admits he doesnt know the answers in advance; he believes that poverty is a complicated tangle of political, social, historical, institutional, and technological factors; he hopes to find answers to individual problems only by trial and error experimentation. A planner believes outsiders know enough to impose solutions; a Searcher believes only insiders have enough knowledge to find solutions, and that most solutions must be homegrown. …

This may be the most illuminating synopsis of implementation issues that I have ever stumbled across.

Derived from the above and more, I have extracted a series of lessons from the Easterly book. These implementation lessons are, in fact, universal: Lesson (#1 of sooooooo many): Show up! (On the ground, where the actionand (On the ground, where the actionand possible implementationis.) possible implementationis.) Lesson: Invest in ceaseless study of conditions on the groundsocial and conditions on the groundsocial and political and historical and systemic. political and historical and systemic.

Ninety percent of success is showing up. Woody Allen

Lesson: Listen to the locals. Lesson: Hear the locals.

18 Source: How Doctors Think, Jerome Groopman Source: How Doctors Think, Jerome Groopman

Lesson: Talk to the locals. Lesson: Listen to the locals. Lesson: Hear the locals. Lesson: Listen to the locals. Lesson: Hear the locals. Lesson: Listen to the locals. Lesson: Hear the locals. Lesson: Listen to the locals. Lesson: Hear to the locals. Lesson: Listen to the locals. Lesson: Hear to the locals. Lesson: Respect the locals. Lesson: Empathize with the locals.

Lesson: Have a truly crappy office, and other un-trappings! un-trappings!

Lesson: Try to blend in, adopting local customs, showing deference were necessaryalmost everywhere; deference were necessaryalmost everywhere; and never interrupt the big man in front of his and never interrupt the big man in front of his folk, even, or especially, if you think he is 180 folk, even, or especially, if you think he is 180 degrees off. degrees off. Lesson: Seek out the local leaders second cousins, etc, to gain indirect assess over their uncle twice to gain indirect assess over their uncle twice removed! (Etc & etc.) removed! (Etc & etc.) Lesson: Have a truly crappy office, and other un-trappings! un-trappings! Lesson: Remember, you do not in fact have the answers despite your PhD with, naturally, honors, from the despite your PhD with, naturally, honors, from the University of Chicagowhere you were mentored University of Chicagowhere you were mentored by not one, but two, Nobel Laureates in economics. by not one, but two, Nobel Laureates in economics. Lesson: Regardless of the enormity of the problem, proceed by trial (manageable in size) and error, proceed by trial (manageable in size) and error, error, error. (Failure motto: Do it right the first error, error. (Failure motto: Do it right the first time! Success motto: Do it right the 37th time! time! Success motto: Do it right the 37th time! And hustle through those 37 triessee the And hustle through those 37 triessee the next slide.) next slide.)

We made mistakes, of course. Most of them were omissions we didnt think of when we initially wrote the software. We fixed them by doing it over and over, again and again. We do the same today. While our competitors are still sucking their thumbs trying to make the design perfect, were already on prototype version # 5. By the time our rivals are ready with wires and screws, we are on version # 10. It gets back to planning versus acting: We act from day one; others plan how to planfor months. Bloomberg by Bloomberg

Lesson: The process of political-community engagement must also be approached as engagement must also be approached as a trial and error learning process. a trial and error learning process. Lesson: Always alter the experiment to accommodate local needsthe act of apparent local modification local needsthe act of apparent local modification per se is critical, as every community leader, in per se is critical, as every community leader, in order for them to accept ownership and order for them to accept ownership and demonstrate to their constituents that they are in demonstrate to their constituents that they are in charge, must feel as if they have directly and charge, must feel as if they have directly and measurably influenced the experiment. [See the next four slides.] measurably influenced the experiment. [See the next four slides.] Lesson: Growth (the experimental and expansion- emulation process) must be organic, and proceed emulation process) must be organic, and proceed at a measured pacenudged, not hurried. at a measured pacenudged, not hurried. Lesson: Speed kills! (To a point.) By and large, the messiness and inefficiency of the local political messiness and inefficiency of the local political process must be honored. process must be honored.

Buy in- Ownership- Authorial bragging rights-Born again Champion = One Line of Code!

It works this way, Tom. Youre talking to a guy whos important to implementation down where the rubber meets the road. Hes skepticalhe either really is, or its the act he chooses to play. You go over the thing with him and he has a thousand objections. You nod your head a lot, and take copious notes. Then you go back to your guys, and you find a few places where you can very specifically accommodate him. You make the changes, even if they are pretty ugly. Then you go back to him, and show him exactly what youve done. You have a born again supporter. You took him seriouslyand through the changes, hes now your co-inventor, your savior. Now hes doing the selling for you. Hey, the whole damn thing wouldnt have worked were it not for his interjectionsthats the way he frames it to his folks. I tell you, it never fails. Source: Australian IS-IT chief, mid-sized company in financial services

Noth-ing is scalable!*

Nothing is scalable!* *Every replication must exude the perception of uniquenesseven if it means a half-step backwards. (It wouldnt have worked if we hadnt done it our way.)

Scalable is one of those [hot] words, as in, Will it scale? Replication is of paramount importance. But a/the prime failure of many- most aid programs has been to achieve a small success with a demoand then immediately shove the resulting approach, as though it were Biblical, lock-stock-and-barrel down the throats of 200 unsuspecting communitieswith orders to get it done by yesterday. Smart people do demo after demo after demo, and then begin to scale in earnest. But they clearly understand that scalability is never more than, say, a 75% affairboth real and perceived tailoring is required at every stop, to adjust to local conditions and to engage the local power structure by allowing-encouraging them to make it their own !

