This week I watched a marvelous Ted Talk that really captured the challenges developing Nations face in how to advance their economies and their people in today’s challenging environment. In essence it was championing the need for homegrown solutions.
Best Fit Approaches
As a consultant in the development space I have been a staunch advocate for ‘best fit’ rather than best practice solutions. All too often consultants and donors come with Western ideas and a specific ‘bag of tricks’ to address challenges faced by developing countries. Sometimes those ldeas and ‘tricks’ can be useful to inspire people to think differently but about a problem. However, when it’s believed that this is the ‘best way’ to do something, with no regard for the cultural context, or the specific operating context of a country, which can include their values, it simply becomes a hindrance.
Innovation from within