Lesson: Speed kills! Lesson: Short-circuiting political process kills! process kills! Lesson: Premature rollout kills! Lesson: Too much publicity-visibility kills! kills! Lesson: Too much money kills! Lesson: Too much technology kills!

There are obviously limits to all these thingsone, for instance, cant wait forever for the political process to play itself out. On the other hand, the principal sin of the planners who make Easterlys [and my] skin crawl is shortchanging local politics and politicians, throwing money at the problem, counting on clever technologies to carry the day, publicizing successes that arent, etc.

Lesson: Outsiders, to be effective, must have genuine appreciation of and affection for the locals with whom appreciation of and affection for the locals with whom and for whom they are working! and for whom they are working! Lesson: Condescension kills mostsaid locals know unimaginably more about life than well-intentioned unimaginably more about life than well-intentioned do gooders, young or even, alas, not so young. do gooders, young or even, alas, not so young. Lesson: Progress … MUST … be consistent with local politics on the ground in order to raise the odds politics on the ground in order to raise the odds of sustainability. of sustainability. Lesson: You will never-ever fix everything at once or by the time you finishin our Constitutional or by the time you finishin our Constitutional Convention in 1787, George Washington only got Convention in 1787, George Washington only got about 60% of what he wanted! about 60% of what he wanted!

Lesson: Never forget the atmospherics, such as numerous celebrations for tiny milestones reached, showering praise celebrations for tiny milestones reached, showering praise on the local leader and your local cohorts, while you on the local leader and your local cohorts, while you assiduously stand at the back of the crowdetc. assiduously stand at the back of the crowdetc. Lesson: The experiment has failed until the systems and political rewards, often small, are in place, with Beta tests completed, rewards, often small, are in place, with Beta tests completed, to up the odds of repetition. to up the odds of repetition. Lesson: Most of your on-the-ground staff must consist of respected localsthe de facto or de jure Chairman or CEO respected localsthe de facto or de jure Chairman or CEO must be a local; you must be virtually invisible. must be a local; you must be virtually invisible. Lesson: Spend enormous pointless social time with the local political leadersin Gulf War I, Norm Schwarzkopf spent his political leadersin Gulf War I, Norm Schwarzkopf spent his evenings, nearly all of them, drinking tea until 2AM or 3AM evenings, nearly all of them, drinking tea until 2AM or 3AM with the Saudi crown prince; he called it his greatest with the Saudi crown prince; he called it his greatest contribution! contribution!

Lesson: Keep your start up plan simple and short and filled with question marks in order to allow others filled with question marks in order to allow others to have the last word. (I once did the final draft of a to have the last word. (I once did the final draft of a proposal, making it as flawless as could be. I gave it to my boss, proposal, making it as flawless as could be. I gave it to my boss, pre Microsoft Word, and he proceeded to cut it up and tape the pieces pre Microsoft Word, and he proceeded to cut it up and tape the pieces back together, and conspicuously cross out several paragraphs of my back together, and conspicuously cross out several paragraphs of my obviously and labored over brilliant prose that he had agreed to. Tom, obviously and labored over brilliant prose that he had agreed to. Tom, he said as I recall, we want the rest of the committee [of important, or at he said as I recall, we want the rest of the committee [of important, or at least self-important folks] to feel as though they are participating and least self-important folks] to feel as though they are participating and that you and I are a naïvenot confront them with a beautiful plan that that you and I are a naïvenot confront them with a beautiful plan that shouts Dont you dare alter a word.) shouts Dont you dare alter a word.)

Lesson: For projects involving children or health or education or community development or sustainable small-business community development or sustainable small-business growth (most projects), women are by far the most reliable growth (most projects), women are by far the most reliable and most central and most indirectly powerful local and most central and most indirectly powerful local players in even the most chauvinist settingstheir players in even the most chauvinist settingstheir characteristic process of implementation by indirection characteristic process of implementation by indirection means life or death to sustainable project success; means life or death to sustainable project success; moreover, the expanding concentric circles of womens moreover, the expanding concentric circles of womens traditional networking processes is by far the best way to traditional networking processes is by far the best way to scale up/expand a program. (Men should not even try scale up/expand a program. (Men should not even try to understand what is taking place. Among other things, to understand what is taking place. Among other things, this networking indirection-largely invisible process will this networking indirection-largely invisible process will seemingly take forever by most mens action now, seemingly take forever by most mens action now, skip steps S.O.P.and then, from out of the blue, skip steps S.O.P.and then, from out of the blue, following an eternity of rambling discussions-on-top-of- following an eternity of rambling discussions-on-top-of- rambling-discussions, you will wake up one fine morning rambling-discussions, you will wake up one fine morning and discover that the thing is done that everything has and discover that the thing is done that everything has fallen in place overnight and that ownership is nearly fallen in place overnight and that ownership is nearly universal. Concomitant imperative; most of your (as an universal. Concomitant imperative; most of your (as an outsider) staff should be women, alas, most likely not outsider) staff should be women, alas, most likely not visibly in charge. visibly in charge.

For projects involving children or health or education or community development or sustainable small- business growth (most projects), women are by far the most reliable and most central and most indirectly powerful local players even in the most chauvinist settings.

Reminders: Show up! (Stick around!) Listen! (Listen! Listen! Listen!) Study local conditions! Stay in the background! (Always defer to local leaderseven bad ones. Do your workarounds in private.) Adapt to local conditions!! (No cookie-cutters, please!!) Experiment! (Manageable in size.) (Trial and error, error, errorso, hustle.) (Celebrate the tiniest successesno such thing as too much.) Get the boring supporting systems-infrastructure in place! Always: Local politics rules! (Like it or not.) Nudge. (Do not force things because of your schedule.) Women are our customers, premier partners in sustainable implementation.